On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Ralf Tomandl, COO of HR for Health, live from Thrive Live 2026 in Las Vegas. Ralf shares his journey through the dental industry, from his early days with 1-800-DENTIST to helping bring technology-driven HR solutions to dental practices across the country. He and Mark discuss why HR is often overlooked by practice owners, how state-by-state compliance differences can create major risk, and why employee handbooks, onboarding documents, time tracking, PTO, licensing, and CE management should not be handled manually.

Ralf also breaks down common HR pitfalls, including W-2 versus 1099 classifications, wage and hour claims, remote employee requirements, documentation around performance issues, and the importance of creating a workplace where team members feel supported, protected, and more likely to stay.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• https://myhrfh.com
• https://www.truedentalsuccess.com
• Dental Success Network
• Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Wendy Briggs live from Thrive Live 2026 in Las Vegas. Wendy shares her perspective on the current state of dental hygiene, including the ongoing provider shortage, rising wages, temp labor trends, and the growing need for practices to shift from hiring to recruiting. She explains how strong hygiene departments are built through better systems, clearer communication, elevated patient care, and compensation models that create wins for the patient, the provider, and the practice.

Wendy and Mark also discuss assisted hygiene, risk assessment, preventive therapy, periodontal care, treatment advocacy, and how hygienists can help drive treatment acceptance by making conditions visual and partnering more effectively with the doctor. Throughout the conversation, Wendy emphasizes that production should never be the goal, but rather the natural result of serving patients at the highest possible level.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• www.schedulewithtti.com
• https://www.truedentalsuccess.com
• Dental Success Network
• Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

On today's episode, Dr. Addison Killeen speaks during the Dental Success Summit 2026 about building a stress-free hygiene system that creates clarity, consistency, and less decision fatigue inside the practice. He breaks down the real stress many dentists are feeling right now, from staffing shortages to burnout, and explains why weak hygiene systems can spill over into the entire practice.

Dr. Killeen introduces a practical five-by-five method: five meetings over five weeks focused on clinical protocols, standardized verbiage, stronger handoffs, the right hygiene KPIs, and a functional block schedule. He also shares how better systems can help hygienists communicate more confidently, improve perio diagnosis and treatment acceptance, protect valuable appointment blocks, and give doctors more energy for the decisions that matter most.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• https://www.truedentalsuccess.com
• Dental Success Network
• Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Brent Saunier and Chris Sands of Pro-Fi 20/20 and Phase One Dental CPAs for a practical conversation on cash flow planning inside the dental practice. Instead of focusing only on tax strategy, they break down how practice owners can use accounting data, Profit First principles, and daily transfers to better understand where money is going and give every dollar a clear purpose.

Brent and Chris walk through the importance of separating funds into dedicated accounts for payroll, labs and supplies, marketing, rent and loans, consulting, CE, travel, profit savings, owner distributions, and taxes. They also explain how this system can help doctors reduce cash flow stress, avoid surprise tax bills, manage credit cards more intentionally, and build stronger financial habits that support long-term practice growth.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• https://www.profi2020.com
• https://www.truedentalsuccess.com
• Dental Success Network
• Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes back Dr. Heather Dawn Lawson Myers for an inspiring conversation about leadership, mentorship, team development, and the future of dental assisting. Dr. Lawson Myers shares her journey from Howard University to practicing in Maryland and later building a career in Kingston, Jamaica, where she has served in private practice, dental association leadership, dental council governance, and mentorship for young dentists.

She also discusses her work as a John C. Maxwell leadership team member, her passion for helping dental teams understand their strengths, and why dentists must become better leaders if they want to create less stressful, more effective practices. The conversation also explores the growing dental assistant shortage, the importance of training people with the right cultural fit, and how her online platform helps practices develop assistants through flexible, trackable education in general dentistry, endodontics, orthodontics, implants, and more.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• https://drhdlawsonmyers.com
• https://www.truedentalsuccess.com
• Dental Success Network
• Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Michelle Strange, MSDH, RDH, live from Thrive Live 2026 in Las Vegas. Michelle shares her unconventional path from dental assistant to hygienist, educator, entrepreneur, speaker, and now independent hygiene practice owner in Colorado. She discusses what it was like to sell everything, travel the country with mobile dental equipment, and eventually step into ownership of a hygiene practice where she can practice prevention-focused care on her own terms.

Michelle and Mark dive into guided biofilm therapy, minimally invasive products like SDF and Curodont, BlueCheck, laser certification, implant maintenance, infection control, and how hygienists can play a powerful role in early detection and patient education. Michelle also shares her approach to motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, and helping patients feel seen, heard, and empowered rather than judged.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• https://www.michellestrangerdh.com
• https://www.truedentalsuccess.com
• Dental Success Network
• Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

On today's episode, Part 2 of the same keynote, Dr. Mark Costes continues his tactical playbook for building a more effective, systemized dental practice. He breaks down the five core steps of leadership, explains how to set clear expectations, and shares practical frameworks for accountability, team meetings, performance reviews, feedback, and KPI tracking.

Mark also covers the hidden cost of turnover, how to evaluate culture and alignment, why organizational charts matter, and how tools like time journals, end-of-day protocols, and downtime systems can help a practice run more efficiently without everything flowing through the owner.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• https://www.truedentalsuccess.com
• Dental Success Network
• Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

On today's episode, Part 1 of a two-part keynote, Dr. Mark Costes shares a tactical playbook for leading and operating a high-performing dental practice. Drawing from his experience owning 16 practices—and from the mistakes he made along the way—Mark explains why a practice that cannot run without the owner is ultimately just a job with overhead.

He breaks down the current state of dentistry, including workforce shortages, rising operating costs, declining practice ownership, burnout, and the growing pressure on dental leaders. Mark also introduces the leadership, systemization, accountability, patient-experience, marketing, and financial frameworks that can help dentists remove themselves as bottlenecks and build healthier, more profitable businesses.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• https://www.truedentalsuccess.com
• Dental Success Network
• Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

On today's episode, Ryan Gross speaks during the Dental Success Summit about how AI, marketing, and operations must work together to help dental practices grow more effectively. Ryan explains that AI is not a magic fix, but a powerful tool that can help teams become more efficient, recognize patterns, and make better decisions when the right people and culture are already in place.

He breaks down the critical five-minute window when patients choose a dental office, why phone answer rates matter, and how missed calls can quietly cost practices thousands in lost production. Ryan also shares how practices can use data around marketing performance, hygiene production, case acceptance, and new patient blocks to ask better "what if" questions and make smarter operational decisions.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• https://www.truedentalsuccess.com
• Dental Success Network
• Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Matt Mulcock, CFP and Managing Partner at Dentist Advisors, for a practical conversation on financial planning throughout the full arc of a dentist's career. Matt breaks down how new graduates should think about student debt, liquidity, retirement savings, and preparing for practice ownership without rushing the process. He and Mark also discuss mid-career priorities like emergency funds, maximizing retirement accounts, profit sharing, and building liquidity both personally and inside the practice.

Later, they explore what late-career dentists should consider when preparing for an exit, including how much to rely on the sale of the practice, why rural practices can be harder to liquidate, and the importance of building assets outside the business. Matt emphasizes that intentional planning, organization, and smart investing early on can help dentists reduce financial stress and create more options for the future.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• https://dentistadvisors.com/lp/book-free-consultation-dsi
• https://www.truedentalsuccess.com
• Dental Success Network
• Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast