Alan welcomes his first-ever podcast guest, Dr. Lance Timmerman, back to the show for a candid look at the life of a "CE Junkie." Lance shares his extensive, and often scattershot, journey through continuing education—from early courses in sleep apnea and Botox to implants and orthodontics—and the key lesson learned: it's hard to dabble in specialty procedures. The discussion evolves into a broader reflection on how dentistry has changed, especially for new dentists facing massive student debt. Ultimately, Lance describes his successful transition to a semi-retired, three-day-a-week practice focused on implants and sleep apnea, proving that taking all that CE led to the perfect work-life balance for travel and life experiences.

This throwback episode of the Very Clinical Podcast features hosts Kevin and Zach welcoming back Dr. Sully Sullivan to discuss his involvement with 3D Dentists. Sully details the Mastermind program, which focuses on business strategy for successful dentists, advocating for a shift toward comprehensive diagnosis and "fewer, well-planned visits" through the foundational use of full DSLR photography. He then describes the Digital Implant Continuum, highlighting its unique, all-encompassing curriculum that teaches everything from extraction and grafting to guided implant placement and restoration on live patients, emphasizing immediate post-course implementation by having doctors plan and receive guides for their own cases.

Some links from the show:

• 3D Dentists
• 3D Dentists Mastermind program

Join the Very Clinical Facebook group! 

Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy," "Lipscomb" or "Gary!"

The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us!

--

Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time!

--

The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist!

--

Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products!

--

CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

Alan shares his recent findings on dental supply purchasing, questioning the long-standing industry model where dentists pay a premium for the convenience and supposed "best price" offered by a dedicated sales rep. He argues that this relationship-based purchasing lacks transparency and costs practices significant money, especially as overhead increases and reimbursements remain flat. Alan endorses his sponsor, Net 32, as a modern solution, highlighting its efficiency and transparency as an online network of suppliers that instantly offers the lowest available price. Through personal invoice comparisons, he demonstrates that switching to this system results in substantial, immediate savings on common materials, making it a powerful way for dentists to reduce overhead without sacrificing quality or convenience.

Some links from the show:

• Very Dental Podcast net32 link

Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook," "Gary," "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!"

The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us!

--

Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time!

--

The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist!

--

Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products!

--

CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

Back in August Alan talked with guests Julianne O'Connor and Michael Keeter, the founders of Influential Dental. They discussed the company's efforts to elevate the dental space through its Influential Dental Podcast and the glossy lifestyle magazine, Influence Eleve. Julianne and Michael emphasize that their focus is on the authentic human element and the non-clinical stories of dentists—highlighting their journeys, mentors, and the challenges they’ve overcome—rather than the negative connotations of the "influencer" label. Alan discusses his history with audio and the evolution of the Dental Hacks podcast, contrasting his audio-first approach with the increasing trend of video content. They also touch on the challenges of print media in the digital age, the creative process behind their respective content, and the surprising utility of AI in podcast production.

Some links from the show:

• Influential Dental Podcast
• Influential Dental Instagram
• Influence Eleve magazine

Dr. Alan Mead steps in for Zach and Kevin in this "Very Clinical Takeover" episode to share his efficient and refined workflow for single-tooth crown preparations. Alan emphasizes that his streamlined, digital-centric process makes single crowns a quick, straightforward, and profitable procedure in his general practice.

The core of the episode is his detailed Crown Prep Workflow and Hacks, which prioritizes patient comfort and efficiency.

• Profound Anesthesia: Mead's first step is always to achieve profound anesthesia, utilizing inferior alveolar nerve blocks for lower molars and buccal infiltrations (usually with Septocaine) for other teeth. He heavily relies on the  Septodont Paroject pdl syringe for supplemental tissue anesthesia around the entire tooth, often using it to avoid packing cord.

• Pre-Op Digital Scan: He scans the arch using his Medit i700 before prepping the tooth. This pre-op scan is used to register the final prep scan, ensuring a stable and accurate bite registration, which he praises as a massive efficiency improvement over traditional PVS impressions.

• Prep Sequence: His prep sequence is intentionally designed for efficiency:

  1. Break Interproximal Contacts First: He uses a Microcopy 0512C inverted pear bur for gross contact breaking, followed by a Microcopy 33140.10vf ("skinny") fine-tipped diamond for careful separation at the gingival.

  2. Occlusal Reduction: He uses the Microcopy 2137C which large, barrel-shaped coarse bur in an electric handpiece for quick, proper occlusal reduction.

  3. Core Build-up: After removing any old restoration or decay, he prefers Cosmecore from Cosmedent for build-ups, sometimes blocking out with Fuji IX from GC. He utilizes an old-school metal matrix band with Bioclear Diamond Wedges for isolation during the build-up.

• Margin Refinement and Tissue Management: He finishes margins under high magnification (microscope) and prefers a very fine diamond bur (Microcopy 3116.8vf) instead of traditional polishing cups for a smooth finish. Mead emphasizes smoothing the adjacent teeth with a Sof-Lex disc to ensure the lab can create an ideal, broad interproximal contact.

• Retraction: Mead overwhelmingly prefers Traxodent from Premier in the unit dose syringe tips for quick and clean tissue retraction, stating it generally works better for digital scanning than retraction cord.

• Temporization: While his assistant fabricates the temporary using a pre-made matrix, Mead remotes into his computer to mark the margins on the digital scan. He uses Clinician's Choice Template Ultra Quick Matrix Material and Mirror Image temporary material from Cosmedent, which he quickly refines with a Sof-Lex disc. He cements the temp with Dentotemp by Itena provisional cement for its strong retention.

Alan encourages listeners to critique his "bread and butter dentistry" workflow on the Very Clinical or Very Dental Facebook groups, as he believes an efficient crown prep is a key to a successful general practice.

Some links from the show:

• See above :-)

Join the Very Clinical Facebook group! 

Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy," "Lipscomb" or "Gary!"

The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us!

--

Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time!

--

The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist!

--

Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products!

--

CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

"You got to remember that you don't own time, it's time that owns you."

--Stephen King, "My Pretty Pony"

Alan dives into the elastic nature of time this week, a concept he got from a Stephen King short story. He argues that time is totally weird and feels different depending on a person's situation, age, and mood.

• The Bonus Day: The whole thing started when Alan woke up at 3:30 a.m., convinced it was a work day (Tuesday). Then it hit him: It's Monday. He doesn't work Mondays! It felt like he got an entire day given back to him—a huge, weird, little time-traveling gift.

• The "Freakout" Factor: He observes that things that are stressful right now—like when his office phones were down for three days—feel like they'll be a nightmare forever. He quickly realized, though, that those things are usually forgotten by next week, proving that "this too shall pass."

• Time's Sandpaper: He looks back at the big, scary things, like being terrified about becoming a dad or the stress of dental school, and notes that now those sharp edges are all smoothed out. Time has a funny way of making those tough memories almost fond.

• The "Old Person" Cliché: Now he's the one saying it: "just hold onto these moments." Seeing his oldest son's marching band career wrapping up hit him how fast it all goes. That "blink and you'll miss it" thing is totally real, he says.

• The Light at the End: On the financial side, time actually works out. Those massive commitments, like the mortgages on his house and office, that felt endless when they started? Mead is finally seeing the finish line. He finds it wild that they eventually just... end.

He wraps up by encouraging listeners to think about their own perception of time and remember: whatever you're dealing with, it's going to work out and move on.

Some links from the show:

• "My Pretty Pony" Wikipedia page

Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook," "Gary," "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!"

The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us!

--

Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time!

--

The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist!

--

Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products!

--

CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

Alan welcomes back Dr. Tim Anderson to discuss the transformative impact of digital technology on modern dentistry. The episode kicks off with a brief mention of Dr. Anderson's recent "Midas tour" focused on partial coverage restorations, which serves as a springboard into a deeper discussion about the dramatic technological shift since their dental school days at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Anderson reflects on what he'd tell his younger self, highlighting the near-unbelievable advancements in:

• Intraoral scanning and the power of AI in design.

• 3D printing and same-day ceramic restorations.

The doctors agree that while technology is crucial, the patient interaction and communication it enables are the real game-changers, using large monitors and engaging patients in the co-discovery process. They delve into the exciting evolution of 3D-printed materials, moving beyond simple resins to explore high-translucency ceramics and "digital press stereolithography" (Midas), which opens the door for layered, customized restorations that mimic natural tooth anatomy.

The conversation touches on the enduring debate between full-coverage crowns and partial coverage (onlays), noting the current culture's tendency toward black-and-white treatment planning. Dr. Anderson expresses excitement for new workflows and materials that bridge the gap between traditional artistry (like gold inlays) and digital precision, ultimately focusing on how technology empowers better patient care and education.

Some links from the show:

• SprintRay Midas

In this throwback episode of Very Clinical, Zach and Kevin welcome back Charlie Fryer to talk about AI in dentistry. Charlie recently finished a master's thesis about class II caries and AI so he can see applications in dentistry from the perspective of a computer scientist.

AI's Current Role in the Dental Industry

The guys discuss existing and potential applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in dentistry, acknowledging that the future of the profession will be heavily influenced by this technology.

• Invisalign/Aligners: Kevin notes that companies like Align Technology (Invisalign) are essentially data companies that leverage millions of intraoral scans from iTero to perfect tooth-movement algorithms and quickly generate treatment plans. He suspects much of the initial clin-check setup is AI-driven, with human checks afterward.

• Design & Manufacturing: AI is already used for the automated design and quick file return for appliances like night guards by companies like SprintRay, as well as for crown design in some printing workflows.

• Radiographic Diagnosis: The hosts discuss companies that use AI to read and assist in diagnosing findings on X-rays. A key discussion point is how these companies, like DSOs (Dental Service Organizations) such as Heartland or Aspen, acquire the vast amounts of patient data needed to train their models. The hosts posit that users become the "product," providing data with every image analyzed.

Future AI Applications and Benefits

The conversation shifts to more future-facing applications and the overall impact of AI on dental practice.

• Net Positive Impact: Zach and Kevin agree that AI will be a net positive for dentistry, primarily as an aid rather than a replacement for clinical judgment, drawing an analogy to how a GPS system advises a driver but the driver still makes the final decisions.

• Combining Data Sets: Charlie suggests combining various patient data, such as cone beam CTs, intraoral scans, and radiographic images, to develop next-generation tools for complex procedures like implant placement guidance.

• Practice Optimization: A major area for AI development is practice management. They discuss using machine learning to:

  • Optimize scheduling based on patient history (recurrent neural networks) and procedure mix to maximize profitability and account for unexpected needs.

  • Forecast inventory needs to ensure the practice is always adequately stocked.

• Financial and Marketing Tools:

  • Patient Financing: Kevin highlights Sun Bit, a payment program that uses an AI component to quickly determine a patient's payment risk and rate by analyzing non-traditional data like utility payments instead of a full credit report.

  • Marketing: AI is already effective in predicting click-through rates for online advertisements, which could be leveraged by dental practices.

Join the Very Clinical Facebook group! 

Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy," "Lipscomb" or "Gary!"

The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us!

--

Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time!

--

The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist!

--

Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products!

--

CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

Patient churn—the natural cycle of patients choosing, staying, or leaving a dental practice—is a normal part of the business. Alan explores this by reflecting on his own 28 years in practice, concluding that dentists often struggle with churn because they view their office much differently than their patients do. Ultimately, a patient's decision to use a dental service, whether for comprehensive care or only for emergencies, reflects how that practice best fits their needs, and not necessarily a sign that the dental office itself is broken.

Some links from the show:

• Relevance Online Marketing

Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook," "Gary," "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!"

The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us!

--

Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time!

--

The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist!

--

Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products!

--

CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

Alan is joined by the multi-talented Dr. Brady Smith, a dentist, standup comedian, and social media sensation. They dive into Dr. Smith's fascinating dual career, exploring whether he's a dentist who does comedy or a comedian who does dentistry, ultimately concluding he's a highly successful dual-profession guy.

Dr. Smith shares his journey from running the noble but challenging Halo Dental Network charity—which led to his earlier podcast—to receiving a $15,000 piece of coaching advice that transformed his career: get on TikTok and be the face of his brand. He details his rapid rise to social media fame, the freedom it gives him to be authentic, and how he handles both the viral success and the inevitable "haters," including dealing with board complaints about his unique (and fully legal) "Laughing My Gas Off" podcast where he cleans celebrity and comic's teeth while they're on nitrous oxide.

They also discuss the pressures and mental toll of dental practice, the difference between how dental professionals and the general public value dentistry, and Dr. Smith's successful experiment with a twice-weekly, 16-hour workday schedule. Dr. Smith offers advice to patients to "keep trying" to find a dentist they can relate to and encourages his peers to "stop sucking so bad" and be more approachable.

Some links from the show:

• The HALO dental network
• Laughing My Gas Off podcast
• Brady's Instagram
• Brady's TikTok

In this throwback episode, Zach and Kevin are joined by Kevin's son and expert on AI in dentistry, Charlie Fryer! Charlie discusses his master's thesis on applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the diagnosis of Class II caries (decay) in dentistry. Charlie, a chemical engineer with a background in data science from Georgia Tech, explains the immense, data-intensive challenges of using a deep learning model to create an objective diagnostic tool for Class II decay from bite-wing X-rays. Both hosts express an optimistic view of AI's inevitable and positive integration into dentistry as a tool to flag potential issues for the clinician's review, improving patient care and eliminating missed diagnoses.

Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy," "Lipscomb" or "Gary!"

The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us!

--

Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time!

--

The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist!

--

Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products!

--

CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

Alan discusses the significant differences between his intensive, abstinence-based path to recovery in 2002 and the current standards of addiction treatment. Prompted by renewing his DEA license and taking a required CE on opiate prescribing, Alan contrasts his successful, disruptive model (therapy and 12-step programs) with the modern focus on Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), such as buprenorphine (Suboxone), and harm reduction. He grapples with his past skepticism of these newer methods but shares a patient's story and discusses the Sinclair Method (using naltrexone for alcohol recovery) which have opened his mind to various effective ways of getting well. Alan invites listeners to discuss these evolving approaches in the Very Dental Facebook group and the smaller, recovery-focused group, Dentists That Don't.

Some links from the show:

• Drink Your Way Sober, by Katie Herzog
• The Sinclair Method

Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook," "Gary," "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!"

The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us!

--

Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time!

--

The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist!

--

Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products!

--

CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

Alan welcomes Dr. Zach Meiners, co-host of the Very Clinical podcast and restorative dentist extraordinaire, back to the Very Dental podcast. They dive deep into their shared passion for glass ionomer (GI) restorative materials. Sparked by Alan's recent solo episode on using glass ionomer for groove restorations the guys talk GI in depth.