The Dentalpreneur Podcast Archives - Dental Success Institute

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. Mark also breaks down the importance of mapping the patient journey, improving communication at each transition, focusing on retention as much as acquisition, and creating a culture where patients feel cared for rather than processed.

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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 remains essential for retention. He closes with practical advice on associate ramp-up timelines, the “valley of death” production range, mentorship, and where to save money during buildouts without sacrificing long-term efficiency.

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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 success. They also talk through what to do when the relationship is already strained, including how to take ownership, reset expectations, discuss financial goals, and have direct conversations without creating defensiveness.

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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 additional challenges for practices trying to pass fees along to patients. Chris also breaks down why software integration can come with a massive hidden cost, how bridge solutions may help practices avoid inflated processing rates, and why startups and first-time buyers may have an advantage by implementing these systems from day one.

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On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Dr. Ben Kacos and Dr. Bill Keith for part two of their conversation on preparing a dental practice for partnership. They get tactical about the steps owners should take before entering a process, including cleaning up the books, separating personal and business expenses, identifying legitimate add-backs, and understanding how normalized profitability impacts valuation.

The group also discusses capital expenditures, debt structure, merchant fees, financing fees, and why every dollar saved can multiply significantly in a future transaction. They close by exploring how teams can benefit from partnership through improved health insurance, training, HR support, and carefully structured equity or incentive opportunities for key team members.

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On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Dr. Wayde Elliott, a former dentist whose clinical career ended suddenly after a neck injury during a crown prep forced him out of practice. Wayde shares his journey from barely making it into dental school to owning a successful practice for 20 years, and how a patient planted the seed that eventually led him into self-storage development.

He and Mark discuss the golden handcuffs of dentistry, the importance of disability insurance, and why dentists need to think beyond income generated solely by their own two hands. Wayde also breaks down why self-storage can be a compelling real estate asset class, including its recession resistance, low labor demands, tax advantages through cost segregation, and potential for strong investor returns.

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On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes celebrates a major milestone for the Dentalpreneur Podcast: 2,500 episodes. Broadcasting from Thrive Live 2026 in Las Vegas, Mark sits down with Steve Hollingsworth, owner of EnLightning Media and the producer, editor, media director, and behind-the-scenes force who helps keep the podcast running five days a week without missing a post. Steve shares his journey from making skateboarding videos as a teenager to working in broadcast, aerial cinematography, live streaming, and eventually building a media business that now supports Dentalpreneur and dental practices across the country.

Mark and Steve pull back the curtain on the systems, team, and strategy required to produce consistent long-form, medium-form, and short-form content at scale, while also discussing why organic content has been one of the biggest drivers of growth for the Dental Success Companies. They reflect on the power of education-based marketing, the reach of the podcast around the world, and the people who make the entire operation possible.

Tune in to the full conversation for a behind-the-scenes look at the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

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On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes Max Shore from Lassie to explore one of the most frustrating and overlooked areas in dentistry—revenue cycle management. They discuss why billing, collections, and insurance follow-up remain such major pain points for practices, how AI is beginning to automate repetitive financial workflows, and what it takes to build a system that improves accuracy, speeds up collections, and reduces administrative burden.

Max also shares insights from working with thousands of practice owners, along with Lassie’s bigger vision for the future of dental billing, insurance verification, and practice finance automation.

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On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes Matt Mulcock of Dentist Advisors for a wide-ranging conversation about the financial realities dentists are facing right now. They discuss consumer confidence, economic uncertainty, tax planning, retirement strategies, Roth conversions, donor-advised funds, and what it really takes to build long-term wealth while still enjoying life along the way.

Matt also shares how Dentist Advisors is expanding its support for dentists across every stage of their career, from new grads to practice owners preparing for major transitions.

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On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Dr. Addison Killeen and Ryan Gross to unpack what practice owners can do when hygiene is full, staffing is tight, and growth starts to stall. They explore how to shift marketing toward higher-value patients such as emergency, implant, sedation, and full-mouth reconstruction cases, while creating systems that keep doctor production strong even when hygiene becomes the bottleneck.

The conversation also highlights insights from Addison’s new Complete Dental Hygiene Manual, including practical ways to optimize hygiene operations, navigate staffing shortages, and rethink growth strategy in today’s dental economy.

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2506: From the First Call to a Lifelong Patient Relationship

2505: The Smart Way to Add a Specialist

2504: The Conversations That Save Associate Relationships

2503: Why Merchant Fees Are Draining Dental Practices

2502: How to Prepare Your Practice for Partnership Part 2

2501: The Backup Plan Every Dentist Should Think About

2500: 2500 Episodes and the Team Behind the Mic

2499: The Hidden Revenue Leaks AI Can Help Dental Practices Fix

2498: Smart Money Moves for Dentists in Uncertain Times

2497: How to Keep Producing When Hygiene Hits Capacity