Dental Unfiltered

Hosted by Matthew Brown

Business EntrepreneurshipInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

228

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

About the show

This show covers a range of topics related to dentistry with insights from industry professionals. Andrew and Matthew lead discussions on various aspects of dental practice. The podcast aims to provide valuable perspectives for navigating the ever-evolving landscape of dentistry. Here you will find unbiased information about the industry and tools to help in your dental practice.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 19, 2026Episode 22131 min

Episode 221 | Management Unfiltered | 3 Surprises In An Office You Can Avoid

Every dental practice owner knows the feeling—an unexpected resignation, a sudden cash flow dip, or a surprise equipment breakdown that throws the entire day into chaos. But here’s the truth: most practice “surprises” aren’t really surprises at all.In this episode, we break down the most common operational curveballs that catch practice owners off guard and share the exact systems you need to prevent them before they turn into major headaches.In this episode, we cover:Team Volatility: How to handle sudden resignations and team blowups without losing momentum.Schedule Disruption: Turning daily no-shows into predictable, manageable workflows.Reputation Management: Catching patient complaints before they become bad online reviews.Financial Surprises: Keeping cash flow, tax bills, and equipment repair costs predictable.Compliance Readiness: Staying audit and inspection-proof year-round.Tune in to learn how regular check-ins, cross-training, and strong team communication can take the stress out of practice ownership and give you back control of your day.

August 18, 2026Episode 22036 min

Episode 220 | Dental Unfiltered | Listener Episode w/ Kyle Perkins - Q and A for Dr Vallo

What’s the real line between a stressed-out practice owner and a scalable dental CEO? In this episode of Dental Unfiltered, Matt Brown and Dr. Andrew Vallo are joined by guest Dr. Kyle Perkins to unpack the operational moves that actually move the needle; starting with the phones.Dr. Andrew breaks down a listener question on call center ROI, explaining why a dental-specific call center will outperform a cheaper VA setup every time. One missed new patient can mean thousands in lost production, making conversion, show rate, after-hours coverage, and operational redundancy essential.Then, the crew dives deep into the identity shift every dentist faces when stepping out of clinical work:The "Trunk, Branch, & Leaf" Framework: How to eliminate decision fatigue and guard your bandwidth.Rural Scaling Secrets: How Kyle built a high-producing group in rural North Dakota using a hybrid general + implant model.The CEO Shift: What actually changes when you stop being "just" a clinician and start building an executive team.If you’re tired of every minor decision landing on your desk, this conversation provides the playbook to step back, outsource smarter, and build a practice that scales.#DentalUnfiltered #DentalPodcast #DentistryLife #DentalEntrepreneur #DentistToCEO #DentalPracticeOwner #DentalPracticeManagement #DentalLeadership

August 13, 2026Episode 21928 min

Episode 219 | Dental Unfiltered | Let's Get Supercharged w/Dr. Len Tau

Are massive, crowded dental conferences losing their charm? In this episode, Matt Brown sits down with Dr. Len Tao, former practicing dentist, founder of iSocial Reviews, and event creator, to break down why bigger isn't always better when it comes to industry events.Len shares his journey from building and selling a tech company to launching Supercharge Dental Practice, an exclusive, high-touch event designed for practice growth, business strategy, and authentic networking. Unlike mega-conferences with repetitive content, Supercharge limits attendance to 200–250 people to guarantee every doctor, team member, and vendor gets maximum value. Tune in to hear how curated sponsor selections, top-tier keynotes, and unforgettable evening activations—including a 1980s-themed concert—are redefining the dental event experience.Key Takeaways:Intentional Curation: Why keeping events under 250 attendees creates frictionless networking and eliminates speaker overlap.Vendor Value: How selecting sponsors based on direct attendee demand builds long-term partnerships rather than transaction-heavy tradeshow floors.Business Over Clinical: Focus areas centered on practice growth, case acceptance, team culture, and business systems.Elevated Experience: The power of high-end venues, premium food, and curated evening entertainment (like wine tastings and 80s costume parties) in driving attendee engagement.World-Class Lineup: Insights into 2025 speakers, including Chris Ramsey (persuasion), Jason Armstrong (confidence under pressure), Kim Watson (Culture Index), and Dr. Michael Sonic (patient experience).

August 11, 2026Episode 21823 min

Episode 218 | Dental Unfiltered | CEO Decisions

Most dentists are bleeding new patients after hours without even realizing it. In this episode, Matt Brown and Dr. Andrew Vallo break down the real economics of front-desk performance, comparing high-converting, dental-specific call centers against cheap virtual assistants.They dive into why phone answering remains your practice’s most critical job, how extended hours change the game, and why one missed call can cost thousands in lost production.Key Takeaways:The True Cost of VAs: Why "cheaper" remote setups lack the training, redundancy, and conversion power of a dedicated team.Plugging Hidden Leaks: How after-hours coverage and higher answer rates instantly boost new patient volume.The Scaling Math: Why practices with elite phone systems scale faster with fewer operational headaches.If you want to stop losing leads at the front door, tune in to see if your phone strategy is actually making you money!

August 6, 2026Episode 21723 min

Episode 217 | Clinical Unfiltered | Simple Suturing Trick That Stabilizes Bone Grafts

In this episode of Clinical Unfiltered, Dr. Sausha breaks down the soft tissue management techniques that separate standard bone grafting from predictable, exceptional outcomes. Soft tissue tension and graft movement are the leading causes of graft failure, necrosis, and particulate loss. Dr. Sasha reveals how mastering advanced flap mobilization and fixation methods can eliminate those complications entirely, even in your most challenging ridge augmentation and socket cases. Key Clinical Topics Covered: Precision Periosteal Release: How to execute releasing incisions that maximize flap mobility without compromising tissue vitality or blood supply. Suture-Based Stabilization: Implementing periosteal sling sutures with long-lasting resorbable materials to lock down grafts without needing tacks or screws. Surgical Nuances: Perfecting tissue handling, suturing depth, and assistant coordination for seamless, tension-free closure. Pre-Clinical Simulation: How to effectively use pig jaw models to build muscle memory before treating live surgical cases. Whether you're a general dentist looking to expand your surgical toolkit or a specialist refining your flap protocols, this quick deep-dive will give you the practical steps needed to ensure your bone regeneration stays right where you put it.

August 4, 2026Episode 21631 min

Episode 216 | Dental Unfiltered | Seasons of An Entrepreneur

In this Dental Unfiltered episode, Matt Brown and Dr. Andrew Vallo break down the different seasons of entrepreneurship and what it really looks like to grow from startup mode into a more mature, scalable business. Andrew shares his journey from opening his first practice during COVID to building a multi-practice group, and how each stage of growth changed his responsibilities, mindset, and work-life balance. The conversation covers the grind of the early years, the identity shift that comes with stepping out of the chair, and why building the right team and systems becomes essential as your business expands. If you’ve ever wondered when to hustle, when to delegate, and when to evolve into a true CEO, this episode is for you.

July 30, 2026Episode 21527 min

Episode 215 | Management Unfiltered | What No One Tells You About Growth

Scaling Beyond $1M: Why Your Dental Practice Strategy Must Change at $3M and $5MEvery dental practice owner hits a wall where working harder or moving faster no longer cuts it. The truth that no one tells you about growth is simple: the exact strategies, systems, and structures that got your practice to $1 million will actively break when you try to hit $3 million or $5 million.In this deep-dive episode, we break down the critical operational shifts required to scale a dental practice without burning out.True growth isn't just about adding operatory chairs or increasing your marketing spend; it requires a fundamental evolution in how you lead. We explore how to successfully transition from a doctor-centric model—where you make every single decision—to an enterprise model built on repeatable systems, clear organizational charts, and a robust team culture.What We Cover in This Episode:The Growth Ceilings ($1M vs. $3M vs. $5M): The distinct operational bottlenecks that trigger at each revenue milestone, and how to anticipate them.The "Star Employee" Trap: Why relying on one superstar team member to hold the entire office together is a massive liability, and how growth ruthlessly exposes these single points of failure.Building a True Org Chart: How to design clear roles, accountabilities, and career paths so your team can execute without your constant intervention.Leadership Through Others: Shifting your identity from the primary "doer" to the visionary leader who empowers mid-level management and department heads.Systemizing Culture: How to instill your core values into repeatable training and operational systems so your culture scales alongside your patient base.

July 28, 2026Episode 21413 min

Episode 214 | Dental Unfiltered | $35K Fraud

How closely do you actually look at your dental practice’s monthly credit card statements? If you’re like most busy owners or office managers, you might just glance at the total, pay the bill, and move on. But that exact habit could be costing you tens of thousands of dollars. In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Vallo breaks down a shocking case study: how one dental practice unknowingly leaked $35,000 through a single, recurring credit card overcharge. We walk you through how the team finally caught the discrepancy, tracing repeated monthly fees back to a backup vendor’s billing error and duplicate-charge glitch. What started as a minor oversight snowballed into a massive financial drain over time, proving that even the most organized practices can have massive cash leaks hiding in plain sight. The Anatomy of the $35,000 Leak: How duplicate charges from a backup vendor went completely unnoticed for months. The Discovery Process: How the team finally uncovered the discrepancy and the exact steps they took to trace the source of the billing error. The "Backup Vendor" Trap: Why auxiliary services and software subscriptions are the prime suspects for hidden, recurring fees. Your Audit Action Plan: A simple, step-by-step checklist to review your practice’s monthly expenses and catch billing mistakes before they multiply. Shifting Your Team's Mindset: How to turn a frustrating financial mistake into a powerful wake-up call that builds a stronger culture of oversight. A busy dental practice processes countless transactions a month, making it incredibly easy for small, illegitimate charges to blend into the background. If you want to protect your hard-earned revenue and ensure your overhead isn't artificially inflated by vendor errors, this episode is a must-listen. It’s time to stop paying bills on autopilot and start auditing with intent.

July 21, 2026Episode 21334 min

Episode 213 | Dental Unfiltered | HR Compliance w/ Kara Kelley

Most dental practices love showing off their team on social media. It builds trust, shows off your office culture, and makes your practice feel human. But there is a massive legal blind spot that most owners completely overlook: employee media rights.If you think a standard, generic media release covers you when an employee leaves, you could be setting yourself up for a costly legal battle.In this episode, we sit down with HR compliance expert Kara Kelly to expose the hidden legal landmines of employee social media. From TikTok trends to behind-the-scenes office photos, Kara breaks down why a simple "signature on a line" isn't enough, and how failing to secure a tailored, legally sound agreement can lead to devastating lawsuits, damaged reputations, and lost staff.What We Cover in This Episode:The Employee vs. Patient Release: Why you cannot use the same consent form for your team as you do for your patients.The "After" Problem: What happens to your social media content when an employee quits on bad terms (and why they can force you to take down years of marketing material).Real-World Horror Stories: How dental offices have ended up paying thousands in legal fees over seemingly harmless social media posts.The Culture of Consent: How to introduce media agreements during onboarding in a way that feels respectful and transparent, rather than restrictive.Beyond the Checkbox: Why compliance isn't a one-time task, and how often you need to update your agreements to stay legally protected.

July 21, 2026Episode 21221 min

Episode 212 | Dental Unfiltered | July 2026: State of Startups

Can a brand-new dental startup attract 200+ new patients in its first 30 days? In this episode, Dr. Andrew Vallo joins us to share the exact blueprint he uses to open practices that hit mature numbers in week one. If you've ever worried about launch delays, hiring struggles, or burning through capital on marketing, Andrew’s high-performance expansion strategy is exactly what you need. Learn how to navigate construction setbacks, master low-cost digital ads, and build a leadership foundation that allows you to scale multiple clinics at once without losing your mind. Hit play to learn how to turn your new practice into a thriving powerhouse from the moment the doors open!