Welcome back to another insightful episode of A Tale of Two Hygienists! This week, Andrew Johnston is joined by none other than Dr. Alan Mead—podcaster, dentist, mentor, and community builder. Dr. Mead shares how the dental podcasting landscape has evolved over the years, what it takes to maintain endurance in dentistry, and how the profession continues to change.

Highlights from This Episode:

• Podcasting Roots & Mentorship: Andrew Johnston credits Dr. Alan Mead as the reason this very podcast exists, touching on early Facebook communities, learning tech, and the supportive culture of dental podcasters.

• CE, Learning, and Growth: Dr. Mead discusses his experience at recent Bioclear courses, the tendency to fall back into comfortable habits, and the challenges of integrating new techniques into everyday practice.

• The Changing Face of Dental Podcasting: The conversation covers the shift from traditional audio podcasts to video and social-focused content, the pros and cons of new tools, and how AI is changing audio editing and show notes.

• Dentistry Over the Years: Reflections on what's changed in the profession, from new grads facing massive debt, to decreasing engagement on platforms like Facebook, and the difference in career expectations from Dr. Mead's early days to now.

• Advice for New Podcasters: Dr. Mead offers sage advice for anyone starting a podcast: don't obsess over download numbers, focus on genuine engagement and conversation, make your show personal and relatable, and always prioritize the audience's needs.

• Looking Ahead – The Future of Dentistry: Thoughtful (and candid) takes on whether Dr. Mead would encourage a new grad to enter the profession, the importance of finding fulfillment outside of work, and how impermanence—among both dental staff and patients—might affect long-term patient relationships.

Voices of Dentistry Podcast and Event

Dr. Alan Mead also talks about the return of the Voices of Dentistry conference—a unique gathering for dental podcasters, listeners, and anyone interested in the dental podcasting community.

• Voices of Dentistry 2026

  Dates: January 16th and 17th, 2026

  Location: Implant Pathway, Arizona

  Details & Tickets: Voices of Dentistry website

  Note: Limited tickets due to fire codes! This is an intimate event with great speakers and loads of podcasters—not to be missed if you're a fan of dental podcasts.

You can also check out the Voices of Dentistry Podcast for discussions with some of the biggest names in dental podcasting.

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This episode is a production of Endeavor Business Media.