Recorded straight from the front porch of the farm, Alan reflects on the relief—and the sudden realization—that comes after hosting a massive high school graduation party for his son, Sean. Surrounded by the ambient sounds of wind chimes and ducks, Alan explores the “Arrival Fallacy” (or Destination Fallacy): the psychological trap of using a major…
Alan welcomes back CAD-Ray’s Damien Bonner to demystify the rapidly evolving world of chairside 3D printing and digital restorative workflows. The two kick off the conversation with a lighthearted look at phishing scams targeting clinicians before diving into CAD-Ray’s scanner lineup, including the Shining 3D Elf and Elite. Damien breaks down the new Shining 3D…
In this throwback episode of the Very Dental Podcast, Alan sits down with his long-time friend and dental school classmate, Dr. Bart Schultz, for a wide-ranging, candid conversation that blends nostalgia with clinical reality. Celebrating their entry into the 50-year-old club, the duo reflects on the evolution of their careers from green, baby-faced associates to…
Alan discusses the distinct economic realities of general dentistry, focusing on why the industry relies almost exclusively on a traditional flat-fee structure rather than complexity-based or hourly pricing. While individual clinical procedures exist on a vast continuum—ranging from effortless five-minute wins to grueling, unpredictable clinical nightmares—general practitioners routinely charge the exact same fee for both…
Alan welcomes Erez Druk, the co-founder of Freed.ai, and returning guest Dr. Giles Damron to explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionized clinical documentation. Giles shares his firsthand experience of using Freed’s AI-scribing software over the last two years to write thorough, accurate, and highly detailed dental notes in a fraction of the time. Erez dives…
In this throwback episode, Kevin and Zach feature Dr. Chris Salierno talk about the real-world operational realities of implant dentistry. Moving past the textbook “before and after” presentation, Chris shares valuable lessons learned from his early residency clinical errors, examining how aesthetic, functional, and hygienic complications ultimately shape a successful final restoration. The conversation highlights…
Alan gets real about a major pet peeve that’s been festering on his Instagram feed: the rise of the “sobriety influencer.” Celebrating over 24 years of clean time himself, Alan breaks down why the highly curated, aesthetic world of online recovery culture—full of sunny morning routines, mocktails, and six-month “experts”—feels completely detached from the gritty,…
This episode of the Very Dental podcast is actually a terrific throwback to the Dental Hacks days! Step into the time machine as Al and Jason welcome Dr. Steve Ratcliff from the boardrooms overlooking the impressive Spear Education auditorium. This candid conversation delves into Dr. Ratcliff’s early days at Spear, his role in developing their…
In this throwback episode from the 2023 Voices of Dentistry summit in Scottsdale, Arizona, Kevin and Zach sit down with “Papa Randy” himself, Dr. Randy Houska. The South Dakota solo practitioner shares his rogue dental journey before diving deep into classic patient myths—including the persistent tale of babies “sucking the calcium” out of a mother’s…
Alan kicks off the July 4th holiday week by diving into the psychological relief of “hard endpoints” in dentistry. From the binary satisfaction of an extraction to the gamified progress bar of using disclosing solution during hygiene, he contrasts these clean wins with the existential anxiety of restorative work—like chasing deep caries or dropping crown…