The Dental Economist Show

What if empathy, connection, and communication were treated as clinical skills—not soft extras? Check out Dr Larry Benz’ book at https://www.amazon.com/Called-Care-Professionals-Humanizing-Experience/dp/1544552998/ In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker speaks with Dr. Larry Benz, CEO of Dental Care Alliance and author of Called to Care for Dentistry, about the relationship between human connection, patient outcomes, provider wellbeing, and business performance. Dr. Benz brings a unique perspective shaped by more than 30 years in multi-site healthcare. A physical therapist by training, he built and scaled Confluent Health into an 800-plus clinic network before joining Dental Care Alliance’s board in 2024 and becoming CEO within a year. Larry explains the research behind Called to Care, including how provider empathy and relational connection can affect clinical outcomes, case acceptance, retention, referrals, and workplace culture. He also introduces the idea of “calcification”—the gradual emotional hardening that can cause providers to see a patient as a procedure rather than a person—and why connection is a critical antidote to burnout. The conversation also explores dental anxiety, the power of language in the operatory, and why the profession must stop allowing insurance limitations to define treatment conversations. Larry shares how DCA paired operational and cultural transformation with its recent balance-sheet restructuring, and why he believes the most important capital investment a DSO can make is in its people. Episode chapters 00:00 From physical therapy to leading Dental Care Alliance 05:41 What surprised Dr. Benz about dentistry 08:02 The research behind Called to Care 17:25 Calcification, burnout, and the importance of connection 25:21 How DSOs can protect patient-centered care 32:49 Dental anxiety, avoidance, and underdiagnosis 36:44 Why insurance should not drive the treatment conversation 38:42 Rebuilding DCA’s culture alongside its balance sheet 43:35 Why human capital is the first layer of capital allocation 50:06 The intangible measure of leadership success Connect with the team: 👉 Mike Huffaker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huffaker/ 👉 Planet DDS: https://planetdds.com/ 👉 Dr Larry Benz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lbenz/ You can also listen to our podcast here: 👉 Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/ikORx 👉 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/SMInC Want to be a guest on The Dental Economist Show? If you’re a growth-focused leader in the dental business world or someone shaping its future through technology, consulting, or innovation, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re leading a DSO, building the next generation of dental technology, or helping redefine patient care, The Dental Economist Show is where the industry’s leading voices come together to discuss what’s next.

What does it take to scale an oral surgery platform without losing sight of the patient, the referral relationship, or the people delivering care? In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker speaks with Trevor Maurer, CEO of OMS 360, about the systems, data, and partnership model shaping one of dentistry’s fastest-consolidating specialties. Trevor shares lessons from more than 30 years in multi-site healthcare, including his experience growing SmileSource from 32 practices to more than 750 independently owned locations. He explains why decentralized decision-making, aligned incentives, and support for clinicians at the point of care have remained central to his leadership approach. The conversation explores the distinct dynamics of oral surgery—from its referral-driven model to the increasing role of same-day treatment, scheduling discipline, and patient access. Trevor also breaks down the OMS 360 operating system, including standard work, time-and-motion studies, team training, and the data that helps practices reduce leakage across the patient journey. Mike and Trevor discuss how OMS 360 approaches surgeon partnerships, parent-company equity, and practice turnarounds. Trevor shares why the right partner must be growth-oriented, how systems can help doctors increase productivity without working more, and what surgeons should consider before affiliating with a larger platform. Episode chapters 00:00 From Canada to multi-site healthcare leadership 07:55 Navigating the referral-driven oral surgery model 11:08 Why the opportunity is often inside the existing patient funnel 15:26 The OMS 360 operating system and standard work 20:49 The operational gaps practices do not see 22:13 What time-and-motion studies reveal about patient and surgeon time 26:23 Finding partnership candidates who want to grow 29:42 Recovering after a practice loses 32% of its referral volume 36:38 The case for parent-company equity over local JVs 42:58 What surgeons should consider before joining a platform Connect with the team: 👉 Mike Huffaker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huffaker/ 👉 Planet DDS: https://planetdds.com/ 👉 Trevor Maurer: [email protected] You can also listen to our podcast here: 👉 Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/ikORx 👉 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/SMInC Want to be a guest on The Dental Economist Show? If you’re a growth-focused leader in the dental business world or someone shaping its future through technology, consulting, or innovation, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re leading a DSO, building the next generation of dental technology, or helping redefine patient care, The Dental Economist Show is where the industry’s leading voices come together to discuss what’s next.

What does it take to build a multi-practice dental organization that protects clinical independence, keeps doctors at the center of decision-making, and still delivers meaningful growth? In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker sits down with Dr. Adriatik Rama, Founder and CEO of American Dental Companies, to explore the doctor-led partnership model behind the organization’s growth across approximately 80 practices. Dr. Rama shares why he founded American Dental Companies after seeing the broader healthcare market shift toward consolidation—and why he believed dentistry needed a model that could modernize operations without sacrificing doctor ownership, patient care, or clinical autonomy. The conversation explores how American Dental Companies selects like-minded partners, integrates doctors into company leadership, and has historically achieved approximately 30% first-year growth for affiliated practices. Dr. Rama also explains the organization’s approach to transparent financials, clinical review, customized doctor development, and technology adoption. Mike and Dr. Rama discuss the role of private equity in the company’s next phase of growth, the importance of maintaining a debt-free practice platform, and why clinical independence and doctor profit sharing are fundamental to building a durable dental organization. Episode chapters: 00:00 From medicine to dentistry—and the appeal of independence 01:47 Why Dr. Rama founded American Dental Companies 03:41 The doctor-led model behind practice growth 07:21 Selecting partners who want to keep growing 09:11 Building community and shared decision-making among doctors 10:59 Why growth requires change, transparency, and shared systems 15:48 Bringing in private equity without taking on practice debt 21:12 How monthly clinical reviews drive excellence at scale 25:03 Helping doctors grow without working more days 31:59 Why Dr. Rama remains bullish on dentistry Connect with the team: 👉 Mike Huffaker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huffaker/ 👉 Planet DDS: https://planetdds.com/ 👉 American Dental Companies: https://www.ameridentco.com/our-team/dr-adriatik-rama-dds You can also listen to our podcast here: 👉 Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/ikORx 👉 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/SMInC Want to be a guest on The Dental Economist Show? If you’re a growth-focused leader in the dental business world or someone shaping its future through technology, consulting, or innovation, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re leading a DSO, building the next generation of dental technology, or helping redefine patient care, The Dental Economist Show is where the industry’s leading voices come together to discuss what’s next.

How do you scale a dental organisation without losing the culture, trust, and people-first approach that made it successful in the first place? In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, recorded live at Dental Forum in Fort Worth, host Mike Huffaker speaks with David Meece, founder and Executive Chairman of Pearl Street Dental Partners, and Ryan Torresan, Chief Operations and Marketing Officer at Mosaic Dental Collective, about leadership, influence, culture, and scaling change across growing DSOs. David explains why Pearl Street has focused on managing through influence rather than directives, creating an environment where doctors voluntarily adopt new technology and initiatives because they understand the value behind them. He also shares why protecting culture starts long before an acquisition is completed, with careful partner selection and a clear understanding of shared values. Ryan discusses Mosaic Dental Collective’s approach to change management as the organisation prepares to scale its technology and operations across more than 50 practices. He explains why leaders should “scale what works” rather than trying to scale individual opinions, using pilot programmes, operational standards, transparency, and data to build genuine buy-in. The conversation also explores why culture cannot simply be dictated or installed, how data and trusted relationships make technology adoption easier, and why strong implementation matters just as much as choosing the right platform. David and Ryan also reflect on the next stage of growth for their organisations, building leadership teams around complementary strengths, and keeping patient care and people at the centre of growth. Finally, they share how they continue to develop as leaders through learning, relationships, health, faith, and staying connected to the people around them. Connect with the guests: 👉 David Meece on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-meece-b9201773/ 👉 Ryan Torresan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantorresan/ Connect with the team: 👉 Mike Huffaker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huffaker/ 👉 Planet DDS: https://planetdds.com/ You can also listen to our podcast here: 👉 Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/ikORx 👉 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/SMInC Want to be a guest on The Dental Economist Show? If you’re a growth-focused leader in the dental business world or someone shaping its future through technology, consulting, or innovation, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re leading a DSO, building the next generation of dental technology, or helping redefine patient care, The Dental Economist Show is where the industry’s leading voices come together to discuss what’s next.

What does it take to build meaningful influence, lead high-performing teams, and create a career that does not come at the expense of fulfillment? In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker speaks with Julieanne O’Connor and Michael Keeter, co-founders of Influential Dental and the team behind Influence Elevée magazine, about mindset, leadership, culture, and the human side of success in dentistry. Julieanne and Michael share the origin story behind their partnership and the mission that guides their work: elevating the people who elevate others. They discuss the common traits they see in high-achieving dental leaders, including authenticity, strong systems, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace change rather than fear it. The conversation explores how leaders can sustain high performance without burning out, why achievement alone rarely creates lasting fulfillment, and the importance of focusing on the present instead of constantly chasing the next milestone. Julieanne also shares her approach to public speaking, while Michael explains why culture must be defined, lived, and connected to a purpose larger than numbers. They also discuss the launch of Influence Elevée magazine, their commitment to spotlighting the people behind dentistry, and their new initiative, Influence for Kids, which supports foster youth through awareness, experiences, and opportunity. Episode chapters 00:00 Introducing Influential Dental and Influence Elevée 04:54 The origin story behind Julieanne and Michael’s partnership 07:15 Elevating others and uncaging potential 08:16 The common traits of high-achieving dental leaders 14:22 Embracing change, AI, and sustainable high performance 21:01 Why the present moment matters more than the next achievement 27:44 Public speaking without the pressure to perform 31:43 Building a culture that people want to be part of 43:19 Why they launched a lifestyle and mindset magazine for dentistry 54:19 Influence for Kids and creating opportunity for foster youth Connect with the team: 👉 Mike Huffaker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huffaker/ 👉 Planet DDS: https://planetdds.com/ 👉 Influential Dental: https://influentialdental.com/ 👉Julieanna O’Connor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelkeeter66/ 👉Michael Keeter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelkeeter66/ You can also listen to our podcast here: 👉 Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/ikORx 👉 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/SMInC Want to be a guest on The Dental Economist Show? If you’re a growth-focused leader in the dental business world or someone shaping its future through technology, consulting, or innovation, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re leading a DSO, building the next generation of dental technology, or helping redefine patient care, The Dental Economist Show is where the industry’s leading voices come together to discuss what’s next.