Open Wide Podcast

Scott and Jinesh chat with Ophir Tanz, founder of Pearl, about all things dental AI. They discuss Ophir's background, why the AI opportunity in dental specifically makes sense, and get in the weeds on Pearl's philosophy and approach to tackling the challenge. Ophir shares his perspective on partnerships, integrations, the regulatory environment, go-to-market, and the future of Pearl. 
1:28 Introducing Ophir Tanz
8:35 Why AI in dental made sense
12:24 Training data
16:34 Types of AI and benefits of AI (in dental)
22:58 Integrations and partnerships
30:39 Regulatory approvals
35:15 Going global
46:40 Pearl's future

Scott and Jinesh chat with pediatric dentist Dr. Ashley Lerman about her journey founding and growing Firstgrin. Ashley shares insights on her go-to-market strategy and partnerships, as well as lots of advice for parents with young children. She breaks down the importance of early dental visits, and the cost of delaying a child's first trip to the dentist.
0:44 Introducing Ahsley Lerman
6:20 Launching Firstgrin
17:10 Go-to-market strategy
24:23 Growth and partnerships
28:54 Fluoride recommendations
33:16 Advice from a pediatric dentist
39:05 Cost of delaying a child's dental care
41:07 Dental referrals and founder support

Scott and Jinesh discuss some of the highlights of the letter the ADA sent to President Donald Trump just before he took office for his second term.
 
3:50 Introducing ADA letter to Trump
6:57 Opioid monitoring, Fluoride, and Government Subsidized Dental Coverage
11:59 Medical-dental integration, practice technologies
16:17 Education and Defense
20:04 Environment Protection
22:37 Flex-spending
26:29 Rescinding expansion of nondiscrimination protections
 

Scott and Jinesh chat about the Yankee Dental Conference and recap the recent Dental Post survey. They also discuss the latest journal article assessing efficacy of various pain relievers, and wrap up with a discussion about the Dental Economics article about AI use in the dental world.  
 
1:27 Jinesh preps for Yankee Dental Conference
5:24 Dental Post survey results
18:37 Pain relievers study
28:19 AI report in Dental Economics

Scott and Jinesh chat with Eric Shirley, current President of Keystone Industries and former President of Patterson. Eric shares his personal experience running both manufacturers and distributors in the dental space, and the dynamics between those two parties.  Eric also weighs in on the Patterson acquisition, and opines on the impact it may have on the dental industry as a whole. 
 
2:44 Introducing Eric Shirley
6:16 How Eric ended up in dental
11:36 Buy/Get deals in dental
14:42 The dynamic between manufacturers and distributors
27:40 Eric's thoughts on the Patterson deal
39:49 Equipment manufacturing and service
50:34 Printing the future at Keystone Industries 
59:40 Tariffs and Made in the USA

Recorded during holiday season 2024, Scott and Jinesh chat about the seasonality of selling to dentists, and about how to manage team coverage over the holidays. They also discuss the right timing for company expansion internationally and into other healthcare verticals, and reflect on fundraise timing and luck.
 
2:46 Seasonality of selling to dentists
14:07 Coordinating team schedules
16:10 Timing for a startup's market and/or geographic expansion 
25:08 TAM, SAM, and SOM
28:07 Fundraising timing and cadence

Scott and Jinesh discuss the recent ADA announcement that they have made an investment into the company Pearl via their Innovation Advisory committee. They chat about the optics of the ADA making select investments, and they dissect key details included in the publicly available press releases. 

Scott and Jinesh react to the news of Patterson (PDCO) entering into a definitive agreement to be acquired and taken private. They discuss the terms of the deal itself, speculate on where a competing offer might come from, and opine on what this means for the dental industry moving forward.