Kinda Different: Innovation, Connection, and Making Dental Care More Human

What if your dental marketing did more than help patients find you?

What if it helped them trust you before they ever walked through the door?

In this episode of Kinda Different, Dr. Matt Allen talks with Jaclyn Nona, CEO and founder of Clever Dental Co., about a more human approach to dental marketing.

Jaclyn has spent nearly 15 years in dentistry and believes some of the most powerful marketing a dental practice can do simply cannot be outsourced. Your team knows your patients. They know your community. They understand the personality of your practice. And when that real experience shows up consistently online and in the office, marketing can become an extension of the patient experience itself.

Matt and Jaclyn explore how dental practices can use authentic content, social media, communication, and patient feedback to build trust and create a brand that actually matches what patients experience when they arrive.

In this conversation:

▸ Why your dental practice brand is much bigger than your logo or website
▸ What an outside marketing agency can and cannot do for a dental practice
▸ How social media can build patient trust before the first appointment
▸ Why stock photography can create a disconnect between your brand and actual patient experience
▸ How authentic team content can help nervous patients feel more comfortable
▸ Why technology alone is rarely a meaningful dental practice differentiator
▸ How marketing, patient experience, retention, referrals, and treatment acceptance connect
▸ Why listening to feedback can help teams fix the next patient experience before it happens
▸ How Clever Dental Co. is helping dental teams build their own marketing capabilities

One of the biggest ideas from the episode: your marketing makes a promise about what it will feel like to interact with your practice. The closer your online brand matches the experience patients actually have, the easier it is to build trust.

Learn more about Clever Dental Co. at cleverdentalco.com.

Kinda Different is a podcast from DifferentKind about innovation in dentistry, patient experience, and the people working to make dental care more human.

What would dental care look like if we built the system around what patients actually need, instead of the way dentistry has always been delivered?In this episode of Kinda Different, Dr. Matt Allen sits down with Sarah Luetke, founder of Sound Dental Care, dental hygienist, denturist, and co-founder of MOBY Dental.Sarah has spent the past decade building a different model of care. Sound Dental Care brings dental services directly to geriatric and special-needs patients in nursing homes and other care facilities. What started with Sarah and zero patients has grown to a 24-person team serving more than 300 contracted facilities.In this conversation, Matt and Sarah explore what that model can teach the rest of dentistry about access, prevention, workforce innovation, patient choice, and trust.They discuss:▸ Why bringing dental care to nursing homes should be viewed as healthcare innovation▸ How hygienists, denturists, dentists, and other dental professionals can work at the top of their licenses▸ Why minimally invasive dentistry gives patients more choices than the traditional “drill and fill” model▸ How silver diamine fluoride can expand treatment options for patients of all ages▸ Why Sarah helped create MOBY Dental to connect patients with minimally invasive providers▸ How financial conversations influence trust and treatment decisions▸ Why patients should be active participants in care, not simply recipients of treatment▸ How collaboration, outcomes, and data can help change dental policy▸ Sarah’s vision for a future where patients do not have to choose between their health and their financesOne of the biggest themes throughout the conversation is simple: more options create more agency. Minimally invasive care does not eliminate traditional dentistry. It gives patients additional ways to manage disease and participate in decisions about their health.Learn more about Sound Dental Care: sounddentalcare.comLearn more about MOBY Dental: mobydental.orgKinda Different is a podcast from DifferentKind about innovation in dentistry and the people working to make dental care more human.CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to Season 7 02:23 Building a new model for dental access 08:04 Minimally invasive dentistry and MOBY Dental 12:27 Redesigning how healthcare is delivered 17:04 Empowering the full dental workforce 18:29 Challenging the status quo through collaboration 20:57 A future where health and finances do not compete 23:50 Talking openly with patients about cost 26:09 Giving patients more treatment options 27:18 Sound Dental Care and MOBY Dental

Can artificial intelligence actually make dental care more human?

In the Season 7 premiere of Kinda Different, Dr. Matt Allen, CEO and co-founder of DifferentKind, sits down with Dr. Ryan Hungate, Chief Strategy and Clinical Officer at Henry Schein One, to explore how AI is transforming dental practice management, patient trust, and the future of dentistry.Ryan believes we're approaching a golden age of dentistry, one where AI eliminates administrative friction, gives dental professionals more time to focus on patients, and helps people better understand their treatment options and costs.But technology alone isn't enough. What happens when we use AI not just to improve efficiency, but to help dental teams communicate better, build trust, and improve patient outcomes?In this episode, we explore:- How Henry Schein One's Model Context Protocol (MCP) opens new possibilities for dental practice management- Why AI could help dentists rediscover the joy of practicing dentistry- How AI agents can automate administrative tasks and revenue cycle management- The emerging role of ambient listening and AI-powered clinical communication coaching- Why patient trust, treatment acceptance, and treatment completion are connected- How clearer insurance information and price transparency can improve the patient experience- Why the smallest human interactions can make the biggest difference in building trustEpisode chapters:00:00 | Welcome to Season 7 of Kinda Different01:05 | Ryan Hungate's vision for Henry Schein One02:20 | MCP, AI agents, and the future of dental practice management06:59 | What should dental teams do with the time AI saves?08:15 | Restoring the joy of dentistry11:59 | Ryan's personal story, family, and professional legacy15:05 | Building patient trust and treatment confidence18:08 | Making dental care more human with AI19:21 | Ambient listening and AI-powered clinical coaching24:39 | What builds trust from a patient's perspective?27:11 | Price transparency and the future of dental payments28:45 | What's next for Henry Schein One?About our guestDr. Ryan Hungate is the Chief Strategy and Clinical Officer at Henry Schein One, where he helps guide innovation across dental technology, artificial intelligence, clinical workflows, and practice management.About Kinda DifferentKinda Different is a podcast from DifferentKind, hosted by Dr. Matt Allen. Each episode explores innovation in dentistry through conversations with people working to make dental care more human.Learn more about DifferentKind: https://www.differentkind.comLearn more about Henry Schein One: https://www.henryscheinone.com

This episode explores how the dental payer world can innovate without losing sight of the human side of care. Matt Allen is joined by Rebecca Mathews, who brings about 20 years of experience at the intersection of oral health policy and system improvement, to discuss provider enablement, alternative payment models, and what it will take to make dental care more human.We discuss why the biggest barrier to progress is often not the technology itself, but the human work required to use it well, and why pay-for-reporting may be a practical first step toward better data sharing and more advanced value-based care.Key topicsRebecca Mathews shares her background in oral health policy, state government relations, Medicaid funding, and work with DentaQuest and CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.The conversation centers on the “human side” of digital transformation and why dentistry needs more support for change management.Rebecca explains provider enablement as equipping clinical teams with tools, resources, and strategies to adopt new workflows successfully.Matt and Rebecca discuss how dentistry has lagged medicine in operational support for change, including infrastructure and human adaptation during EHR and value-based care rollouts.Technology is framed as a partner, not the center, with its role being to unlock data, improve workflows, support quality, and strengthen financial performance.They dig into alternative payment models and how more dental plans are using them to tie reimbursement more closely to quality.Rebecca explains pay-for-reporting as a simpler alternative payment arrangement where reimbursement is earned by submitting structured data.Examples include reporting caries risk status and supporting closed-loop referrals in medical-dental integration work.Matt emphasizes that shared data can create a more balanced payer-provider relationship and help practices shape the future of value-based care instead of reacting to it later.The discussion closes on patient experience, with Rebecca noting that the industry still tends to measure it episodically rather than longitudinally across the care journey.Timestamps(00:00) Setting up the conversation after NADP Converge and the payer innovation theme(01:25) Rebecca Mathews introduces her background in oral health policy and system improvement(04:10) Why the human side of digital transformation matters most right now(08:07) Provider enablement and why dentistry has lacked this kind of support(10:50) New DSO roles and tools that reflect a more medical-style approach to support(12:21) Technology as a partner for workflow, quality, and financial improvement(13:35) How provider-payer partnerships can build enablement at scale(14:05) Alternative payment models and the push to connect reimbursement with quality(15:09) What pay-for-reporting is and why it matters for structured data exchange(16:40) Using pay-for-reporting to track caries risk status over time(18:19) Closed-loop referrals and medical-dental integration examples(19:01) Why shared data creates trust and opens the door to more advanced payment models(22:59) A lighter turn: music, podcasts, and a few personal preferences(27:27) Why patient experience is still measured too episodically(28:40) What really gets a patient through the door versus what keeps them loyal(31:37) How to reach Rebecca for APM and oral health policy conversations

Today’s season six finale is packed with unfiltered dental marketing insights. Matt sits down with Nicole Toudouze, CEO and founder of Transcendental, for a rapid round of hot takes on what actually drives practice growth and what quietly kills it. No fluff. No safe answers. Just practical truth from two people who want dental care to feel more human.They cover:• Why new patients are overrated and the real problem is retention• Why most practices cannot explain why a patient should choose them• The difference between internal and external marketing• Why Google reviews matter but cannot replace real brand identity• How to fix attribution and stop guessing where patients come from• What great front desk experiences actually sound like• Why patient experience is your marketing• The ops breakdowns no amount of ad spend can fixThey also talk about how video, storytelling, and real patient experience data can help practices differentiate in a crowded market.A fun, fast, and honest close to the season.

This episode of Kinda Different explores how Dr. Maulik Kotdawala, dentist and Director of Operational and Clinical Strategy at Advantage Dental+, drives innovation inside a large organization while keeping patient safety, prevention, and trust at the center.He and Matt talk about what it takes to move a “dental aircraft carrier,” how to align shiny new tech with real strategy, what he learned training in both India and the United States, and why doing the right thing for patients is also good business. Maulik shares how his team uses data, dashboards, and practice visits to reduce caries risk at scale and make dental care more human for patients and providers.

What you’ll hear:Why coaching (not consulting) is the quiet superpower for dental leaders. Thomas Passalacqua of Ascend Professional Pathways shares how a teacher’s mindset, sales empathy, and DSO experience shaped his approach to coaching: intense listening, perspective shifts, and future-focused action. We dig into building “reflexes” for better decisions, why data integrity matters only if people can act on it, and how mindful leadership makes tech work for humans instead of the other way around.Highlights▸Coaching vs. therapy vs. consulting: what’s different and why it works▸Building decision “reflexes” in real time (and why debriefs matter)▸Mindfulness at work: slow down to speed up▸Data integrity + human skills = actual outcomes▸Culture lessons from the firehouse “brotherhood”▸Why in-person connection is a career superpower againTimestamps00:00 Welcome and why this matters now02:06 Thomas’ path: teacher → sales → DSO → coaching04:24 Coaching defined: future-focused, client-centered, action-oriented07:07 The “reflex” muscle: scan options, choose better, learn faster11:09 Tech is a tool; the human is the differentiator12:46 What’s exciting in dental innovation right now14:55 Data quality and why adoption stalls without it18:45 Practicing mindfulness at work (not just reading about it)25:31 High support + high expectations for developing leaders27:20 Safe reps, real growth: letting people learn through experience29:39 Culture from the fire service: trust, unity, performance31:56 How to connect with ThomasGuest bioThomas Passalacqua is the founder of Ascend Professional Pathways. A former NYC educator turned dental sales leader and DSO operator, he now coaches clinical and corporate teams to build clarity, confidence, and measurable momentum.LinksLearn more: ascendpropathways.comAction stepPick one meeting this week to “pause the game” for 90 seconds. Name the problem, list 3 options, and choose the next best move. Then debrief in two lines: “What worked? What will I change?”

In the newest Kinda Different episode, Matt sits down with Caroline McLeod, Value-Based Solutions Manager at CareQuest Institute and practicing dental hygienist, to unpack what it really takes to move medical-dental integration from idea to execution. They explore tech barriers, incentive design, and what CareQuest has learned running the MORE Care framework in multiple states. Caroline shares a practical view of shared goals, why some pilots stall, and one question every clinician can use to make care more human today.Timestamps00:00 Welcome and why payment reform matters01:34 Caroline’s path and role at CareQuest04:30 What “integration” means in the real world08:07 Tech barriers and why EHRs slow collaboration10:30 The incentive gap between medicine and dentistry12:34 Designing an alternative payment model with shared goals14:48 Pilots, iteration, and learning fast16:10 Community care and bringing services to patients19:11 A future vision for integrated, human healthcare21:46 One question to ask in every visit24:07 Where to connect with Caroline and CareQuestKey takeawaysIntegration is a team sport. Collaboration stalls when tech does not enable simple, secure data sharing.Incentives must match outcomes. Shared goals across medical and dental teams create motion where fee-for-service does not.Pilot design matters. Keep the lift small, measure leading indicators, and commit to iteration.Make it human. Start every visit with “What matters most to you today?” then build the plan together.GuestCaroline McLeodValue-Based Solutions Manager, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. Practicing dental hygienist in North Carolina. Leads multi-state pilots on medical-dental integration and payment reform.

Kinda Different returns with another candid, practical conversation about shifting from “watch and wait” to proactive prevention, using AI and visual tools to make conditions clear, and leading culture change that makes dental care more human for patients and teams.What we cover▸Why “primary care provider of the oral cavity” is more than a tagline▸Moving from restorative-first to prevention-first across caries and perio▸Using AI and dental health scans to replace persuasion with understanding▸Shared decision making and plain-language scripts that raise trust▸Culture change inside a multi-site group: coaching, accountability, and joy at work▸Personal leadership growth that enables team growth▸What “non-branded model” means for patient experience▸Designing empowerment pathways for every role, not just doctorsFive takeaways1. Prevention is a promise. When conditions are explained clearly and early, patients choose healthier paths without pressure.2. Make the invisible visible. AI and health scans turn gray areas into understandable color, improving consent and confidence.3. Language matters. Plain, non-minimizing descriptions plus shared decisions drive trust and raise case acceptance.4. Leaders go first. Personal growth precedes culture change. When leaders model presence and boundaries, teams follow.5. Everyone is a healthcare professional. Flatten the hierarchy, build connectedness, and equip every role to influence outcomes.Connect with Dr. Lohmann at [email protected]

Kinda Different is back with a practical conversation with Caitlin Walsdorf from Healthscape Advisors about where dental innovation is really happening, why “value-based care” fatigue is real, and how rebuilding trust across payers, providers, employers, and patients opens the path to better benefits and better health.

What we cover

▸ The state of dental benefits and why oral health is finally getting real attention

▸ Concrete innovations making a dent: diagnostics, smart devices, saliva and microbiome testing, AI, and enablement tech

▸ Why the words “value-based care” turn people off, and better ways to make progress with pilots and shared goals

▸ The payer–provider–patient triangle, plus the employer’s role, and how to align incentives without creating new friction

▸Medicare Advantage benefits season and what MA design signals for seniors’ oral health

▸Trust as the system’s missing infrastructure and how to rebuild it

▸Making care more human through shared decision making, plain-language explanations, and access to your own data

Five takeaways

1. Oral health is no longer “ancillary.” It is connected to overall wellness and deserves modern benefit design that proves ROI to employers and government programs.

2. Progress beats perfection. Pilot with a single payer–provider partnership, learn fast, and share results so the industry can iterate.

3. Trust drives adoption. Patients need price clarity and agency. Payers and providers need to assume positive intent and measure outcomes together.

4. MA is a bellwether. Watch how dental is packaged for seniors to anticipate design shifts and member expectations across segments.

5. Human beats hype. Shared decision making and plain language build confidence faster than any new acronym.

About Caitlin Walsdorf

Caitlin is a partner at HealthScape Advisors, focused on ancillary markets. She has worked on the front lines of payer strategy and supplemental benefits, including a widely cited survey on value-based care readiness across dental.