Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors: A Dental Industry Debate Podcast

There are two great instincts in healthcare, and they pull in opposite directions. One says build the deepest expertise you can and trust it to make the call. The other says build systems so consistent that every patient gets the same great outcome no matter which door they walk through. Which one is dentistry actually betting on?
In this episode of Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors, Dr. Ryan Hungate, Chief Strategy and Clinical Officer at Henry Schein One, and Jen Steadman, Founder of JenSOS, flip a coin and argue opposite sides of specialization versus standardization. Then they bring in Dr. Alex Mehler, an endodontist who leads endodontic support services at Aspen Dental, to settle it.
They cover:
Why standardization has to come first for specialists to actually scale
How centralized data and PMS systems let one clinical leader support specialists across dozens of locations
The difference between standardizing methods and standardizing outcomes, and why that's harder to measure than it sounds
Where AI fits into freeing up time for real clinical judgment instead of replacing it
Why every practice, regardless of size, needs a written, living standard of care
Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors is a debate-format series from Dental TeX-ray, Henry Schein One's dental technology and industry podcast.
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

For 15 years, growing a dental group meant one thing: acquire. Cheap money and plentiful sellers made it the default playbook. That math has changed, and the tools to build a practice from nothing have never been better. So which is the smarter way to grow a DSO in 2026, acquisitions or de novo?
In this episode of Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors, Dr. Ryan Hungate, Chief Strategy and Clinical Officer at Henry Schein One, and Ali Hyatt, Chief Commercial Officer, flip a coin and argue opposite sides of the debate. Then they bring in Anna Timmerman, a transactional healthcare partner at McGuireWoods who structures DSO and MSO deals for a living, to settle it.
They cover:
Why acquisitions still cash-flow better than de novo growth, and what that actually costs a balance sheet
The billing, coding, and regulatory surprises that blow up deals in diligence
Why provider and staff retention, not revenue, is the risk buyers most underestimate
How some of the biggest names in dental are running acquisitions and de novo growth at the same time
Disclaimer: nothing in this episode is legal advice. State laws vary and every deal is different, this is a conversation to bring to your own counsel.
Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors is a debate-format series from Dental TeX-ray, Henry Schein One's dental technology and industry podcast.
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

In this episode of Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors, host Dr. Ryan Hungate goes head to head with Zach Shelley, President of Zero Dental Billing, to debate one of leadership's oldest questions: is a hands-on, controlling leader the last line of defense against a drifting culture, or does real growth only happen once you let go?
The episode covers:
The dinosaur position: why some of the best run organizations, including several DSOs, operate on what Ryan calls "benevolent dictatorship," and why he's seen leaders get burned by letting go of control too early
The disruptor position: why Zach argues empowerment isn't the same as free reign, and why teams that feel micromanaged either shut down or walk out the door
Where it lands: judge Evelyn, Chief Operating Officer of Children's Dental Fun Zone, breaks down the 80/20 rule she uses to run more than 20 locations and 600 staff members without losing control or culture
Evelyn is Chief Operating Officer of Children's Dental Fun Zone, a multi-location pediatric dental group.
Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors is a dental industry podcast by Henry Schein One.
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

In this episode of Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors, recorded live at Dykema, host Dr. Ryan Hungate debates Eric Morin, founder of Tower Leadership and author of Dental Wealth, over one of the highest-stakes decisions a dentist ever makes: take the full cash buyout and walk away clean, or roll some equity back in for a second bite of the apple.
The episode covers:
The dinosaur position: why a 100% cash exit may be the most disciplined deal a doctor can make, and why some rolled-equity deals evaporated when platforms got over-leveraged
The disruptor position: why stripping a doctor's equity can strip their entrepreneurial drive, and why the JV model has grown more sophisticated since 2022
Where it lands: judge Dr. Rick Workman, founder and chairman of Heartland Dental, breaks down why Heartland doesn't do JVs at all, and what he tells doctors trying to decide between the two paths
Dr. Rick Workman is founder and chairman of Heartland Dental, the largest dental support organization in the United States.
Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors is a dental industry podcast by Henry Schein One. This episode is for informational purposes only and isn't financial, tax, or legal advice. Every deal and every doctor's situation is different, talk to your own attorney and CPA before making any decisions.
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

Recorded live at the Dykema DSO conference 2026, in a room built for the industry's biggest consolidators, this episode of Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors puts host Dr. Ryan Hungate up against Brian Colao, Director of Dykema's DSO Industry Group and founder of the conference, to debate one of dentistry's biggest questions: is the industry headed toward DSO dominated consolidation, or will the independent practice keep thriving?  A coin flip decides who argues which side. Neither host knew his assignment until the mic was live.  The episode covers: 
The dinosaur position: only a licensed dentist can practice dentistry, and a new generation of doctors is prioritizing autonomy and lifestyle over scale and efficiency
The disruptor position: most dentists were never trained to run a business, and DSOs can remove the operational burden of claims, HR, and marketing that has nothing to do with clinical care
Where it lands: friction, not ideology, is the real driver of consolidation, and incentive alignment separates the DSOs that are thriving from the ones that are struggling
Dr. Greg White, President and CEO of PepperPointe Partnerships and a nearly 30-year practicing orthodontist, joins as judge.  Vote in the live poll and find out next episode whether the room's verdict, cast by an audience of professional consolidators, matches where the rest of the industry actually lands.  Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors is a dental industry debate podcast by Henry Schein One. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

In this episode of Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors, host Dr. Ryan Hungate and returning guest-turned-cohost Zach Shelley debate one of the hottest topics in healthcare today: is AI actually transforming dental practices, or is it just hype?
The episode covers:
The dinosaur position: patient trust and the human touch still matter most, and automation can't replace real chairside connection
The disruptor position: AI-powered imaging, radiograph analysis, and automation are genuinely improving efficiency, team happiness, and even treatment acceptance
Where both sides land: the technology itself usually isn't the problem — poor implementation is, and leadership buy-in makes or breaks a successful rollout
Special guest Jennifer Steadman joins to share real-world insights on onboarding AI into a dental practice without losing the personal touch patients expect.
Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors is a dental practice podcast by Henry Schein One.
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

In this episode of Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors, host Dr. Ryan Hungate and Barbie Elmore, Director of Product, Revenue Cycle Management at Henry Schein One, debate one of dentistry's most polarizing financial decisions: should you pass the 3% credit card processing fee to your patients, or absorb it as a cost of doing business?
The episode covers:
The dinosaur position: patient trust is worth more than the 3%, and surcharging can quietly erode goodwill and reviews
The disruptor position: that 3% adds up to real money, and it's revenue being left on the table
What both sides agree on: know your payor mix first, fix your front desk and billing accuracy before adding a surcharge, and make sure your payment processor is actually integrated with your practice management software
Practice management consultant Jill Nesbitt of Optimized Dental joins as the expert referee, bringing real stories from hundreds of practices and a clear framework for who should — and shouldn't — consider surcharging.
Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors is a dental practice podcast by Henry Schein One.
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

 
In this episode of Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors, Dr. Ryan Hungate and Barbie Elmore, Senior Director of Product Management at Henry Schein One, debate one of the biggest operational headaches in dentistry: dental RCM, insurance verification, and whether AI can finally reduce the burden on front-office teams.
 
Joined by Zach Shelley, President of Zero Dental Billing, the conversation explores why payor data is still inconsistent, why insurance verification often still requires a human touch, and where technology, automation, outsourcing, and AI agents may fit into the future of revenue cycle management.
 
The episode covers:
Why dental insurance verification still depends on manual calls in many practices
Where AI and automation can help — and where they still fall short
How better data, payer accountability, and smarter workflows could improve patient experience and practice efficiency
And if you tuned in last week, the results are in: Disruptors win the debate on AI in the dental office.
Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors is a dental industry debate podcast by Henry Schein One.
 

In this episode of Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors, host Dr. Ryan Hungate brings together Marty Kearns and AI expert Dr. Kristin Johnson to debate whether artificial intelligence in the dental office represents a revolutionary tool for efficiency or an unnecessary risk to patient care and the human touch.
The episode covers:
The dinosaur position: Marty argues that AI introduces significant risks, including front-office job displacement, overreliance on automation, and a critical loss of human connection in dentistry.
The disruptor position: The conversation champions AI as an essential solution to eliminate front-office burnout, improve patient experiences, and usher in a "golden age" of dentistry through deep personalization and preventative care.
What both sides agree on / key takeaway: While navigating AI ethics and HIPAA concerns is a shared challenge, teams can successfully start experimenting with AI without feeling overwhelmed by focusing on practical, low-risk implementation.
Marty Kearns brings his seasoned perspective to defend traditional practice workflows as the Executive Director of RCM Business Development at Henry Schein One, while Dr. Kristin Johnson, Leader, US Public Sector Strategic Engagement Teams at AWS, leverages her deep technical expertise to break down the future of AI, AGI, and artificial superintelligence in healthcare.
 
Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors is a dental practice podcast by Henry Schein One.
 
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

Healthcare is entering a new era — and not everyone will survive the shift. Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors brings together the industry’s sharpest minds across healthcare, technology, and business to challenge assumptions, debate what’s next, and expose the forces redefining the market in real time. Hosted by Dr. Ryan Hungate, each episode delivers bold perspectives, hard truths, and practical insight for leaders navigating constant disruption. Brace for impact.