Beyond the Operatory

"His spend went from $22,000 a month to $7,000 a month for basically the same thing."

On this episode of Beyond the Operatory, hosted by John Stamper and proudly brought to you by Dental City, Dr. Jody Ames and Dr. Lauren Collett discuss the realities of modern private-practice dentistry, continuing education, mentorship, study clubs, patient care, and the business systems required to remain competitive. Their unique father-daughter perspective highlights the transition from dental school into practice ownership while balancing clinical growth with business responsibility.

The conversation also explores the origin of DDS United, procurement strategy, supply standardization, and how independent dental practices can leverage purchasing intelligence traditionally reserved for larger organizations. Key themes include mentorship, treatment planning, continuing education, clinical confidence, profitability, and preserving private-practice dentistry through smarter operational decision-making.

In this episode, we cover:

• 00:00:00 The ,000 Monthly Savings Story
• 00:01:36 Meet Lauren & Jody Ames
• 00:02:58 Choosing Private Practice Dentistry
• 00:04:34 Mentorship, Study Clubs & Career Growth
• 00:06:10 Why Lauren Chose Dentistry
• 00:09:22 Treatment Planning Across Generations
• 00:10:43 Technology & The Future of Dentistry
• 00:13:18 Clinical Skills and Finding Your Focus
• 00:17:59 Why Business Skills Matter
• 00:20:57 The Importance of Independent Dentistry
• 00:31:12 How DDS United Started
• 00:38:26 Real Savings Stories from Private Practice

About the Guests:

Dr. Jody Ames is a private-practice dentist, entrepreneur, and founder of DDS United. With decades of clinical experience, he advocates for dentist-led procurement strategies, continuing education, and operational independence that help private practices compete effectively in a changing dental marketplace.

Dr. Lauren Collett is a general Dentist and second-generation practitioner who joined her father's practice following residency training at the University of Cincinnati.

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"Listen to the problem, not the solution." — Steve Johnson

In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, hosted by John Stamper and brought to you by Dental City, Angela Hermanson and Steve Johnson explain how the transition from 3M Healthcare to Solventum has created a healthcare-focused organization dedicated entirely to improving patient outcomes and provider workflows. The discussion explores the innovation process behind major brands including Filtek, Scotchbond, Clinpro, and RelyX while reinforcing that the products, science, manufacturing standards, and people remain the same despite the corporate transition.

The episode also provides a rare look at how new dental solutions are developed. Rather than starting with technology, Solventum begins with clinical pain points identified through study clubs, innovation councils, chairside observation, field feedback, and dentist interviews. This approach influenced developments such as Filtek Easy Match, composite warming technology, Scotchbond Universal Plus, and the upcoming Filtek Matrix system designed to expand access to composite veneers while reducing procedural complexity.

Product Spotlight:

Shop Solventum’s wide variety of products here: (https://dentalcity.com/category/606/3m)

In this episode, we cover:

• 00:00:00 Introduction to Solventum and Dental Innovation
• 00:04:12 Why 3M Healthcare Became Solventum
• 00:07:52 How Dental Products Are Actually Created
• 00:11:37 The Power of Dentist Feedback
• 00:14:00 Why Dental Teams Resist Change
• 00:15:20 Benefits of Composite Warming
• 00:18:19 Training Across Different Skill Levels
• 00:20:16 Staying Innovative in Restorative Dentistry
• 00:24:43 New Filtek Matrix and Composite Veneers
• 00:28:43 Building a Career at Solventum
• 00:31:10 Why People Matter More Than Branding

About the Guests:

Angela Hermanson - Leader of the Market Development Team for Solventum Dental. Angela oversees strategic marketing, customer insight initiatives, market development, and commercialization efforts across dental and orthodontic solutions.

Steve Johnson - Market Development Manager for Direct Restoratives and Impression Materials at Solventum. With approximately 16 years working within the former 3M Dental organization, Steve has held roles in sales, technical support, education, and product development.

"The common denominator of offices that have successfully resigned (from PPO plans) is they are more relationship-driven than transactional." — Gary Takacs

In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, host John Stamper sits down with renowned dental consultant Gary Takacs to discuss what actually happens when practices reduce PPO participation. Rather than focusing solely on insurance negotiations, the conversation centers on patient experience, relationship-building, treatment acceptance, verbal skills, and trust-based care.

The episode explores practical strategies dental owners, office managers, hygienists, and assistants can immediately implement, including documenting patient life events, improving treatment presentation language, using digital photography for education, strengthening emotional loyalty, and reframing insurance as a benefit rather than the primary reason patients choose a practice. The discussion also provides real-world examples of successful PPO resignations and the patient retention systems that make those transitions possible.

In this episode, we cover:

• 00:00:00 Why Relationship-Driven Practices Win
• 00:02:28 The Foundation of Successful PPO Reduction
• 00:06:48 Understanding Your Insurance Data
• 00:07:34 How Practices Successfully Leave PPO Plans
• 00:10:50 Thinking About Insurance as a Coupon
• 00:13:08 Presenting Treatment as an Investment
• 00:15:30 The Power of Digital Patient Photography
• 00:17:50 Helping Patients Own Their Treatment
• 00:20:05 Verbal Skills That Increase Trust
• 00:22:20 Two Steps Every Practice Can Take Today
• 00:24:40 The Patient Loyalty Story Every Team Should Hear

About the Guest:

Gary Takacs is known throughout dentistry as the "Podfather," Gary launched the first dental podcast and has spent more than 45 years helping practices improve operational performance, patient relationships, and business systems. He brings firsthand experience from working with over 1,800 dental practices across the United States.

Shop Dental City October Specials: (https://dentalcity.com/category/3846/october-specials)

In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, host John Stamper sits down with Angela Severance of Ivoclar to discuss why clinical education remains one of the most overlooked drivers of operational success in modern dentistry. Drawing from her experience as a chairside dental assistant and educator, Angela explains how education improves adoption of new materials, increases clinician confidence, and strengthens patient trust.

The conversation explores workflow-based learning, team onboarding, restorative dentistry education, CAD/CAM evolution, clinical confidence development, and how manufacturers can become true partners rather than product suppliers. Dental owners, practice managers, hygienists, assistants, and associates will learn why consistent education directly impacts efficiency, standardization, patient communication, and long-term practice growth.

In this episode, we cover:

• 00:00:00 Why Education Matters More Than Product Sales
• 00:02:38 Angela's Journey From Dental Assistant To Educator
• 00:06:08 The Philosophy Behind Ivoclar Education
• 00:12:26 Awareness Creates Clinical Confidence
• 00:17:48 Building Education Into Company Culture
• 00:22:20 Inside Ivoclar's Learning Pathways
• 00:25:07 Why Hands-On Training Still Matters
• 00:31:08 The Onboarding Challenge In Modern Dentistry
• 00:31:15 Using Education As A Recruiting Advantage
• 00:35:10 Getting Started With Ivoclar Academy

About the Guest:

Angela Severance serves in Training and Education for Ivoclar. Beginning her career as a chairside dental assistant, she became deeply involved in CAD/CAM technology adoption and later helped develop educational pathways for dental assistants. Today, she focuses on workflow-based clinical education, onboarding programs, and assisting practices with successful implementation of restorative technologies.

Shop Dental City’s October Specials: (https://dentalcity.com/category/3846/october-specials)

"What goes in the mouth and stays in the mouth. It's not always about price. It's also about time." – Rhonda Durante

In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, hosted by John Stamper and brought to you by Dental City, Rhonda Durante, Founder of DSO Connect, explains how dental practices can navigate rising operational costs, declining insurance reimbursements, and increasing supply chain complexity without sacrificing clinical outcomes. The conversation explores how manufacturers, distributors, and practice leaders can work together to deliver quality products at competitive pricing while maintaining treatment consistency.

The discussion dives into product standardization, bundled purchasing programs, clinician education, continuing education opportunities, and patient take-home revenue strategies. Rhonda Durante argues that successful procurement decisions should be based on total operational value, including reduced procedure steps, manufacturer support, training resources, and patient satisfaction rather than unit price alone.

In this episode, we cover:

• 00:00:00 Why Product Value Beats Sticker Price
• 00:02:03 Meet DSO Connect Founder Rhonda Durante
• 00:03:49 Quality Products vs House Brands
• 00:05:00 Rising Costs and Procurement Challenges
• 00:06:06 Creating Value Through Manufacturer Partnerships
• 00:07:24 Why Dental City Stood Out
• 00:09:08 The Importance of Manufacturer Feedback
• 00:11:15 Education, CE Credits, and Clinical Growth
• 00:12:34 New Revenue Opportunities Through Resale
• 00:13:40 What Excites Rhonda About Dentistry's Future
• 00:15:40 Technology, Transparency, and Vendor Relationships

About the Guest:

Rhonda Durante is the founder of DSO Connect and has more than 40 years in dentistry and 32 years working within the DSO space. Throughout her career she has worked as a territory representative, dealer representative, and manufacturer partner. Today she helps connect manufacturers, distributors, and dental organizations through pricing programs, education initiatives, bundled purchasing opportunities, and strategic partnerships focused on maintaining quality while controlling costs.

Shop Dental City’s September Specials: (https://dentalcity.com/category/3825/september-specials)

In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, host John Stamper sits down with Dr. Ryan Walsh and Dr. Michael Miyasaki to discuss how objective ATP testing is changing the way clinicians evaluate root canal cleanliness. The conversation focuses on the Vista Apex Endocator®, a chairside diagnostic device that measures ATP levels remaining inside the canal system after instrumentation and irrigation.

The guests explain how clinicians traditionally relied on technique and experience to determine whether canals were adequately disinfected. With the Endocator®, practices can obtain a cleanliness score in approximately 10 seconds, helping identify missed anatomy, residual tissue, bacterial contamination, or other procedural challenges before obturation. The result is improved clinical confidence, stronger patient communication, and potentially more predictable healing outcomes for both general practitioners and endodontists.

Product Spotlight:

Chairside confidence starts with consistent verification. Endocator® by Vista Apex gives your clinical team a measurable way to confirm canal cleanliness before treatment completion.

Shop Vista Apex’s Endocator® here: (https://dentalcity.com/product/22792/vista-apex-endocator-chairside-device-kit?DC00022792)

In this episode, we cover:

• 00:00:00 Why Clinicians Need Objective Endodontic Data
• 00:01:24 Meet Dr. Ryan Walsh & Dr. Mike Miyasaki
• 00:03:25 The Problem: You Can't Visually Confirm Cleanliness
• 00:05:28 How ATP Testing Works Chairside
• 00:09:10 The 80-Score Wake-Up Call
• 00:10:52 Real-Time Clinical Feedback in 10 Seconds
• 00:13:00 Communicating Objective Data to Informed Patients
• 00:15:55 The GP Perspective on Confidence & Case Acceptance
• 00:19:18 The "Hallelujah Moment" for Skeptical Clinicians
• 00:23:24 Easy Workflow Integration
• 00:26:38 Final Takeaways: From Subjective to Objective Endodontics

About the Guests:

Dr. Ryan Walsh - Board-certified endodontist at Advanced Endodontics of Texas, adjunct assistant professor at Texas A&M College of Dentistry, published researcher, lecturer, and member of the Journal of Endodontics Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Michael Miyasaki - General dentist, educator, clinician, and Chief Dental Officer for Vista Apex Solutions with nearly four decades of clinical experience focused on restorative dentistry, aesthetics, prevention, and practice growth.

"It's not rocket science. None of this is rocket science. All of it is based on basic human behavior." – Betsy Mitchell

In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, host John Stamper sits down with leadership expert Betsy Mitchell to explore one of dentistry's biggest challenges in 2026: leading teams through constant change. From DSO integration and regulatory shifts to technology adoption and staffing shortages, dental practices face a growing number of operational pressures that require adaptive leadership rather than rigid management.

The conversation focuses on practical strategies that help dental owners, office managers, hygienists, and team leaders create stability during uncertainty. Key lessons include managing ambiguity, preventing burnout, improving employee retention, building psychological safety, communicating with transparency, and creating frameworks that help teams remain resilient while dentistry continues to evolve.

In this episode, we cover:

• 00:00:00 Why Leadership Matters During Change
• 00:01:07 Welcome & Episode Overview
• 00:02:32 DSO Integration and Practice Growth Decisions
• 00:05:01 Regulatory Changes Affecting Dentistry
• 00:07:25 Technology Overload and Innovation Fatigue
• 00:11:00 Leadership Versus Resistance
• 00:11:15 Managing Staff Shortages and Burnout
• 00:14:23 Employee Retention Strategies
• 00:15:19 Practical Change Management Frameworks
• 00:17:35 Celebrating Small Wins During Change
• 00:20:04 Why Dental City's Culture Stands Out
• 00:22:28 The Future of Dentistry and Innovation

About the Guests:

Betsy Mitchell is a leadership consultant, executive coach, and longtime advisor to dental organizations. Throughout this series, she shares expertise on culture, leadership development, organizational change, employee retention, and creating resilient teams during periods of uncertainty.

Shop Dental City’s September Specials: (https://dentalcity.com/category/3825/september-specials)

In this special episode of Beyond the Operatory, host John Stamper sits down with John, Jordan, and Riley from Dental City, a dental supplies distributor, during the 2026 Dykema Conference, to discuss the realities of dental group growth, DSO expansion, manufacturer partnerships, and the infrastructure required to keep dental practices supplied with the products they need. The conversation highlights how consolidation continues to reshape the profession, creating new pressure around forecasting, inventory management, dental supply distribution, procurement, and supplier accountability.

The discussion also explores Dental City's investments in robotics, warehouse automation, vertical lift technology, and scalable logistics systems that support the distribution of dental supplies and products nationwide. Leaders explain how accurate inventory positioning, real-time integrations, same-day fulfillment, and strategic manufacturer partnerships help practices—from independent offices to rapidly expanding DSOs, maintain reliable access to the dental products they depend on every day. A key takeaway is that successful growth requires operational systems that reduce chaos before scale amplifies it, supported by dependable dental supply distribution and strong manufacturer relationships.

In this episode, we cover:

• 00:00:00 Dykema 2026 and Dental Industry Growth
• 00:02:02 Dental City's CEO Announcement
• 00:04:32 Building True Strategic Partnerships
• 00:04:36 Why Every DSO Is Different
• 00:05:47 The Reinvention of Dentistry
• 00:06:09 Warehouse Automation and Robotics
• 00:06:33 Integrating with Growing DSOs
• 00:07:56 Manufacturer Partnerships Explained
• 00:08:45 Delivering Products in Two Days
• 00:09:55 Inventory Forecasting Challenges
• 00:10:48 Scaling Without Supply Chain Chaos
• 00:13:06 Why Dental Leaders Should Attend Dykema

About the Guests:

John Mathys is the co-owner of Dental City. He’s helped guide the company's strategic investments in automation, technology integrations, and distribution infrastructure to support future growth.

Jordan Lorenz is the new CEO of Dental City, focused on strategic growth, DSO partnerships, special markets, and strengthening operational integration across expanding dental organizations.

Riley Berg is Dental City’s Business Development Manager. She’s a leader within Dental City's special markets initiatives, helping DSOs and group practices align goals, supplier partnerships, forecasting strategies, and scalable procurement systems.

Shop Dental City’s September Specials: (https://www.dentalcity.com/category/3825/september-specials)

"Technology will help the end product. But it's not only technology. The technique is important to take advantage of that technology."

Prosthodontist Dr. Roberto Macedo shares how he achieves predictable restorative outcomes using standardized adhesive cementation protocols and Kulzer's ISM Universal Plus cement system. Drawing on more than 25 years of clinical experience, Dr. Macedo explains why long-term success in restorative dentistry comes from combining proven products, repeatable workflows, and team-wide consistency rather than constantly changing materials. In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, hosted by John Stamper and proudly brought to you by Dental City, a dental supplies distributor, listeners gain practical insights into simplifying restorative procedures while improving clinical efficiency and reliability.

The conversation explores how clinicians evaluate restorative materials, standardize inventory, reduce procedural complexity, and improve efficiency through integrated cementation systems like Kulzer's iCEM® Universal Plus. Key takeaways include reducing inventory complexity, minimizing material waste, increasing productivity, and selecting trusted manufacturer-backed products that support long-term clinical success and patient satisfaction.

In this episode, we cover:

• 00:00:00 Welcome to Beyond the Operatory
• 00:02:40 Why Materials Dictate Technique
• 00:04:21 Selecting Materials With Confidence
• 00:05:20 Why Dr. Medo Chose Adhesive Cementation
• 00:07:40 Understanding iCEM® Universal Plus Technology
• 00:10:33 Practical Tips for Faster Adoption
• 00:13:20 The Business Case for Standardization
• 00:15:00 What Patients Actually Care About
• 00:19:12 Evaluating New Dental Technologies
• 00:23:04 Technology vs Technique

About the Guest:

Dr. Roberto Macedo, DDS, MS is a prosthodontist and the owner of RM Advanced Center for Cosmetic Dentistry in St. Petersburg, Florida. With more than 25 years of clinical experience, Dr. Macedo focuses on prosthodontics, adhesive dentistry, restorative protocols, and clinical workflow standardization.

Product Spotlight:

Kulzer’s iCEM® Universal Plus is a resin-based adhesive cement for the bonding of indirect dental restorations, prosthetic devices, and dental cores.

Shop iCEM® Universal Plus: https://dentalcity.com/product/22895/kulzer-icem-universal-plus-syringe

"We're not doing it for the systems part. We're doing it to operate efficiently so we actually reduce stress in the practice." – Ken Mathys

In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, hosted by John Stamper and proudly brought to you by Dental City, Ken Mathys breaks down the operational frameworks that separate high-performing dental practices from those constantly fighting fires. From strategic planning and annual business reviews to KPI tracking and daily huddles, this conversation provides a practical roadmap for practice owners who want greater predictability, healthier teams, and stronger financial outcomes.

Listeners will learn how to establish measurable goals, communicate expectations clearly, deliver timely feedback, and create accountability systems that build a winning culture. The discussion also explores formula bonuses, monthly reporting, delegation, and leadership lessons that help dentists spend less time managing chaos and more time serving patients.

In this episode, we cover:

• 00:00:00 Introduction to Dental Business Management
• 00:02:15 Why Strategic Planning Matters
• 00:06:18 Building an Annual Business Plan
• 00:11:12 KPIs Every Practice Should Track
• 00:16:09 Assigning Ownership and Accountability
• 00:17:24 Formula Bonuses and Performance Systems
• 00:19:52 Daily Huddle Best Practices
• 00:21:27 Celebrating Team Success
• 00:25:15 Structure Creates Predictability
• 00:26:55 Leadership Lessons From Ken Mathys
• 00:27:04 The Importance of Timely Feedback
• 00:28:55 Final Takeaways

About the Guest:

Ken Mathys is the founder of Dental Practice Advisors and has spent over three decades helping dentists master the business systems behind their clinical work. He specializes in leadership, operations, and practice transitions.

Product Spotlight:

Standardizing glove inventory reduces ordering complexity, eliminates clinical interruptions, and helps assistants and hygienists maintain consistency throughout the day.

Shop Dental City Nitrile Exam Gloves: (https://dentalcity.com/category/1223/nitrile-powder-free)