2475: Delegation, Redundancy, and Building a Vacation-Ready Practice

On today’s episode of Ask Me Anything with Dr. Mark Costes, he dives into some of the most insightful questions submitted by listeners, tackling the challenges dental practice owners face as they scale. Mark explores the most common bottleneck he sees—lack of delegation and redundancy—and shares how even highly profitable, low-overhead practices can quickly crumble without the right systems and depth on the team. He emphasizes the value of hiring great people when you find them and offers advice for empowering your leads so the practice can thrive without your constant presence.

Mark also addresses how to handle delicate leadership moments—like when a key team member is struggling personally—while maintaining accountability and protecting the health of the organization. He breaks down a smart, step-by-step approach to dropping PPOs, urging dentists to avoid emotional decisions and instead rely on data, preparation, and strategic marketing to make the transition smooth. To close out the episode, Mark shares why he loves the start of a new year as a time for deep reflection and goal setting, using the Four Futures framework to reset priorities across mindset, health, relationships, and finances.

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2474: Closing the Loop: Operational Wisdom

On today’s episode, Addison Killeen takes the stage to unpack the real driver behind stronger case acceptance and smoother operations: trust. Using a practical 10-step framework, he explains how dental teams can close the loop from the very first phone call to financial discussions and follow-up scheduling by improving communication, handoffs, punctuality, treatment presentation, and team alignment.

Addison shares how credibility, reliability, intimacy, and low self-interest all shape the patient experience, while also offering actionable ideas for reducing uncertainty, creating better doctor-patient connection, standardizing language across the team, and guiding patients confidently through treatment options. This episode is a smart, systems-based look at how operational excellence and human connection work together to help more patients say yes.

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2473: The Power of Consistency

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes shares the remarkable journey behind the Dentalpreneur Podcast during this year’s Voices of Dentistry event. He shares how a simple decision to start recording conversations transformed his business, network, and life. He reflects on the early days of dental podcasting, the explosive growth of the medium, and the long-term power of consistency after releasing more than 2,400 episodes over the last decade.

Along the way, he explains how podcasting created opportunities for speaking, sponsorships, sister companies, strategic partnerships, and unforgettable relationships with world-class guests and influential leaders. Dr. Costes also ties the conversation back to purpose, highlighting how the audience and platform he built helped fuel mission-driven work through Smile Outreach International and opened doors to create impact far beyond dentistry. This episode is a candid look at leverage, authenticity, and what can happen when you commit to showing up over and over again.

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2472: Why Every Dental Office Should Use a Microscope

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with registered dental hygienist Kristen King, founder of Dental Reveal, to discuss how phase contrast microscopy is transforming the way dental teams diagnose periodontal disease and educate patients. With nearly 30 years of clinical experience, Kristen explains how visualizing live oral biofilm helps patients understand their risk, dramatically improves case acceptance, and elevates the hygiene appointment from a routine cleaning to a powerful health consultation.

They explore the oral-systemic connection, the Bale Doneen method, and how practices can implement microscopes to grow their hygiene departments, strengthen collaboration with physicians, and deliver higher-level preventive care. Kristen also shares practical insights on training teams, choosing the right equipment, and integrating this technology into everyday workflows.

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2471: How Young Dentists Can Build Speed and Conviction

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes back Dr. Aaron Nicholas for a wide-ranging conversation about clinical growth, treatment plan presentation, and helping young dentists build confidence faster. Aaron shares how his own difficult startup journey shaped his passion for coaching, teaching, and creating practical CE courses that help doctors become more efficient with molar endo, surgical extractions, and day-to-day case acceptance.

Together, they break down why conviction, communication, and simple language matter so much when presenting treatment, and how reviewing “game film” of real patient interactions can dramatically improve results. They also dive into Aaron’s 90 Day Practice Accelerator, his live clinical training programs, and the bigger mission behind helping dentists expand their skill sets while better serving patients.

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2470: How a Dental Robot Helped One Practice 10x Its Growth

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes Dr. Tyler Bond and Gabe Goldberg live from Voices of Dentistry. Dr. Bond shares how implementing the Yomi robotic system from Neocis has dramatically changed his implant workflow—and contributed to a tenfold increase in his practice’s revenue. Gabe breaks down how the Yomi S works, from pre-op planning to real-time surgical guidance, and how AI and robotics can enhance precision, speed, and predictability for implant surgeons.

Dr. Bond dives into case selection, flapless surgery, pterygoid implants, and how the system has helped him grow his brand and attract patients from hours away. If you’ve ever been curious about robotic implant surgery, this episode delivers both the tech and the real-world impact.

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2469: Why Dentists Wait Too Long to Hire and Pay the Price

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costas welcomes back fan-favorite Dr. Paul “Nacho” Goodman for an unfiltered conversation on entrepreneurship, associate hiring, live events, and the evolving dental landscape. They dive into the realities of running multiple businesses, transitioning from clinical dentistry to CEO life, and why so many dentists wait too long to hire an associate—often creating unnecessary chaos in their practices.

Paul shares insights from Dentist Job Connect, discusses the ongoing hygienist shortage, and offers a balanced perspective on DSO and DPO “drama.” The episode also highlights the power of live events, mentorship, and surrounding yourself with the right people to accelerate growth. As always, it’s real talk, practical wisdom, and plenty of laughs between two seasoned dental entrepreneurs.

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2468: Marketing Wisdom For The AI Search Era In Dentistry

On today’s episode, Mark breaks down a straightforward way to calculate “passive income” from a dental practice by using gross revenue, overhead, and doctor comp, then welcomes CMO Share founder Ryan Gross to share a practical, experience-driven marketing framework. Ryan lays out three core buckets—internal and external brand awareness, digital and AI-driven content, and team conversion—showing how billboards, community visibility, patient testimonials, multilingual videos, and strong in-office branding can reinforce what you offer to both new and existing patients.

He explains why content (especially short-form video and FAQs) is becoming essential as Google and AI personalize search results, and why transparency around fees, financing, emergencies, and membership plans is increasingly important. The conversation closes with a deep dive into front-office performance: declining phone conversion rates, the massive impact of answering calls, how insurance questions derail scheduling, and actionable tactics Addison Killeen uses—like a simple insurance spreadsheet and practice-wide phone coverage—to keep answer rates high while using AI cautiously after hours.

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2467: Building Mental Toughness in Young Athletes

On today’s episode, we’re sharing a powerful live talk Dr. Mark Costes gave to the Prescott High School boys’ soccer team following a tough early-season loss. In a raw, motivating message, Mark addresses the emotional aftermath of defeat and challenges the players to take radical accountability—reminding them that adversity offers a critical opportunity for self-reflection, growth, and leadership. Drawing from his own athletic background and principles of stoicism and extreme ownership, he emphasizes that true development doesn’t happen when things go right—but when you choose how to respond when they don’t.

Mark leads the team through a simple but impactful exercise to identify personal areas of improvement and publicly commit to one key focus before the next game. From shifting mindset to supporting teammates more intentionally, this talk highlights the kind of mental resilience and character-building that transcends the scoreboard.

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2466: The Family Office Model for Dentists and Physicians

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Erik Brenner, CFP and author of The Personal CFO Revolution, to discuss how dentists, physicians, and other high-income professionals can build a “personal CFO” framework without needing a nine-figure net worth. Erik explains how integrating investment management, tax planning, and retirement strategy under one coordinated plan mirrors the family office model traditionally reserved for the ultra-wealthy.

They explore the critical difference between simply deferring taxes and truly mitigating them, why working with a fiduciary matters, and how proactive tax projections can dramatically impact long-term wealth. The conversation also covers strategies available to both practice owners and W2 earners, including oil and gas investments, solar tax credits, leveraged deductions, and opportunity zone planning. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to grow income while keeping more of what they earn.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

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