2482: Scaling Without Sacrifice in a $3 Million Practice
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
Release Date: 04/07/2026
2512: Treatment Acceptance Is A Whole Team Sport Pt. 1
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes introduces Summer for a powerful conversation on improving treatment acceptance by understanding why patients really say no. Summer breaks down how many patients decline care not simply because of money, but because they don’t fully see the value, urgency, or consequences of waiting. She explains why a strong philosophy of care is the foundation for confident treatment presentation, and how doctors can move away from hedging, over-explaining, or presenting treatment as optional. By helping patients understand what is happening in their mouth, why...
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2511: The Membership Model That Beats PPO Dependence
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes back Jordon Comstock, founder and CEO of BoomCloud, for a deep dive into the power of recurring revenue in dentistry. Jordon breaks down why dental membership programs are still underutilized, even after a decade of proving their value, and explains how they can help practices reduce dependence on PPOs, improve patient loyalty, and create more predictable cash flow. Mark and Jordon discuss the pressure insurance has placed on practice margins, the difference between cash, PPO, and membership patients, and why membership patients often...
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2510: Rethinking PPO Dentistry With a Smarter Admin Model
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes back Dr. Lior Tamir, practicing dentist, entrepreneur, and founder of The Dental App. They dive into Lior’s innovative approach to navigating PPO challenges through an administrative and concierge-style model, while still maintaining transparency, ethics, and high-quality patient care. Lior shares how this model has helped him reinvest in his team, improve the patient experience, and build a more sustainable business in one of the most competitive markets in the country. The conversation also explores the future of dental practice...
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2509: The New Rules of Selling a Dental Practice
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Brannon Moncrief of McLerran & Associates to unpack the current state of dental practice transitions, valuations, and DSO affiliation. Brannon explains the key differences between doctor-to-doctor sales and DSO deals, including when a smaller practice may be better suited for a private buyer and when a larger, multi-provider practice may benefit from exploring the DSO route. They also discuss why younger dentists are selling earlier than previous generations, how inflation and staffing pressures are impacting EBITDA, and what sellers...
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2508: How to Build a Practice That Runs Without Chaos
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes and Ashlee Hirschfeld kick off a back-to-basics conversation on operational systemization and why even experienced practice owners need to revisit the fundamentals. They break down how DSN’s belt system measures practice growth across culture, leadership, systemization, and overhead, then dig into what it really takes to build strong organizational charts, effective operations manuals, and simple protocols that create consistency without overwhelming the team. The episode also explores the power of difficult conversations, how to spot recurring...
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2507: Making Clear Aligners Profitable for General Dentists
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Dr. Ben Miraglia, VP of GP Clinical Education at CandidPro, to explore how general dentists can successfully integrate clear aligners into everyday practice. Dr. Miraglia shares how his background in restorative and implant dentistry led him to clear aligners, and why an expansive, non-extraction approach helped him eliminate common frustrations like excessive IPR, too many attachments, poor tracking, and difficult finishes. They discuss how CandidPro’s orthodontist-led treatment planning, remote monitoring, AI-supported tracking,...
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2506: From the First Call to a Lifelong Patient Relationship
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes joins Joshua DeVries on The Patient Experience Blueprint to discuss how dental practices can create more intentional, human-centered systems that build trust and improve case acceptance. Mark shares lessons from his unconventional path into dentistry, the failures that shaped his approach to practice ownership, and why clinical skill alone is not enough to create a thriving, patient-centered business. They explore how trust starts with the team, why every patient touchpoint matters, and how practices can use systems without becoming cold or robotic....
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2505: The Smart Way to Add a Specialist
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes answers listener questions in this Ask Mark Anything segment, covering everything from adding specialists to protecting profitability during expansion. He breaks down how to evaluate the true cost per procedure before bringing in a specialist, why top-line revenue does not always translate into practice value, and how to calculate whether keeping specialty procedures in-house is actually profitable. Mark also discusses scaling revenue versus improving profitability, the importance of tracking attrition and reactivation, and why patient experience...
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2504: The Conversations That Save Associate Relationships
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Dr. Summer Kassmel to unpack one of the most common frustrations in dental practice ownership: the disconnect between owner doctors and associate doctors. They discuss why owners often expect associates to think, work, and hustle the same way they do, and why that assumption can quickly create misalignment, resentment, and underperformance. Summer shares how to define expectations before hiring, ask better questions during interviews, clarify non-negotiables, and create a stronger onboarding process that gives associates a real path to...
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2503: Why Merchant Fees Are Draining Dental Practices
The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Chris Sands, co-founder of Crown Card Services and Pro-Fi 20/20, to unpack the often-overlooked world of credit card processing fees in dentistry. Chris explains how merchant fees quietly chip away at profitability, EBITDA, and even practice valuation, while sharing why more dental offices are exploring compliant surcharge programs to recover 70–90% of card fees. They also dive into the difference between rates and fees, the importance of PCI compliance, state-by-state surcharge restrictions, and how PPO contracts may create...
info_outlineOn today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes hosts another Ask Me Anything session, answering thoughtful and high-level questions from the dental community around growth, leadership, and finding balance. He dives into how to scale a practice to $3M and beyond without sacrificing culture, patient experience, or personal time, while also explaining how to recognize the difference between a healthy growth phase and a broken model.
Mark also tackles deeper questions around defining “enough,” the tradeoffs of success, and how to transition out of the constant hustle phase by building the right infrastructure and team. Plus, he shares practical insights on patient perception—from attire to trust-building—and how small details can influence case acceptance. This episode is packed with both tactical advice and big-picture perspective for dentists at every stage of their journey.
Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!
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