Dental Unfiltered

Continuing education gets you the technical theory, but community gives you the momentum to actually implement it.

In this episode of Management Unfiltered, Kirk Teachout and Zach Shelley break down why peer networks often drive more real-world growth for dental teams than another standalone CE course. While weekend seminars offer great ideas, most practices struggle the moment Monday morning hits and real-world friction takes over. Kirk and Zach discuss the power of surrounding yourself with peers at every stage of practice ownership, trading unfiltered war stories, and building accountability systems that turn theoretical course notes into daily operating habits.

Before diving into practice management, they warm things up with an essential, highly consequential debate: ranking their favorite Little Debbie snacks.

In this episode, we cover:

• CE vs. Community: Why technical knowledge sits on a shelf without peer support and real accountability.

• Learning Across the Curve: How connecting with owners both ahead of and behind your current stage sharpens your decision-making.

• The Monday Morning Reality: Bridging the gap between a great conference concept and sustainable in-office execution.

• Open-Book Problem Solving: The value of safe spaces to air actual practice bottlenecks, staff challenges, and operational missteps.

Whether you're overwhelmed by an endless list of unapplied CE ideas or looking to build a tighter circle of peers who understand the daily grind, this conversation offers a clear roadmap. Grab your favorite snack and tune in.

Can you repeat a $100K first month three times in a row? And what happens when a top-performing office is poisoned by bad culture?Dr. Andrew Vallo breaks down his group’s latest expansion streak (Venice, Boynton Beach, and Naples) and the hard leadership calls that came with it. Together with co-host Matt Brown, they dive into:The repeatable framework behind three back-to-back $100K+ launches.Why they allocate $15,000–$20,000/month to startup marketing without blinking.The decision to let go of a provider despite high collection numbers—and why Andrew admits his leadership team made the call faster than he would have.Navigating associate ambition, recruitment pipelines, and the anxiety of protecting a winning streak.If you’re running a practice, mapping out a multi-location expansion, or hesitating on a toxic team situation, this episode is your blueprint.

Safe, predictable sedation is built on tiny details that most courses overlook: flow rates, mask choice, escort protocols, and front desk triage.In this episode, Dr. Sasha is joined in-person by oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. V for an end-to-end breakdown of oral and inhalation sedation. From setting expectations with nervous patients to managing acute intra-op emergencies like syncope and hypoglycemia, Dr. V shares the operational and clinical systems she uses to ensure zero surprises in the chair.Key Topics Covered:The real danger of rushing nitrous titration (and what happens when it goes wrong)Nasal mask profiles: comfort, scavenging, and claustrophobia triggersWhy oral sedatives should always be administered in-office, under supervisionHow nitrous and oral agents interact to lower required dosagesTraining non-clinical staff to spot respiratory depression and over-sedation earlyRecovery room protocol, EKG monitoring trends, and structuring team-wide ACLS drillsHit subscribe for more candid clinical insights.(Note: For professional educational purposes only. Always verify sedation rules and licensing requirements within your specific jurisdiction.)

Are you treating your dental membership plan like a discount coupon, or like a true recurring revenue model?In this episode of Dental Unfiltered, host Matt Brown sits down with Paul Lowry, co-founder of Dental Menu, to dismantle why most in-house, "DIY" membership plans fail—and why shifting to a dedicated membership platform can unlock tens of thousands of dollars in hidden revenue.Matt and Paul explore why a membership plan must offer continuous "access to care at intervals" rather than just a bundled, once-a-year service package. Think Netflix, Amazon Prime, and car-wash subscriptions: patients want predictable, bite-sized monthly payments, not hefty annual bills.In this episode, we break down:The Hidden Traps of DIY Plans: How front-desk administrative limits, manual renewal tracking, and untracked discounts give away free dentistry without you knowing.The Math of Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR): How one office generated over $40,000 in four years from late visits alone—and how another brings in $17,000/month in subscription revenue without eating into chair time.Structuring an Irresistible Offer: The mechanics behind a smart enrollment fee ($99–$129) paired with an affordable monthly rate (~$30/month).The Recall Reality Check: Why membership patients visit nearly as often as insured patients (1.5x/year vs. 0.5x for traditional cash-pay), and why hygiene recall must expand beyond PPO dependence.The Patient-First Mindset: Why providing a structured, affordable way to access preventive care is a clinical obligation, not just a business move.Resources Mentioned:Visit DentalMenu.com to take the free self-assessment, watch the "Seven Deadly Sins That Kill Membership Plans" video series, and schedule a live demo.(Note: This is an unpaid endorsement.)

What would you do differently if you had to start over? Zach Shelley and Kirk Teachout answer that question for dental practice management. Kirk puts Zach in the hot seat with five rounds of tough questions, and both hosts answer each one.In this episode:The one hire they'd skip, and why outsourcing insurance and billing frees up your front officeThe investment that turned out to be a distraction: unused equipment, new procedures and tech tools with no plan to roll them out.What to do with your first $50,000 in profit, including the value of a rainy day fund.How to choose a consultant, coach or course that fits your goalsThe mindset to ditch: "busy equals productive" and toxic positivity.Why leadership has to come before systems.A bonus round on what new owners and office managers have today that Zach and Kirk didn't.If you're an owner or office manager who wants practical, honest takes, this one is for you. Follow the show, leave a five-star review and share it with your team.

Are your handpieces running smoothly, or are everyday habits quietly cutting their lifespan in half?

Too many practices treat handpieces as disposable tools, resulting in sluggish performance, unexpected equipment failure, and thousands of dollars wasted on preventable replacements. In this episode, host Matt Brown sits down with Richard “Dicky” Ball, CEO of Summit Handpiece Express, to uncover what it really takes to protect your practice's most vital daily instruments.

From simple PSI adjustments that prevent bearing burnout to common sterilization mistakes dental teams make without realizing it, Dicky breaks down five essential, cost-saving strategies every clinic should implement immediately.

In this episode, Matt and Dicky discuss:

• The PSI Pitfall: Why running outside manufacturer pressure specs ruins bearings fast—and how to dial it in correctly.

• Autoclave Protocols: The vital pre-sterilization lubrication step you cannot afford to skip.

• Team Training & Common Traps: Why quick fixes like cooling hot handpieces under tap water introduce contaminants (and how simple laminated checklists protect your gear).

• Retire or Repair?: Critical warning signs—like slipping burs—that signal an instrument must be pulled from service before patient safety is compromised.

• The Power of the Manual: How adhering strictly to manufacturer guidelines can help your practice go an entire year or more without a single repair bill.

Tune in to learn how shifting from a "replace when broken" mindset to proactive prevention will protect your overhead, keep your operatories on schedule, and safeguard your patients.

This episode of Dental Unfiltered features Matt Brown and Elijah Desmond discussing “human equity”, the trust and goodwill built through genuine relationships, generosity, and follow-through, beyond financial value.

They talk about giving without expecting something in return, protecting your time by investing it in people who act on advice, and how vulnerability and an abundance mindset can strengthen both personal and professional communities. Elijah also shares how his life purpose, including motivational speaking for young people, shapes the way he serves others.

In this special crossover episode, our very own Dr. Andrew Vallo joins Dr. Blake Hamblin, Dr. Collin Myrick, and Gary Bird on My Dental Playbook for the grand finale of their 5-part Hygiene Crisis Series.Between soaring wages, staffing shortages, PPO reimbursement pressures, and climbing overhead, many practice owners have written hygiene off as a broken loss-leader. But what if the problem isn't hygiene itself, but how your practice model is designed?Together, the panel breaks down three completely different practice models—fee-for-service, PPO, multi-location, and rural—to reveal how top-performing practice owners build high-production hygiene departments that drive predictable, long-term practice growth.In this episode, you’ll learn:Profit Center vs. Patient Acquisition: Should hygiene make money directly or serve as a funnel?The #1 Growth Metric: The single KPI that predicts long-term practice health better than almost any other.Compensation & Incentives: How top practices structure hygienist pay and bonus plans to keep teams engaged and productive.Smart Hiring Strategy: Why leading practices hire hygienists before they feel the squeeze.Retention Over Volume: Why your reappointment rate matters far more than new patient volume.Practice Design: How three distinct business models tackle scheduling, retention, and leadership in hygiene.Whether you're struggling with empty schedules, rising payroll, or declining profitability, this conversation will challenge traditional dental dogma and leave you with actionable systems you can implement immediately.

This episode of Management Unfiltered is about addressing workplace issues early and fairly so they don’t become part of a dental practice’s culture. Zach Shelley and Kirk Teachout discuss how to tell a people problem from a process problem, set clear expectations, invite staff feedback, and correct issues privately while recognizing good work publicly.

This episode of Dental Unfiltered is a “State of the Market” conversation between Matt Brown and dental-practice transition advisor Justin Klingshern.

They discuss how higher interest rates and shifting buyer expectations are changing dental practice valuations and sale terms.

The key theme is that buyers increasingly value practices that can grow and operate beyond the owner: diversified procedures and payer mix, strong hygiene and associate teams, and less dependence on one dentist.

They also compare what A, B, and C practices may encounter when selling or partnering with a DSO, and why it’s useful to assess a practice’s value and plan years before an exit.