The Dental Truth Project

The Dental Truth Project No fluff. No spin. Just bold, unfiltered conversations about what’s really happening in the dental industry. Hosted by Ken Kaufman and Dallin Kaufman, AccruDent Co-Founders , this podcast dives into the mistakes, wins, and truths that DSO leaders, clinicians, and consultants usually avoid. Expect real talk, raw insights, and answers to the questions no one else is asking.

The Dental Truth Project is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 55 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts The Dental Truth Project, a business show with 55 episodes published.

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  Episode #55

  Your Dental Tech Isn't Broken. Your Implementation Is. (E.55)

  Sep 23, 202622 min

  Dave Salciccioli, Co-Founder of Relay and a dental technology veteran, pulls back the curtain on one of dentistry’s biggest—and most overlooked—problems: the technology isn’t necessarily the problem. How the industry buys, implements, and adopts it is. Dental organizations have access to better technology than ever before, from AI to emerging SaaS solutions. Yet many DSOs are struggling to turn those tools into real operational results. Failed implementations, overlapping software, ballooning costs, disconnected systems, and exhausted teams are creating an expensive gap between buying technology and actually making it work. Revelations: The Hidden Reason Your Tech Investments Keep Failing The dental industry may have better technology than ever—but lacks the implementation infrastructure to use it effectively. The biggest hidden cost may be something you can't put on a software invoice: your team's goodwill toward change. Before buying something new, have you fully diagnosed what is broken—and whether you're already underusing tools you own? Vendors that enter dentistry with humility, listen to customers, and adapt to feedback may have a better chance of finding true product-market fit. The “Ask Dallin” Question: “My AP process feels like a disaster. What can I do to get it working?” Dallin's advice? Start by creating one centralized place for every invoice, establish appropriate vendor payment terms, batch approvals instead of chasing them individually, and build controls so one person can't create, approve, and pay fraudulent invoices. It's not about finding a quick “tip or trick.” A strong AP process requires structure, discipline, and proper controls—and it can have a major impact on the health of your finance operation. Want to gain more financial clarity? Read Roll the Equity for practical financial tips, strategies, and insights to help you navigate growth, acquisitions, private equity, and the financial decisions that can shape the future of your DSO. Read the book here Roll The Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E35) The Hard Truth About AI Vendors in Dentistry - Randa Seif, CaliDental (E30) "Can't You Just Do It?" — The Question Every Dentist Needs to Be Ready For - Dr. Jan Bublik, Bublik Dental Implant and Surgical Center (E16) Will AI allow me to fire my RCM team? - Jonas & Luis, Kaylie.ai Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project

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  Episode #54

  Bank Lender vs. Growth Partner: What DSOs Get Wrong (E.54)

  Sep 16, 202620 min

  Josh McSpadden, Mid Market Healthcare Group Banker at U.S. Bank, reveals why DSOs don’t just need a lender—they need a banking partner who understands the strategy behind their growth. After working with dental groups since 2015, Josh exposes a costly mistake many emerging DSOs make: choosing financing based on the lowest rate instead of building the right financial infrastructure from the beginning. The result? Complicated debt, inefficient cash management, and expensive cleanup when the DSO finally hits its next stage of growth. Revelations: The Banking Mistake That Can Follow Your DSO for Years The cheapest loan isn't always the best financing strategy—your banking structure needs to support your growth plan. DSOs can avoid costly debt "cleanup" by bringing the right banking partner into the strategy early. A strong banking platform can help with more than lending—including treasury management, fraud prevention, associate ownership, and real estate. As DSOs grow, financial responsibilities should move beyond individual office managers and become centralized and systemized. The right financial partners don't just provide capital—they bring a network of experts who can help DSOs scale. The "Ask Ken" Question: "What's the most common mistake DSOs make right before trying to sell?" Ken's answer: They fail to clearly define and communicate their vision for the business. Buyers want to see why a DSO is positioned for future growth—not just how much EBITDA it produces today. Instead of simply trying to squeeze more EBITDA out of the business, leaders should build the systems, infrastructure, and strategy that create long-term value and make the organization attractive to potential buyers. Want to gain more financial clarity? Read Roll the Equity for practical financial tips, strategies, and insights to help you navigate growth, acquisitions, private equity, and the financial decisions that can shape the future of your DSO. Read the book here Roll The Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.2) Why High-Multiple Exits Are Bankrupting Dental Practices - AJ Peak, Health Wealth Capital (E.6) Are Dentists Selling Out Their Entire Industry? - Mike Baird, Accelerate Dental (E.45) How to Profit Without Dropping Insurance - Angie Hopper, Premier Dental Center Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project

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  Episode #53

  Behind the Scenes of Creating Roll the Equity (E.53)

  Sep 9, 202619 min

  Ken Kaufman and Ashley Penny pull back the curtain on the creation of their second book, Roll The Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs, revealing what inspired them to write it and how they worked together to turn complex dental finance and private equity concepts into an engaging story. Their collaboration builds on the success of their first book while taking readers deeper into the decisions dental leaders face when growing, selling, or partnering with private equity. Revelations: How Roll the Equity Came to Life Why the success of their first book inspired Ken and Ashley to tackle the next financial challenge facing growing dental organizations. Why Roll the Equity goes beyond financial tools to explore private equity, acquisitions, mergers, recapitalizations, and different paths to growth. Why every DSO deal is different—and how different decisions can lead to very different outcomes. How the financial tools from the first book—accrual accounting, annual budgets, and 12-month rolling forecasts—can prepare dental organizations for bigger strategic decisions. Want to gain more financial clarity? Read Roll the Equity for practical financial tips, strategies, and insights to help you navigate growth, acquisitions, private equity, and the financial decisions that can shape the future of your DSO. Read the book here Roll The Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.38) Roll the Equity or Take the Cash and Walk Away? - Mark Haddad, Specialty1 Partners | ScoutIQ (E.1) How Outsiders Invaded Dentistry and Destroyed Billions - Brian Colao, Dykema (E.5) The DSO Valuation Crash No One Talks About - Gareth Petsch, pH Partners Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project

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  Episode #52

  Free EFT Exists—Why Are Dental Practices Still Paying for It? (E.52)

  Sep 2, 202621 min

  Sam Rockwood, Founder & CEO of Woods and former actuary, exposes the hidden inefficiencies behind insurance payments. With roughly 70% of dental insurance payments still being paper-based, practices are stuck dealing with checks, virtual credit cards, hidden processing fees, and hours of manual work. And the biggest surprise? Free EFT is available—but many practices don't know how to access it. Revelations: The Insurance Payment Trap Most Dental Practices Never Question HIPAA requires insurance companies to offer a free EFT option—but many practices don’t know how to access it and may be directed toward paid alternatives unless they specifically ask for the free option. 70% of insurance payments are still paper-based—even in 2026. Virtual credit cards can cost practices 3–5% per payment through merchant processing fees. Getting paid electronically isn't enough—if EOBs aren't posted correctly, your AR can grow while your financial statements become inaccurate. The real problem isn't just getting off checks. With 15–20 insurance companies, practices need a system for enrollment, payment processing, and finding EOBs. The "Ask Dallin" Question: "How much should I be spending on my accounting each month?" Dallin's answer: Budget roughly 1-1.5% of total revenue on bookkeeping and financial record-keeping. If a bookkeeping service is charging north of $800-900 per location, you've outgrown outsourcing — it's time to build an internal team. For a finance lead, expect to pay around $100K base plus incentives on the smaller end, climbing to $120-130K if they're also taking on operations. And once you cross roughly 20 locations, it's time to think about a full-time CFO — accounting complexity scales up with size, it doesn't get cheaper. Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.45) How to Profit Without Dropping Insurance - Angie Hopper, Premier Dental Center (E.19) The Pay-to-Play Dental Conference Problem - Matthew McGaw, DSO Compass (E.16) Will AI allow me to fire my RCM team? - Jonas & Luis, Kaylie.ai NEW BOOK - COMING SOON Get early access to Roll the Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs Join the insider's list here https://resources.accrudent.com/roll-the-equity-insider-list Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project

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  Episode #51

  How DSO Transitions Are Breaking Dental Teams (E.51)

  Aug 26, 202619 min

  Christine Diehl, a dental hygienist with 30+ years of experience, shares the uncomfortable truth about what happens when a dental practice transitions to a DSO—and why the biggest risk may not be the financial deal itself. When teams feel ignored, patients can follow them out the door. When buyers rush to change everything, they can destroy the trust and culture that made the practice successful in the first place. And losing just one hygienist could cost a practice anywhere from $30,000 to $120,000. Christine reveals why the first 90 days after a transition can make or break the future of the practice—and why sometimes the best strategy is to change nothing. Revelations: The People Side of Every DSO Deal Losing a single hygienist during a transition can cost a practice $30,000-$120,000 in lost patients, recruiting, and temp coverage Teams go through an actual grief process post-sale — and most buyers never account for it "In-house" transition teams report to corporate, not to the team — creating a trust gap only an unbiased outsider can close The first 90 days should be about listening, not changing — the fastest way to lose trust is to walk in guns blazing The "Ask Ken" Question: "How much debt is too much for a growing DSO?" Ken's answer: Watch your Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR) — net operating income divided by debt service. A ratio at zero means no cash cushion after debt payments, and banks won't touch that. Lenders typically want to see 1.25x to 2x coverage. Walk into any lending conversation already knowing your number, and you instantly signal you're a operator worth trusting. Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.26) You Keep Losing Dental Team Members. Have You Asked Yourself Why? - Bonnie Thompson, Forest Family Dentistry (E.5) The DSO Valuation Crash No One Talks About - Gareth Petsch, pH Partners (E.38) Roll the Equity or Take the Cash and Walk Away? - Mark Haddad, Specialty1 Partners | ScoutIQ NEW BOOK - COMING SOON Get early access to Roll the Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs Join the insider's list here https://resources.accrudent.com/roll-the-equity-insider-list Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project

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