This is our final episode of the Dental Disruptors Podcast for 2025.

In this short year-end wrap-up, we reflect on the past season, share some of our favorite episodes and moments, and talk honestly about what we’ve learned after nearly 30 episodes. From passionate discussions about data access and innovation to memorable guest conversations and live recordings, this year was all about learning and connection.

We also announce what’s coming in 2026, including a new direction for the podcast and a rebrand to Dental Operations Unpacked. Going forward, we’ll be putting a bigger spotlight on dental operators and the real work happening behind the scenes to help organizations grow and operate better.

Thank you to every guest, listener, and supporter who made this year possible. We’re just getting started.

Happy holidays, and we’ll see you in the new year.

In this episode, Jake and Clint sit down (again!) with Bonnie Thompson, COO of Forest Family Dentistry and one of this year’s Top Operational Leaders in Dentistry.
Bonnie shares how she went from 16-year-old dental assistant to COO, how she uses EOS, KPIs and technology to scale five (soon seven) locations, and why culture and alignment matter more than ever for DSOs.

Jake Larsen and Clint Berry launch a new Dental Disruptors series honoring the operators who keep DSOs running behind the scenes.

In this episode, they sit down with Brandi Carter, Director at Sage and one of this year’s industry award winners, to unpack how she led her market to 14.5% year-over-year growth without adding new doctors or locations.

Brandi shares her journey from RV sales into dental, the “Lead From the Front” moment that shaped her leadership style, and how she now manages 150+ team members across nine offices.

You’ll hear how she:

• Built a culture where people feel genuinely cared for

• Replaced “death by deliverables” with high-impact 1:1s

• Designed a new patient welcome call process that raised show rates and case acceptance

• Used behavior and culture—not just KPIs—as the lever for growth

• Thinks DSOs should rethink how they treat and retain dental assistants

• Balances SOPs and standardization with disruption and quick pilots

• Sees 3D printing as a game changer for same-day dentistry and patient experience

If you’re an operator, regional, or DSO leader trying to grow without burning people out, this conversation is full of practical ideas and mindset shifts you can use right away.

In this episode of Dental Disruptors, hosts Jake Larsen and Clint Berry sit down to unpack one of the biggest debates in the dental industry — data ownership.

They discuss:

• Why most dental practices still use on-premise systems

• The push from companies like Henry Schein, Patterson, and Open Dental to control cloud data

• How developer fees are quietly increasing costs for DSOs

• The recent Vyne vs. Henry Schein lawsuit and why it could reshape the industry

• What this means for your practice’s access, analytics, and future with AI

Whether you’re a DSO leader, operations exec, or dental tech vendor — this conversation will give you a deeper understanding of how data access could define the next decade of dentistry.

#DentalDisruptors #DentalData #DSO #DentalTechnology #Dentistry

Key takeaways

• Lagging vs. leading: Production/collections reflect the past. Coach daily behaviors that create tomorrow’s results.

• EPIs > vanity metrics: Measure empathy (names used, wait time, clarity, felt-heard scores) alongside revenue.

• Right data, right level: Not every role needs P&Ls. Share metrics that inform their behaviors, not anxiety.

• Happy teams = happy patients: Engagement scores correlate with patient satisfaction; fix systems, not people.

• Tech audit: Prune tools that add clicks without adding care. Simplicity accelerates adoption and results.

• Janet’s path: hygienist → hygiene director for 100+ locations → fractional CHO

• Building a best-in-class perio program and regional hygiene leadership model

• Case acceptance: mindset, questions, emotional + logical alignment

• Why soft skills matter more as tech advances

• Culture you can live and measure across locations

• Starting points: coaching, org chart, HR/handbook compliance, KPI tracking

• “Voicemail is the worst scheduling tool”—speed matters; conversions drop after minutes.

• Fiona handles: answer, new bookings, reschedule/cancel, FAQs, emergency triage.

• Differentiator: hyper-custom scheduling logic per treatment type + PMS integration.

• Onboarding uses PMS data + LLM analysis of historical patterns to draft rules, then QA.

• Typical buyer journey: start after-hours → add overflow → selective daytime coverage.

• Mindset shift: not replacing humans—first capture missed demand, then augment teams.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  #Dental #DSO #DentalTech #DentalOperations #PatientExperience #AI #VoiceAI #PracticeManagement #Scheduling #HealthcareTech

  
  

Live from the Dental Operations Symposium in Frisco, TX, we grabbed “cliffnotes” with five standout leaders:
• Bonnie Thompson — COO, Forest Family Dentistry (Austin)
• Leslie Soto — VP of Operations, FivePoint Dental Specialists
• Suzanne Jackson — Executive Leader, Rodeo Dental (multi-state ops)
• Ray Caruso — CEO, Lone Peak Dental Group
• Teresa Williams — CFO & COO, Dental Express; Coach at Dental Science Alliance

We hit: interviewing & performance reviews that build culture, tactical → strategic career jumps, communication that moves teams, beliefs that shape leadership, and reframing “production” as patient care with simple, daily KPIs.
👉 If you’re building or scaling a DSO/DPO, this one’s gold.

In this episode of Dental Disruptors Podcast, Jake Larson and Clint Barry sit down with Emily, CEO & Co-Founder of OS Dental. Emily shares her journey from dental accountant to leading a fast-growing SaaS company that’s changing how DSOs and group practices use their data.We dive into:The evolution of dental analytics over the past decadeWhy most groups still struggle to trust their dataHow OS Dental pulls together PMS, finance, payroll, marketing, and more into one validated source of truthThe importance of data validation and customization for every role in a dental organizationWhere dental data is headed next with AI, automation, and predictive analyticsWhether you’re a DSO leader, operations director, or tech-curious clinician, this episode gives you a clear look at the future of dental data.

#DentalDisruptors #DSO #DentalTech #DentalAnalytics