2337: The Untold Truth About Fluoride & the Rise of Hydroxyapatite
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
Release Date: 09/16/2025
2338: The Future of Early Caries Detection in Dentistry
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with the multifaceted Jessica Woods—MPH, RDH, and Senior VP at BlueCheck Dental—for a lively and unexpected conversation straight from Thrive Live in Las Vegas. Jessica discusses her role in bringing Blue Check to the market, a protein-based diagnostic product that helps detect early demineralization and promotes minimally invasive dentistry. Beyond teeth, Jessica shares her passion for wine and cheese, detailing her journey from clinical hygiene to becoming a certified sommelier and cheese professional. They chat about the science...
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2337: The Untold Truth About Fluoride & the Rise of Hydroxyapatite
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes Vladimir Vukicevic, a serial tech entrepreneur turned wellness founder and the CEO of Better & Better, a sustainable, fluoride-free toothpaste and oral care brand. Vlad shares his incredible backstory—from surviving childhood bone cancer in Eastern Europe to launching and selling multiple startups before founding Better & Better. He explains how his personal health journey sparked a passion for clean living and preventative wellness, and why toothpaste became his next big mission. The two dive deep into the fluoride vs....
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2336: The Secrets Behind a 100-Patient Opening Day
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes DSI Black Belt Coach and startup expert Dr. Chris Green for a high-energy conversation packed with real-world wisdom. Fresh off the Dental Success Summit, they reflect on the event’s outstanding energy, powerful breakout sessions, and the rising interest in startup practices. Chris breaks down the core pillars of successful startups—planning, project execution, and practice building—while sharing actionable strategies to overcome decision fatigue and generate real patient momentum before opening day. From avoiding poor demographic...
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2335: The Fast Track to High-Value Dentistry Without Referrals
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Dr. Ben Kacos for a powerful and tactical conversation on what it really takes to evolve from a standard general dentist to a Super GP. Dr. Kacos shares his personal journey of 700% growth by strategically adding advanced clinical procedures like surgical extractions, socket grafting, molar endo, and IV sedation. Together, they break down the path of clinical progression—starting with strong communication skills and moving into more complex treatments—and explain how expanding your skill set directly impacts production, patient loyalty,...
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2334: The Business Case for Membership Plans in Dental Practices
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes Jane Levy, co-founder and CEO of Plan Forward, for a powerful conversation on how dental membership plans can help practices take control of their revenue and reduce dependence on underperforming insurance plans. Jane shares her unique path from Wall Street investor to dental tech entrepreneur, including her pivotal encounters at Henry Schein and Jarvis Analytics. She breaks down the structure and strategy behind successful membership plans, explains why they outperform traditional discount models, and offers insight into the potential for...
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2333: Scaling Impact Without Burning Out as a Dental Entrepreneur
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with his longtime friend and DSI Black Belt Coach, Dr. Taher Dhoon, for a deeply reflective and inspiring conversation on redefining legacy, creating balance, and building sustainable impact. From humble beginnings to scaling a $5M+ practice, Dr. Dhoon shares how his perspective has evolved over the years—from chasing traditional success metrics to prioritizing meaningful relationships, cultural roots, and purposeful living. The two discuss the origins and explosive growth of the Colorado Surgical Institute, their shared journey in...
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2332: Solving the Dental Revenue Puzzle with AI
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes Vishal Bhalla, founder and CEO of Wieldy.ai, an innovative AI platform transforming revenue cycle management in dental practices. Vishal shares how observing inefficiencies in his brother-in-law’s orthodontic offices during the pandemic sparked the idea for Wieldy. With a background in AI and machine learning, he explains how Wieldy's suite of AI agents automates claims posting, denial management, EFT reconciliation, and is soon expanding into insurance verification. The conversation covers how AI is reducing manual labor, improving...
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2331: Turning Full-Arch Leads Into Life-Changing Cases
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by sales strategist and full-arch consultant Stacy Farley, who shares her inspiring journey from corporate sales to becoming a key driver behind one of the most successful single-location implant centers in the U.S. Stacy breaks down the often-overlooked steps of the full-arch patient journey, from lead generation and call center strategies to clinical handoffs and closing high-dollar cases with empathy and purpose. She explains how her sales approach, rooted in personal motivation and genuine care, helped scale her father's practice from...
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2330: Surgical Saturday - Live Veneer Prepping & Delivery with CSI’s New Hands-On Course
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Dr. Taher Dhoon to introduce an exciting new addition to the Colorado Surgical Institute (CSI) lineup: a hands-on, live-patient cosmetic dentistry course focused on 10 over 10 veneer cases. The two discuss how this program differs from traditional full arch or surgical training, with an emphasis on preserving dentition while delivering life-changing aesthetic outcomes. Dr. Dhoon explains the comprehensive approach to case selection, smile design, deprogramming, and lab communication. He also details how participants will prep,...
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2329: Designing Dental Offices That Work Like a Swiss Watch
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes Dr. Mark Tholen, a former dentist turned renowned dental office architect, to unpack the art and science of designing a practice that maximizes productivity and minimizes stress. With decades of experience and thousands of projects under his belt, Dr. Tholen explains how to right-size your office for long-term growth, avoid common design pitfalls, and keep construction projects on time and on budget. He shares insights on ergonomics, workflow efficiency, and the critical role of complete plans in preventing costly change orders. Whether...
info_outlineOn today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes Vladimir Vukicevic, a serial tech entrepreneur turned wellness founder and the CEO of Better & Better, a sustainable, fluoride-free toothpaste and oral care brand. Vlad shares his incredible backstory—from surviving childhood bone cancer in Eastern Europe to launching and selling multiple startups before founding Better & Better. He explains how his personal health journey sparked a passion for clean living and preventative wellness, and why toothpaste became his next big mission.
The two dive deep into the fluoride vs. hydroxyapatite debate, the surprising risks of fluoride exposure, and why the dental industry is slow to evolve despite emerging science. Vlad also breaks down his company’s unique, plastic-free oral care product line and how consumer awareness—fueled by cultural and political shifts—is driving the demand for safer, more conscious options.
Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!
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