Episode 219 | From $2 Million in Debt to a $30K AI Practice: Grit, Radical Self-Responsibility, and the Infinite Game | Dr. Shahin Safarian
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Show Notes
Dr. Shahin Safarian, DMD, MBA, graduated from Tufts School of Dental Medicine in 2001 with $400,000 in debt. By 2008 he had three locations and $2 million in debt. He pressed restart. Today his practice is 800 square feet, one operatory, powered by AI, and running on $30,000 a month in overhead.
Before dentistry, he was a professional soccer player for the Puebla F.C.A.s and the San Diego Sockers. He lettered in six sports in high school in Utah, got cut by every team for his first two years in San Diego, trained seven days a week until he made it, and then applied that same grit to dental school at 29.
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with Dr. Safarian to talk about radical self-responsibility, burnout as over-leverage, the 50% payroll rule, the hygiene profitability squeeze, and why AI diagnostics accuracy is already above the human average.
This episode is for dentists, practice owners, and any dental professional who wants to understand the business side of dentistry through the lens of someone who got it wrong, rebuilt from scratch, and built something leaner, smarter, and more sustainable. Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. New episodes every week.
Connect with Dr. Shahin Safarian, DMD, MBA:
LOVE BITES Dental: lovebitesdental.com | 858-255-9689
Capital Dental Group: capitaldentalgroup.com
YouTube:@drshahinsafarian
Weekly Live Show: Dr. Shahin Safarian on YouTube at @drshahinsafarian
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let’s Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com
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