Most dental organizations are drowning in dashboards.

But data alone doesn’t build high-performing teams.

In this episode of Dental Operations Unpacked, Jake Larson and Clint Barry sit down with Ann Alterson , Director at Elite Dental Partners, to talk about what actually drives execution across multi-location dental organizations.

Ann shares:

• Why being a top performer doesn’t automatically make you a great leader

• How to turn KPIs into real action

• The 20% effort that creates 80% results

• Why execution improves when leaders stop fixing and start coaching

• How to use data without overwhelming your team

• The power of roleplay and uncomfortable conversations

If you're leading offices, regions, or entire DSOs, this conversation will shift how you think about performance, culture, and long-term growth.

👉 Strong teams outlast any KPI.

#DentalOperations #DSO #DentalLeadership #PracticeManagement #KPIs #Coaching #DentalPodcast

Scaling a dental practice sounds exciting.

Until your margins shrink.

In this episode, we’re joined by Lesie Espanola, fractional COO at DEO, who breaks down the three operational pillars every practice must strengthen before expanding.

Lesie shares:

• Why most dentists don’t actually know their case acceptance rate
• The hidden danger of weak collections
• How growth amplifies operational gaps
• The mindset shift from producer to executive
• What real leadership looks like inside scaling practices

If you’re a doctor, operator, or office leader preparing to grow, this conversation will challenge you to slow down, get clear on your numbers, and build the right foundation first.

Christin Lisenby, VP of Hygiene at Dental Care Alliance, joins us to unpack one of the most overlooked drivers of practice profitability: hygiene.

With 27 years in dentistry — from assistant to hygienist to COO to DSO executive — Christin introduces a simple but powerful metric she calls True Hygiene Value (THV).

THV connects hygiene visits to total adjusted production, helping operators predict performance, align teams, and identify red flags before they hit the P&L.

In this episode, we cover:

• The $450 benchmark every practice should understand
• Why hygiene capacity drives doctor income
• How one canceled hygiene day can cost $3,000+
• Creating buy-in without “beating doctors over the head with KPIs”
• Hiring and retaining hygienists in a competitive market

If you want a clearer lens into what’s really driving your numbers, this conversation delivers.

New year, new season, new name.

We’ve officially rebranded from Dental Disruptors to Dental Operations Unpacked, a show built for operators who want practical, real world conversations that make them better at the job.

To kick off Season 2, we’re joined by returning guest (and Kolla teammate) Jordan Trenticosta to unpack a big question:

If you have a data warehouse, what should you build first?

We talk about replacing old workflows, building trust in your numbers, picking the right “low hanging fruit,” how to handle a flood of report requests, and why standardizing inputs like referral sources is everything.

If you’re building a data and reporting function inside a group practice or DSO, start here.

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