The Very Dental Podcast Network

Alan Mead Experience: Clean and Sober (and Still Learning)

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alan reflects on his 23 years of sobriety, discussing the ongoing challenges of addiction and emotional reactivity. He also shares updates on the podc...

Very Dental: An AI Revolution in Chart Notes with Dr. Giles Damron

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode Alan welcomes Dr. Giles Damron for his first appearance as co-host. Giles is an experienced dentist from Tennessee, discusses his b...

Very Clinical: Dr. Nate Lawson Infiltrates the Podcast

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this throwback episode, Kevin and Zach are joined by Dr. Nate Lawson to discuss the ins and outs of resin infiltration! They delve into the history...

AME: "Automaticity"

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alan explores the concept of "automaticity" - the things we do without thinking. He discusses the pros and cons of this autopilot mode, drawing on exa...

Very Dental: Rethinking Dental Education with Dr. Thom Caspers

03 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alan interviews Dr. Thom Caspers, a former Seattle-area dentist who now teaches at Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine in Arizona. They d...

Very Clinical: Predictions for 2025 with Erin and Gary

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin and Zach welcome back Dr. Erin Elliott and Dr. Gary Holtzclaw to share their predictions for 2025, holiday traditions, and dream guests they'd l...

AME: Self Administered Poison and "Dentists That Don't"

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alan reflects on the holiday season, canceled plans, and the importance of human connection. He dives deep into his personal journey with recovery and...

Very Dental: Why Dr. Matt Standridge Hates Dental Influencers (and Loves Ortho)

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alan welcomes frequent guest and co-host Dr. Matt Standridge back to Very Dental. They dive into the evolving landscape of dental practice ownership, ...

Very Clinical: The 2024 Year in Review with Erin and Gary

24 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Very Clinical, Zach and Kevin are joined by guests Dr. Erin Elliott and Dr. Gary Holtzclaw to discuss their favorite moments from t...

Very Dental Student: To Residency or Not with Dr. Kurren Virk

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this throwback episode of the Very Dental Student Podcast, host Mohamed Abo-Basha is joined by recent graduate (at the time) Dr. Kurren Virk!  Dr....

Very Dental: Planned Obsolescence & Subscription Hell with Dr. Brian Baliwas

20 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alan is joined by the one and only Dr. Brian Baliwas. You might know him better as @sfdentalnerd on Instagram, where he is probably the most entertai...

Very Clinical: Dr. Nate Lawson is a Fan of Onlays (and Partial Coverage)

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's throwback episode features Dr. Nate Lawson as he returns to the Very Clinical Podcast to discuss partial coverage restorations with Kevin and ...

AME: Conquering the Blank Page

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Would you like to discover how to overcome creative inertia and tedious tasks with the help of technology? Al explores how he's using Artificial Intel...

Very Dental: Rethinking Decay Removal with Dr. Melissa Seibert

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alan welcomes back Dr. Melissa Seibert to talk about caries removal. While academics and researchers don't find the idea of incomplete caries removal ...

Very Clinical: People Hear What They Want To Hear

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this throwback episode of the Very Clinical podcast Zach and Kevin talk about verbal skills and patient communication.  Show Topics: Office Holid...

AME: Holiday Chaos and Smart Choices

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alan is back after a month of exciting crossovers on the Very Dental Podcast Network! He dives into his holiday craziness (tuba concerts galore!), ref...

Very Dental: Dr. Mike Mansell Becomes a Civilian

06 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Alan catches up with Dr. Mike Mansell, who recently retired from the Army after a 24-year career in military dentistry. The conversat...

Very Clinical: Tissue Management for Fun and Profit with Mo

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The crossover content keeps on coming! Kevin and Zack welcome Mo back to talk about how to manage tissue for that beautiful crown prep you're doing! ...

Very Dental Student: How to Prep a Crown with Zach and Kevin

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mohamed continues the epic crossover event with the Very Clinical guys, Zach and Kevin. Today they talk about the quintessential dental appointment......

Very Dental: Getting Out of Your Own Way with Dr. Martin Mendelson

29 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alan welcomes back Dr. Martin Mendelsohn to the podcast for a conversation about getting out of your own way.   The discussion revolves around the im...

Very Clinical: Teaching Mo Anterior Composite

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing with the crossover event of the century, Kevin and Zach welcome Mohamed Abo-Basha, host of the Very Dental Student podcast back to talk abo...

Very Dental Student: Kevin and Zach Extract!

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mohamed is joined once again for some crossover goodness by the Very Clinical guys...Zach and Kevin!    The trio shares personal anecdotes from thei...

Very Dental: So, You've Been Ransomewared with Reuben Kamp

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alan welcomes Ruben Kamp, the founder and a ransomware expert at Darkhorse Tech.   Dental practices are very susceptible to ransomware. We all like ...

Very Clinical: Getting People Really Numb with Mohamed Abo-Basha

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this second episode of the great Very Clinical/Very Dental Studen Podcast crossover, Zach and Kevin discuss with Mohamed Abo-Basha how to get confi...

Very Dental Student: Back to School with Zach and Kevin!

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Very Dental Student Podcast, Mohamed is joined by Kevin and Zach in an exciting crossover with the Very Clinical Podcast! Kevi...

Very Dental: Michael Anderson on Leveraging AI for Productivity

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Very Dental Podcast, Alan welcomes back frequent guest Michael Anderson from the Wonderist Agency!   They dive into how AI to...

Very Clinical: Dr. Meena Barsoum is Hard (DS) Core!

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Very Clinical Podcast, Kevin and Zach welcome back Dr. Meena Barsoum from Chicago to delve into the advancements of the PrimeSc...

AME: On Time Travel and Political Polling

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alan navigates the post-election landscape, reflecting on the inaccuracy of political polling and how the personal practice of writing emails to his f...

Group Function: Introducing BufferPro with Julie Charlestein and Paul Mondock

08 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this interesting episode of the Group Function Podcast, Dr. Mead hosts two guests from the dental industry. Julie Charlestein (CEO of Premier Denta...

Very Clinical: Introducing the Primescan 2 with Dr. Meena Barsoum

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Very Clinical Podcast, hosts Zach Meiners and Dr. Kevin "Hair" Fryer dive into the world of digital dentistry with special gues...

Very Dental: The Era of Smart Curing Lights is Here with Kevin Walburg

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this special Michigan-centric episode of the Very Dental Podcast, Alan is joined by Kevin Walberg from Garrison Dental Solutions. They discuss the...

Very Dental: How to Talk to Your Lab with Dr. David Hornbrook

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. David Hornbrook joins Alan in this throwback episode to talk about lab communication and digital workflow. David is convinced that the key to beco...

Very Clinical: Dr. Tarun Agarwal Changed His MInd About Retirement Savings

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Zach and Kevin are once again joined by Dr. Tarun Agarwal and Dr. Alan Mead to talk about things we've changed our minds about. Tarun brings another s...

Very Dental Student: The Snowball Effect

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mohamed is joined by Alan Mead to talk about how the choices you make in the very beginning of your career have a very heavy influence on the rest of ...

Very Dental: The Lie That We Need with Dr. Dawn Grimes

25 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Al is joined once again by Dr. Dawn Grimes. She was on a couple months ago and we didn't get to some of the stuff that Al wanted to talk about...so we...

Very Clinical: Dr. Tarun Agarwal Thinks You Should Be The Bank

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin and Zach are joined by Dr. Tarun Agarwal and Al to talk about what he's changed his mind about in businss. Tarun offers the idea that you should...

AME: If You Can't Quit, Curate

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Social media is a blessing and a curse. Yes, it's self administered poison and yes, it can be bad for your mental health. So...you should quit. Or nev...

Very Dental: Practice Management in the Cloud with John Hammond of Neem

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine being a patient who shows up for their appointment only to be turned away because the office's server was down. Now imagine if you're a softwa...

Very Clinical: Dr. Tarun Agarwal Has Changed His Mind About Implants

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin and Zach are joined by Dr. Tarun Agarwal and Al to talk about what he's changed his mind about. It will come as no surprise that T-Bone has chan...

Very Dental Student: From Student to Dentist with Dr. Brandon Evert

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This throwback episode features how we introduced the Very Dental Student Podcast! Mohamed talks with Al for a couple minutes and then brings in Dr. B...

Very Dental Extra: IDSOs and the Future of Dental Practice with Chip Fichtner

12 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"They always talk about how the independent dentists are providing better care than the groups are, the corporate dentistry. Well, that's not necessar...

Group Function: Maximizing Your Digital Dentistry Investment with Dr. Armen Mirzayan and Damien Bonner

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alan is joined with Dr. Armen Mirzayan and Damien Bonner of CAD-Ray for a second round of discussion on digital dentistry! Damien explains a typical ...

Very Clinical: Take The Time Off Now with Dr. Melissa Zettler

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Melissa Zettler joins Zach and Kevin to talk about things she's changed her mind about in life. And she's got two really good ones. Take the time...

AME: You Won't Even Remember It

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Al riffs on a stressful patient problem/story that occupied his brain for an entire day and how quickly it was forgotten for the next drama. It's wort...

Very Baseball!

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We interrupt our normal podcast schedule to bring you Friday's episode a couple days early! This special episode of the Very Clinical Podcast features...

Very Clinical: You Are the Constant in Your Practice with Dr. Melissa Zettler

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin and Zach are joined once again by the incomparable Dr. Melissa Zettler! This time Melissa let's the guys in on something Melissa has changed her...

AME: Free Stuff

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I mean...it's not REALLY free stuff. But finding new uses for things you already have/paid for is almost the same as getting free stuff. All riffs on ...

Very Dental Extra: Building a Big Case Practice with Dr. John Nosti

28 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's Very Dental Extra is brought to you ad free by our friends at Ivoclar! Dr. John Nosti is a practices and teaches comprehensive restorative den...

Group Function: Pushing the Limits of Digital Dentistry with Dr. Armen Mirzayan and Damien Bonner

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Armen Mirzayan and Damien Bonner from CAD-Ray join Alan for a deep dive into digital dentistry. Armen presented at the Francis B. Vedder Society l...

Very Clinical: Slow Your Roll with Dr. Melissa Zettler

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Zach and Kevin welcome back Dr. Melissa Zettler to talk about what she's changed her mind about. Melissa has taken a TON of CE in order to learn how t...

AME: Getting the Most Out of Continuing Education

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After some excellent in person continuing education, Al riffs on how to get the most out of CE. The key is to remember that the real world is a little...

Very Dental: Mohamed Abo-Basha Leans in to D3!

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Al is joined by 3rd year dental student and host of the Very Dental Student podcast, Mohamed Abo-Basha! Their conversation focused on what it looks li...

Very Clinical: Don't Wait (Skiing Edition) with Dr. Lance Timmerman

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin and Zach welcome back Dr. Lance Timmerman to discuss some life lessons. Take home: travel now. Don't wait. Some links from the show: Join the ...

Very Dental Student: Real Life Dentistry with Dr. Alan Mead

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As a 3rd year dental student, Mohammed wonders if the protocols that he's learning in dental school are applicable to real life. He sat down to interv...

Very Dental: Learning to Like Dentistry with Dr. Melissa Seibert

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alan is joined by Dr. Melissa Seibert: a podcaster, educator and clinical dentist extraordinaire! Our conversation covered a lot of ground! Podcastin...

Very Clinical: 8 Columns of Hygiene* with Dr. Lance Timmerman

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

*not Dr. Lance Timmerman joins Kevin and Zach again, this time to talk about what he's changed his mind about business. It turns out that Lance isn't ...

AME: The Generalist's Curse

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Al riff's on a listener's suggestion. The listener suggested that specialists seem to get very gentle treatment and reviews on social media platforms,...

Group Function: Closing the Loop with Michael Anderson and Laura Maly

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean when a patient tells you that "I found you from the internet?" Well, practically nothing. Did they see your website? Did they read a...

Very Clinical: Changing Dr. Lance Timmerman's Mind About Heroic Dentistry

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Lance Timmerman joins Kevin and Zach to talk about things we've changed our minds about. Today's episode continues the series for Zach and Kevin w...

AME: They're All Around Us

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Social media tells the story of influencers that are killing it while living their best lives. But here in the real world, some people are living in c...

Very Dental: Meeting the Patient Where They Are with Dr. Mike Melkers

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alan welcomes back Dr. Mike Melkers for a wide ranging conversation. Mike and Al go WAY back (DentalTown in the "oughts" anyone?) and we catch up a li...

Very Clinical: Caries Removal Concepts and Controversies!

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today is a throwback episode featuring Kevin, Zach and Al talking about how they've evolved on caries removal. It's a classic and I hope you enjoy it!...

AME: Unsustainable

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"Horse people are nuts. They're all crazy." --Al Al spins a tale of an industry that is self immolating right in front of him.  Nope. It's not denti...

Very Dental: Do What You Like with Dr. Rob Ritter

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's throwback episode features the one and only Dr. Rob Ritter. Al talked to Rob back in late 2021 after having a couple of bad clinical beats and...

Very Clinical: The End of the Line (aka: Terminal Dentition)

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's throwback episode features a discussion on when to throw in the towel. Keep restoring or moving to a different kind of plan is a big deal thes...

Very Dental Student: A Contrast in First Years with Dr. Brandon Evert and Dr. Seth Braker

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mohammed is joined by Dr. Brandon Evert and Dr. Seth Braker! Brandon and Seth were classmates throughout dental school and have contrasting early dent...

Very Dental: DSOs Defined with Brian Colao

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This throwback episode features a replay of a Dental Hacks episode featuring Brian Colao of Dykema! Brian Colao knows DSOs. He's an attorney that hel...

VC: When Very Clinical Were Hacks

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's throwback episode is the VERY FIRST VERY CLINICAL podcast...back when we called it Clinical Hacks! You'll hear Kevin, Zach and Mac talk about ...

AME: Price Anchoring (aka: One Reason Dental Benefits Suck)

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Al riffs on the concept of "price anchoring." If you can plant a dollar amount in the brain of your customer, you can manipulate what they believe a p...

Very Dental: Is the Grass Actually Greener? with Dr. Gary Holtzclaw

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alan is joined by return guest Dr. Gary Holtzclaw to talk about different models of dental practice. Gary and Al have a Facebook chat that's been goin...

Very Clinical: Dr. Randy Houska Smells the Roses

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Randy Houska joins Kevin and Zach to talk about things we've changed our minds about. Today's episode continues the series for Zach and Kevin wher...

Very Dental Student: Year One with Dr. Kevin Harland

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mohammed is joined once again by Dr. Kevin Harland. Kevin graduated from the University of Oklahoma School of Dentistry in 2023. This conversation foc...

Very Dental: There is No Smooth Sailing with Dr. Dawn Grimes

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"Everything is a lie until proven otherwise." -Al Two mid-career dentists (Dr. Dawn Grimes and Al) come to grips with the fact that the "smooth sailin...

Very Clinical: Don't Care More Than the Patient with Dr. Randy Houska

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Randy Houska joins Kevin and Zach to talk about things we've changed our minds about. Today's episode continues the series for Zach and Kevin wher...

AME: The Worst Case Scenario

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why tell your patients the worst case scenario for any procedure they might be having? A couple reasons: They deserve to know Medicine SUCKS at it  ...

Group Function: Composite Made Simple with Dr. Buddy Mopper and Dr. Dennis Hartlieb

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This throwback Group Function features two luminaries in direct dentistry, Dr. Buddy Mopper and Dr. Dennis Hartlieb. Al took a Cosmedent course back i...

Very Clinical: Picking Up a Scalpel with Dr. Randy Houska

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Randy Houska joins Kevin and Zach to talk about things we've changed our minds about. Today's episode continues the series for Zach and Kevin wher...

Very Dental Student: An International Dentist's Journey with Dr. Walid Asad

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mohamed is joined by Dr. Walid Asad. Walid is an internationally trained dentist from Jordan. He graduated from dental school in Jordan in 2021 and pr...

Very Dental: The Best Way to Learn TMJ with Dr. Jim McKee

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we're featuring a throwback to the Spear Summit all the way back to 2019! Jason and Alan were still podcasting as the Dental Hacks and we had th...

Very Clinical: Becoming Complete with Dr. Frank Clayton

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"The biggest thing I changed my mind on...if having a third child." --Dr. Frank Clayton "I could never have a boss. I'd be in prison or something." --...

AME: 8 Reasons to Use High Magnification in Dentistry

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Al talks about the reasons he's bullish on dental operating microscopes and high powered loupes for dentistry. You might be a little surprised about s...

Very Dental: How to Avoid Burnout with Dr. Frank Spear

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we throw back to one of the greatest Dental Hacks episodes of all time! Jason and Alan had the honor of talking with Dr. Frank Spear of Spear Ed...

Very Clinical: Don't Get Tired of Dancing with Dr. Frank Clayton

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"The cat's out of the bag." --Dr. Frank Clayton Dr. Frank Clayton joins Kevin and Zach to talk about things we've changed our minds about. Today's epi...

Very Dental Student: Is It Ride or Die? with the Dental Guys

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mohamed is joined by The Dental Guys, Dr. Jon Rogers and Dr. Wes Mullins to talk about comprehensive dentistry. The Dental Guys are an OG dental podca...

Very Dental: Can Patients Actually Understand? with Dr. Bart Schultz

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this throwback episode from the summer of 2021 Al is joined by his best friend from dental school, Dr. Bart Schultz. They had a wide ranging conver...

Very Clinical: What Dr. Craig Harder Has Learned About Life

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"I don't want to die from something that could have been prevented." --Dr. Craig Harder Dr. Craig Harder joins the guys again to talk about things we'...

AME: Testing and Improving Systems

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"Your office has systems whether you are intentional about them or not." --Alan Mead DDS Al talks about systems in your dental office and your life. W...

Very Dental: Focus! with Dr. Jason Smithson

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jason Smithson returns to the Very Dental podcast to talk about an important topic in 2024: focus. Jason suggests that one of the reasons we might...

Very Clinical: Dr. Craig Harder Has Seen Some Business

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Craig Harder has been practicing dentistry for a little while and It turns out that he's changed our minds about some business stuff. Today's epis...

Very Dental Student: Mohamed Starts D3!

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Very Dental Student host Mohamed Abo-Basha wrapped up his D2 year and started his summer session of D3! Mohamed checks in by telling us a bit about hi...

Very Dental Extra: Dr. Shashikant Singhal on Simplifying Cementation

22 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Shashikant "Shashi" Singhal is a biomaterials expert...a dentist and researcher with Ivoclar. After a short discussion about the best way to find ...

Very Dental: Oral Health is Health with ADA President Elect Dr. Brett Kessler

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alan is joined by a very special guest, the ADA President Elect, Dr. Brett Kessler!  Brett has been a good friend for a lot of years and the conversa...

Very Clinical: Dr. Craig Harder Changed His Mind About Fiber Posts

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"It's not a failure until it's not in the mouth." --Zach's dad "I'm amazed by what doesn't hurt." --Zach Zach and Kevin are joined by Dr. Craig Harder...

AME: Student Loans, DSOs and All on X

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The most important part about practicing dentistry is understanding the best interests of the patient and putting them first. Dentists and dental team...

Very Dental: 10 Years of Dental Hacks and Very Dental

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Al waxes nostalgic about 10 years of podcasting, first as the Dental Hacks podcast and now as the Very Dental Podcast Network! From the original show ...

Very Clinical: Changing Our Minds About Life

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It turns out that we've changed our minds about our lives as well. Heavy stuff, to be sure. Today's episode continues the series for Zach and Kevin wh...

Reusable Tips: Smoother Digital Workflow Using Splashtop

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome the very first episode of Reusable Tips, a new podcast series from the Very Dental Podcast Network!  Do you have a quick tip that Very Dental...

Very Dental Extra: Getting Multiple Bidders for Your Practice with Chip Fichtner

08 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"You're either going to join an Invisible DSO or you're going to compete with many. I promise." Chip Fichtner, Large Practice Sales Alan is joined aga...

Group Function: Lessons from a Pandemic, 4 years later

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This throwback episode features a recording made to talk about what we had learned from the COVID pandemic. It is currently about 4 years after dental...

Very Clinical: Changing Our Minds on Business

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It turns out that we've changed our minds on business stuff, too. Today's episode continues the series for Zach and Kevin where they talk to some expe...