Episodes
Episode 223: Dr. Farokh Jiveh
Why You’re Still Trapped by Insurance
Most dentists think insurance companies are the reason they’re stuck. Dr. Farokh Jiveh believes the real problem is mindset, leadership, and the stories dentists tell themselves. In this episode, Gary Bird sits down with Dr. Jiveh to discuss how he built a thriving fee-for-service practice after leaving insurance roughly 17 years ago. They cover self-worth, patient communication, leadership, personal growth, and the habits that separate thriving practice owners from stressed and overwhelmed dentists.
Episode 222: Dr. Richard Low
He Built a 35-Office DSO and Lost Himself
Most dentists think success will solve their problems. For Dr. Richard Low, building a rapidly growing DSO and leading 30 offices in just two years revealed a different reality. In this episode, Gary Bird sits down with Dr. Richard Low to discuss burnout, entrepreneurship, mental health, marriage, fatherhood, fitness, and the hidden cost of chasing professional success. You’ll learn the frameworks he uses to prioritize health, build accountability, manage competing responsibilities, and create a life that doesn’t revolve entirely around dentistry.
Episode 221: Blake Peay
Why Dentists Can’t Hire Great Staff
Most dentists think new patient growth is their biggest problem. It’s not. The real bottleneck is hiring and retaining great staff fast enough to support growth. In this episode, Gary Bird and Blake Peay break down why elite candidates disappear within 48 hours, how bad hiring systems quietly kill practice momentum, and the exact recruiting strategies top practices use to build a destination culture.
Special Episode: 5th Year Anniversary
Industry Impact: 5 Years of Dental Marketing Theory
Five years of Dental Marketing Theory, a Podcast by Gary Bird. Hundreds of episodes. And a few conversations that actually changed how people think about building a practice. This anniversary episode goes back into the archive and pulls the moments that mattered most. Not tips or tactics, shifts. The kind of clarity that hits you and you think, now I see it differently.
Episode 220: September Event
Why “Scaling Without Exposure” Is the New Mandate for DSOs
AI is transforming dentistry, but most practices are adopting new tools without understanding the compliance risks. Gary Bird sits down with Linda Harvey, CEO of the Dental Compliance Institute, and Dee Fischer to explain how to evaluate AI vendors, protect patient data, and build safeguards before AI creates costly legal problems.
Episode 219: Elite Dental Podcast
He Built a $6M Dental Empire Differently
Most dentists can barely scale one office without chaos. In this episode, Gary Bird talks with Dr. Tommy Dooley and Dr. Alex Silvia from the Elite Dental Podcast about how they built a $6M multi-location dental empire while generating 170 new patients per month through smarter systems, recurring patient growth, and operational discipline. You’ll learn dental marketing, phone conversion, Google reviews, SEO, AI scheduling, and practice management strategies that help growing practices scale without losing culture or profitability.
Episode 218: "Dr. Sean"
I Sold My Dental Practice to a DSO. Here’s What They Don’t Tell You
Dentists assume that once they earn out, they get paid, but that’s not always how DSOs play it. In this episode, Gary Bird sits down with an anonymous dentist (protected by NDA) who built a $3.5M practice over 25 years, sold at a 6.5 – 7x multiple, completed his full earn-out, and then spent over a year fighting to collect the $2M he was owed. He breaks down exactly what went wrong, what he’d demand from a DSO before signing, and why he’d buy his practice back today if he could.
Special Episode: Dr. Richard Low & Dr. Shane Wingler
From 1.2M to 3.7M: How Dr. Shane Scaled His Practice & Life
Most dentists think they have a marketing problem. In reality, their biggest bottleneck is usually leadership, operations, scheduling, or team execution. In this episode, Gary Bird, Dr. Shane Wingler, and Richard Low break down how one practice grew from approximately $1.2M to over $3M while increasing new patients from 30 to nearly 90 per month. You’ll learn how to identify the real constraint in your practice, improve phone conversion, use AI the right way, build scalable systems, and create sustainable growth without sacrificing your family or health.
Episode 217: Adrian Lefler
Why Your Practice is Losing $100K a Year
Dental practices are losing as much as $100,000 a year without even noticing. With 30–35% of calls going unanswered and most patients never leaving a voicemail, every missed call is a missed opportunity. What seems like a simple front desk problem is actually a deeper system breakdown, one that’s draining marketing budgets and limiting growth.
Episode 216: Eddie Coleman
How AI Is Changing the Business of Dentistry
In this episode of Dental Marketing Theory, Gary Bird and Eddie Coleman discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming dental practice management, including legal decision support, hiring and onboarding associates, team training, practice transitions, and selling to DSOs vs private buyers. Learn how AI tools for dentists can reduce decision fatigue, improve dental office systems, support business strategy, and help practice owners make smarter financial and operational decisions. This episode explores the future of AI in dentistry, the growth of dental practices, and how dentists can use AI to run more efficient, profitable practices.
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