What Dental School Doesn't Teach About Running a Profitable Practice | Ep. 36

"These patients are two to three times more valuable in terms of visits and production within a 12-month period." — Megan Lohman, Founder of Plan Forward. In this episode of Beyond the Operatory®, hosted by John Stamper and proudly brought to you by Dental City, Megan Lohman explains how dental membership plans have evolved from simple uninsured-patient discounts into strategic business systems that drive recurring revenue, improve treatment acceptance, and strengthen patient loyalty. Practices leveraging modern membership plans are seeing measurable improvements in patient retention, production, scheduling consistency, and long-term profitability. The discussion explores why approximately 100 million Americans lack dental insurance, why membership-plan adoption extends well beyond low-income demographics, and how data now proves these patients behave similarly to insured patients while often demonstrating lower cancellation rates. The episode also covers implementation, pricing, compliance, marketing, team training, and the operational systems necessary to make membership plans a meaningful growth channel in 2026. In this episode, we cover: Chapters 00:00:00 Why Membership Plans Matter 00:01:39 Meet Megan Lohman and the Origins of Plan Forward 00:06:18 Early Challenges Educating Practices 00:09:42 Moving Beyond Insurance Dependence 00:12:22 The Data Behind Patient Behavior Changes 00:15:05 Why Membership Plans Aren't Just for Low-Income Patients 00:17:14 Membership Plans Affect Every Part of the Practice 00:21:50 The Hidden Value Inside Uninsured Patient Lists 00:24:40 Comparing Members vs. Insured Patients 00:28:18 What Practices Experience After Launching Plans 00:37:14 Final Advice and Getting Started About the Guest: Megan Lohman is the founder of Plan Forward. She began her career working directly inside dental practices as a receptionist, financial coordinator, and office manager before launching Plan Forward. Her company helps practices implement compliant membership-plan systems focused on recurring revenue, patient retention, operational efficiency, and measurable business outcomes. Learn more about Plan Forward here: https://www.planforward.io/ Shop Dental City November Specials: (https://dentalcity.com/category/3868/november-specials)

"Members cancel or break appointments half as often as insured patients and one-third as often as uninsured patients." In this episode of Beyond the Operatory®, host John Stamper sits down with Jane Levy, Co-Founder and CEO of Plan Forward, to discuss how dental membership programs are changing the economics of modern dentistry. Drawing on years of membership performance data, Levy explains why recurring revenue, improved treatment acceptance, and stronger patient loyalty are becoming critical business advantages for independent practices and DSOs alike. The conversation explores key operational challenges facing practices in 2026, including insurance dependency, hygiene shortages, patient retention, compliance requirements, and economic uncertainty. Levy shares why membership patients consistently visit more often, accept significantly more treatment, and create a more predictable growth model. She also discusses how AI-powered patient scoring and analytics are creating new opportunities for practices to identify ideal membership candidates and improve patient engagement. In this episode, we cover: Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome & Meet Jane Levy 00:01:20 Wall Street to Dentistry Journey 00:04:10 Why Plan Forward Stood Out as an Investment 00:06:30 Membership Data That Changes Practice Economics 00:08:40 How Patient Expectations Are Changing 00:11:10 The Insurance Alternative Opportunity 00:13:20 Compliance Challenges Practices Overlook 00:16:45 Using Membership Plans as a Competitive Advantage 00:18:10 Building Recurring Revenue in Dentistry 00:20:30 The Hygiene Staffing Challenge 00:23:25 AI and the Future of Membership Growth 00:24:47 Plan Forward and Dental City Partnership About the Guest: Jane Levy is the Co-Founder and CEO of Plan Forward. Levy entered the dental industry in 2017 after a career focused on investing and business development. She previously worked with Henry Schein identifying strategic technology opportunities and later helped lead a successful acquisition in dental analytics before joining Plan Forward in 2021. She now leads growth, strategy, compliance, and innovation initiatives focused on dental membership adoption. Learn more about Plan Forward here: https://www.planforward.io/ Shop Dental City November Specials: (https://dentalcity.com/category/3868/november-specials)

"His spend went from $22,000 a month to $7,000 a month for basically the same thing." On this episode of Beyond the Operatory, hosted by John Stamper and proudly brought to you by Dental City, Dr. Jody Ames and Dr. Lauren Collett discuss the realities of modern private-practice dentistry, continuing education, mentorship, study clubs, patient care, and the business systems required to remain competitive. Their unique father-daughter perspective highlights the transition from dental school into practice ownership while balancing clinical growth with business responsibility. The conversation also explores the origin of DDS United, procurement strategy, supply standardization, and how independent dental practices can leverage purchasing intelligence traditionally reserved for larger organizations. Key themes include mentorship, treatment planning, continuing education, clinical confidence, profitability, and preserving private-practice dentistry through smarter operational decision-making. In this episode, we cover: Chapters 00:00:00 The $15,000 Monthly Savings Story 00:01:36 Meet Lauren & Jody Ames 00:02:58 Choosing Private Practice Dentistry 00:04:34 Mentorship, Study Clubs & Career Growth 00:06:10 Why Lauren Chose Dentistry 00:09:22 Treatment Planning Across Generations 00:10:43 Technology & The Future of Dentistry 00:13:18 Clinical Skills and Finding Your Focus 00:17:59 Why Business Skills Matter 00:20:57 The Importance of Independent Dentistry 00:31:12 How DDS United Started 00:38:26 Real Savings Stories from Private Practice About the Guests: Dr. Jody Ames is a private-practice dentist, entrepreneur, and founder of DDS United. With decades of clinical experience, he advocates for dentist-led procurement strategies, continuing education, and operational independence that help private practices compete effectively in a changing dental marketplace. Dr. Lauren Collett is a general Dentist and second-generation practitioner who joined her father's practice following residency training at the University of Cincinnati. Shop Dental City Quarterly Specials: (https://dentalcity.com/category/1002/quarterly-specials)

"Listen to the problem, not the solution." — Steve Johnson In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, hosted by John Stamper and brought to you by Dental City, Angela Hermanson and Steve Johnson explain how the transition from 3M Healthcare to Solventum has created a healthcare-focused organization dedicated entirely to improving patient outcomes and provider workflows. The discussion explores the innovation process behind major brands including Filtek, Scotchbond, Clinpro, and RelyX while reinforcing that the products, science, manufacturing standards, and people remain the same despite the corporate transition. The episode also provides a rare look at how new dental solutions are developed. Rather than starting with technology, Solventum begins with clinical pain points identified through study clubs, innovation councils, chairside observation, field feedback, and dentist interviews. This approach influenced developments such as Filtek Easy Match, composite warming technology, Scotchbond Universal Plus, and the upcoming Filtek Matrix system designed to expand access to composite veneers while reducing procedural complexity. Product Spotlight: Shop Solventum’s wide variety of products here: (https://dentalcity.com/category/606/3m) In this episode, we cover: Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction to Solventum and Dental Innovation 00:04:12 Why 3M Healthcare Became Solventum 00:07:52 How Dental Products Are Actually Created 00:11:37 The Power of Dentist Feedback 00:14:00 Why Dental Teams Resist Change 00:15:20 Benefits of Composite Warming 00:18:19 Training Across Different Skill Levels 00:20:16 Staying Innovative in Restorative Dentistry 00:24:43 New Filtek Matrix and Composite Veneers 00:28:43 Building a Career at Solventum 00:31:10 Why People Matter More Than Branding About the Guests: Angela Hermanson - Leader of the Market Development Team for Solventum Dental. Angela oversees strategic marketing, customer insight initiatives, market development, and commercialization efforts across dental and orthodontic solutions. Steve Johnson - Market Development Manager for Direct Restoratives and Impression Materials at Solventum. With approximately 16 years working within the former 3M Dental organization, Steve has held roles in sales, technical support, education, and product development.

"The common denominator of offices that have successfully resigned (from PPO plans) is they are more relationship-driven than transactional." — Gary Takacs In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, host John Stamper sits down with renowned dental consultant Gary Takacs to discuss what actually happens when practices reduce PPO participation. Rather than focusing solely on insurance negotiations, the conversation centers on patient experience, relationship-building, treatment acceptance, verbal skills, and trust-based care. The episode explores practical strategies dental owners, office managers, hygienists, and assistants can immediately implement, including documenting patient life events, improving treatment presentation language, using digital photography for education, strengthening emotional loyalty, and reframing insurance as a benefit rather than the primary reason patients choose a practice. The discussion also provides real-world examples of successful PPO resignations and the patient retention systems that make those transitions possible. In this episode, we cover: Chapters 00:00:00 Why Relationship-Driven Practices Win 00:02:28 The Foundation of Successful PPO Reduction 00:06:48 Understanding Your Insurance Data 00:07:34 How Practices Successfully Leave PPO Plans 00:10:50 Thinking About Insurance as a Coupon 00:13:08 Presenting Treatment as an Investment 00:15:30 The Power of Digital Patient Photography 00:17:50 Helping Patients Own Their Treatment 00:20:05 Verbal Skills That Increase Trust 00:22:20 Two Steps Every Practice Can Take Today 00:24:40 The Patient Loyalty Story Every Team Should Hear About the Guest: Gary Takacs is known throughout dentistry as the "Podfather," Gary launched the first dental podcast and has spent more than 45 years helping practices improve operational performance, patient relationships, and business systems. He brings firsthand experience from working with over 1,800 dental practices across the United States. Shop Dental City October Specials: (https://dentalcity.com/category/3846/october-specials)

In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, host John Stamper sits down with Angela Severance of Ivoclar to discuss why clinical education remains one of the most overlooked drivers of operational success in modern dentistry. Drawing from her experience as a chairside dental assistant and educator, Angela explains how education improves adoption of new materials, increases clinician confidence, and strengthens patient trust. The conversation explores workflow-based learning, team onboarding, restorative dentistry education, CAD/CAM evolution, clinical confidence development, and how manufacturers can become true partners rather than product suppliers. Dental owners, practice managers, hygienists, assistants, and associates will learn why consistent education directly impacts efficiency, standardization, patient communication, and long-term practice growth. In this episode, we cover: Chapters 00:00:00 Why Education Matters More Than Product Sales 00:02:38 Angela's Journey From Dental Assistant To Educator 00:06:08 The Philosophy Behind Ivoclar Education 00:12:26 Awareness Creates Clinical Confidence 00:17:48 Building Education Into Company Culture 00:22:20 Inside Ivoclar's Learning Pathways 00:25:07 Why Hands-On Training Still Matters 00:31:08 The Onboarding Challenge In Modern Dentistry 00:31:15 Using Education As A Recruiting Advantage 00:35:10 Getting Started With Ivoclar Academy About the Guest: Angela Severance serves in Training and Education for Ivoclar. Beginning her career as a chairside dental assistant, she became deeply involved in CAD/CAM technology adoption and later helped develop educational pathways for dental assistants. Today, she focuses on workflow-based clinical education, onboarding programs, and assisting practices with successful implementation of restorative technologies. Shop Dental City’s October Specials: (https://dentalcity.com/category/3846/october-specials)

"What goes in the mouth and stays in the mouth. It's not always about price. It's also about time." – Rhonda Durante In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, hosted by John Stamper and brought to you by Dental City, Rhonda Durante, Founder of DSO Connect, explains how dental practices can navigate rising operational costs, declining insurance reimbursements, and increasing supply chain complexity without sacrificing clinical outcomes. The conversation explores how manufacturers, distributors, and practice leaders can work together to deliver quality products at competitive pricing while maintaining treatment consistency. The discussion dives into product standardization, bundled purchasing programs, clinician education, continuing education opportunities, and patient take-home revenue strategies. Rhonda Durante argues that successful procurement decisions should be based on total operational value, including reduced procedure steps, manufacturer support, training resources, and patient satisfaction rather than unit price alone. In this episode, we cover: Chapters 00:00:00 Why Product Value Beats Sticker Price 00:02:03 Meet DSO Connect Founder Rhonda Durante 00:03:49 Quality Products vs House Brands 00:05:00 Rising Costs and Procurement Challenges 00:06:06 Creating Value Through Manufacturer Partnerships 00:07:24 Why Dental City Stood Out 00:09:08 The Importance of Manufacturer Feedback 00:11:15 Education, CE Credits, and Clinical Growth 00:12:34 New Revenue Opportunities Through Resale 00:13:40 What Excites Rhonda About Dentistry's Future 00:15:40 Technology, Transparency, and Vendor Relationships About the Guest: Rhonda Durante is the founder of DSO Connect and has more than 40 years in dentistry and 32 years working within the DSO space. Throughout her career she has worked as a territory representative, dealer representative, and manufacturer partner. Today she helps connect manufacturers, distributors, and dental organizations through pricing programs, education initiatives, bundled purchasing opportunities, and strategic partnerships focused on maintaining quality while controlling costs. Shop Dental City’s September Specials: (https://dentalcity.com/category/3825/september-specials)

In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, host John Stamper sits down with Dr. Ryan Walsh and Dr. Michael Miyasaki to discuss how objective ATP testing is changing the way clinicians evaluate root canal cleanliness. The conversation focuses on the Vista Apex Endocator®, a chairside diagnostic device that measures ATP levels remaining inside the canal system after instrumentation and irrigation. The guests explain how clinicians traditionally relied on technique and experience to determine whether canals were adequately disinfected. With the Endocator®, practices can obtain a cleanliness score in approximately 10 seconds, helping identify missed anatomy, residual tissue, bacterial contamination, or other procedural challenges before obturation. The result is improved clinical confidence, stronger patient communication, and potentially more predictable healing outcomes for both general practitioners and endodontists. Product Spotlight: Chairside confidence starts with consistent verification. Endocator® by Vista Apex gives your clinical team a measurable way to confirm canal cleanliness before treatment completion. Shop Vista Apex’s Endocator® here: (https://dentalcity.com/product/22792/vista-apex-endocator-chairside-device-kit?DC00022792) In this episode, we cover: Chapters 00:00:00 Why Clinicians Need Objective Endodontic Data 00:01:24 Meet Dr. Ryan Walsh & Dr. Mike Miyasaki 00:03:25 The Problem: You Can't Visually Confirm Cleanliness 00:05:28 How ATP Testing Works Chairside 00:09:10 The 80-Score Wake-Up Call 00:10:52 Real-Time Clinical Feedback in 10 Seconds 00:13:00 Communicating Objective Data to Informed Patients 00:15:55 The GP Perspective on Confidence & Case Acceptance 00:19:18 The "Hallelujah Moment" for Skeptical Clinicians 00:23:24 Easy Workflow Integration 00:26:38 Final Takeaways: From Subjective to Objective Endodontics About the Guests: Dr. Ryan Walsh - Board-certified endodontist at Advanced Endodontics of Texas, adjunct assistant professor at Texas A&M College of Dentistry, published researcher, lecturer, and member of the Journal of Endodontics Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Michael Miyasaki - General dentist, educator, clinician, and Chief Dental Officer for Vista Apex Solutions with nearly four decades of clinical experience focused on restorative dentistry, aesthetics, prevention, and practice growth.

"It's not rocket science. None of this is rocket science. All of it is based on basic human behavior." – Betsy Mitchell In this episode of Beyond the Operatory, host John Stamper sits down with leadership expert Betsy Mitchell to explore one of dentistry's biggest challenges in 2026: leading teams through constant change. From DSO integration and regulatory shifts to technology adoption and staffing shortages, dental practices face a growing number of operational pressures that require adaptive leadership rather than rigid management. The conversation focuses on practical strategies that help dental owners, office managers, hygienists, and team leaders create stability during uncertainty. Key lessons include managing ambiguity, preventing burnout, improving employee retention, building psychological safety, communicating with transparency, and creating frameworks that help teams remain resilient while dentistry continues to evolve. In this episode, we cover: Chapters 00:00:00 Why Leadership Matters During Change 00:01:07 Welcome & Episode Overview 00:02:32 DSO Integration and Practice Growth Decisions 00:05:01 Regulatory Changes Affecting Dentistry 00:07:25 Technology Overload and Innovation Fatigue 00:11:00 Leadership Versus Resistance 00:11:15 Managing Staff Shortages and Burnout 00:14:23 Employee Retention Strategies 00:15:19 Practical Change Management Frameworks 00:17:35 Celebrating Small Wins During Change 00:20:04 Why Dental City's Culture Stands Out 00:22:28 The Future of Dentistry and Innovation About the Guests: Betsy Mitchell is a leadership consultant, executive coach, and longtime advisor to dental organizations. Throughout this series, she shares expertise on culture, leadership development, organizational change, employee retention, and creating resilient teams during periods of uncertainty. Shop Dental City’s September Specials: (https://dentalcity.com/category/3825/september-specials)

In this special episode of Beyond the Operatory, host John Stamper sits down with John, Jordan, and Riley from Dental City, a dental supplies distributor, during the 2026 Dykema Conference, to discuss the realities of dental group growth, DSO expansion, manufacturer partnerships, and the infrastructure required to keep dental practices supplied with the products they need. The conversation highlights how consolidation continues to reshape the profession, creating new pressure around forecasting, inventory management, dental supply distribution, procurement, and supplier accountability. The discussion also explores Dental City's investments in robotics, warehouse automation, vertical lift technology, and scalable logistics systems that support the distribution of dental supplies and products nationwide. Leaders explain how accurate inventory positioning, real-time integrations, same-day fulfillment, and strategic manufacturer partnerships help practices—from independent offices to rapidly expanding DSOs, maintain reliable access to the dental products they depend on every day. A key takeaway is that successful growth requires operational systems that reduce chaos before scale amplifies it, supported by dependable dental supply distribution and strong manufacturer relationships. In this episode, we cover: Chapters 00:00:00 Dykema 2026 and Dental Industry Growth 00:02:02 Dental City's CEO Announcement 00:04:32 Building True Strategic Partnerships 00:04:36 Why Every DSO Is Different 00:05:47 The Reinvention of Dentistry 00:06:09 Warehouse Automation and Robotics 00:06:33 Integrating with Growing DSOs 00:07:56 Manufacturer Partnerships Explained 00:08:45 Delivering Products in Two Days 00:09:55 Inventory Forecasting Challenges 00:10:48 Scaling Without Supply Chain Chaos 00:13:06 Why Dental Leaders Should Attend Dykema About the Guests: John Mathys is the co-owner of Dental City. He’s helped guide the company's strategic investments in automation, technology integrations, and distribution infrastructure to support future growth. Jordan Lorenz is the new CEO of Dental City, focused on strategic growth, DSO partnerships, special markets, and strengthening operational integration across expanding dental organizations. Riley Berg is Dental City’s Business Development Manager. She’s a leader within Dental City's special markets initiatives, helping DSOs and group practices align goals, supplier partnerships, forecasting strategies, and scalable procurement systems. Shop Dental City’s September Specials: (https://www.dentalcity.com/category/3825/september-specials)