Open Wide Podcast

Episode 9 - Dental Care Trends and Aetna's Entry

In this conversation, Scott and Jinesh discuss their impressions of the Dykema Conference and the importance of culture and leadership in the DSO space. They also review several news articles, including one about the overwhelming support for Medicare dental coverage, the increase in the number of dentist graduates, the decline in dental hygienist and assistant graduates, the expansion of dental therapy in certain states, and Aetna's launch of a virtual dental care subsidiary. Overall, the conversation highlights the need for improved access to dental care and the evolving landscape of the dental industry.
 
00:00 Dykema Recap and vibe shift in DSO world
05:46 Jinesh and Scott company updates
10:45 Bipartisan support for dental inclusion in Medicare
13:55 Dentist graduate numbers up, hygienist and assistant numbers down
17:56 Dental Therapists improve access to care
25:40 Aetna's Virtual Dental Care Launch
32:44 New Chapter

Episode 8 - Conversation with Ryan Hungate | The Simplifeye Journey

In this episode Scott and Jinesh interview Dr Ryan Hungate about his journey with Simplifeye. Ryan details the good, the bad, and the ugly of his entrepreneurial journey. He then shares about his current role at Henry Schein One.
 
0:00 Introducing Ryan Hungate
5:18 From Apple to Ortho
14:26 Restless in School
15:52 Startup Bug Bites
27:20 Simplifeye Evolution
34:51 Investor Relations
41:03 Sh!t Hits The Fan
49:12 Staying Through the Sale
56:54 Henry Schein One explained
1:07:21 Interview Recap

Episode 7 - Hiring Challenges, Consolidation Scrutiny, and DSO Variability

In this episode we dive into hiring challenges generally, and challenges with Gen Z dentists specifically. We then discuss the implications of the FTC suing a Texas anesthesiology group for anti-competitive behavior, and wrap with a nuanced discussion about current consolidation in dental, and the current diversity of groups within the DSO space.
 
0:00 Introduction and recap of the Dental Compact
5:58 Hiring challenges in dental and in general
16:41 Challenges with Gen Z dentists
26:38 FTC targets healthcare rollups
36:00 DSOs are not all the same

Episode 6 - UptimeHealth and Dental Whale

Uptime Health acquired Dental Whale, a company that aimed to be a one-stop solution for dental practices
Dental Whale had multiple offerings, including equipment sales, service technicians, training and education, practice transitions, and a dental savings network
Uptime Health acquired Dental Whale's network of service technicians, who are independent contractors or franchisees
The acquisition allows Uptime Health to ensure quality control and provide high-quality service to dental practices Uptime Health acquired Dental Whale and is repurposing its components to fit within the Uptime Health framework.
The acquisition of Dental Fix allows Uptime Health to improve its service network and support its clients and manufacturing partners.
Uptime Health is building a vocational school for dental equipment repair technicians in partnership with an existing school that specializes in medical equipment repair.
The Front Office Rocks tool, acquired from Dental Whale, provides training for front desk individuals in dental practices.
Uptime Health aims to be a surge resource for distributors and manufacturers, providing service support and data to help them improve their products and inventory management.
Rumors and misconceptions surrounding the acquisition include Uptime Health becoming competitive with distributors and manufacturers, which is not the case.
Uptime Health is focused on improving the service and maintenance of dental equipment and providing valuable data to the industry.
Chapters
 
08:15 Challenges and Feedback on ADSO Conference
24:16 Uptime Health's Acquisition of Dental Whale
26:23 Dental Whale's Offerings and Challenges
45:31 Addressing Rumors and Misconceptions
53:52 Being a Surge Resource for Distributors and Manufacturers

Episode 5 - Startup Scrappiness

Dr. Scott Drucker and Jinesh Patel discuss work-life balance and startup scrappiness. They then review articles that discuss Maryland dental scholarships and dental stats in the US, and conclude with reflections on their conversation with Nick at Candid. 
 
0:00 Work-life balance and scrappiness
33:06 Maryland dental scholarships
38:06 Dental stats in the US
47:29 Reflections on chat with Nick at Candid

Episode 4 - Conversation with Nick Greenfield | Candid Aligns with Dentists

Dr. Scott Drucker and Jinesh Patel discuss dental conference conflicts and the economic impact of oral health. They then interview Nick Greenfield - the Founder and CEO of Candid.
0:00 Introduction
2:29 DSO Conference Conflicts
12:45 The Economic Impact of Oral Health
20:38 Interview with Nick Greenfield of Candid

Episode 3 - Hard Truths of Founding a Startup | A Behind-the-Scenes Perspective

Dr. Scott Drucker and Jinesh Patel discuss the crazy journey of being a startup founder, and give a behind-the-scenes peek into their own experiences.
 
0:00 Introduction - Founding a Startup
2:45 Fundraising - Behind the Scenes and Addressing Misconceptions
22:45 Solo Founder vs Co-founders
27:37 Building an MVP and Challenges of Hiring
34:33 Impact of Geography on a Startup
39:40 The Rollercoaster of Being a Founder
49:40 Reflections

Episode 2 - Data Breaches and Other News

Dr. Scott Drucker and Jinesh Patel discuss a few recent news topics, including data breaches, regulation of DIY dentistry, and dental license portability. 
0:00 Data Breaches in Dental
8:12 Regulation of DIY Dentistry and Teledentistry
14:15 License Portability in Dentistry