The Technology Evangelist Podcast

What happens when the dental career you worked so hard to build turns out not to be the one that makes you happiest? For Dr. Lauren Yasuda Rainey, the answer was discovering that there are many ways to make a meaningful impact in dentistry beyond owning a private practice. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke welcomes Dr. Rainey for an honest conversation about dental practice ownership, career transitions, mentorship, dental education, and finding fulfillment in a profession that demands so much from its practitioners.

After more than a decade in clinical dentistry, including owning and operating her own fee-for-service private practice in the Bay Area, Dr. Rainey made the decision to sell her practice and pursue a different balance between patient care and dental education. She shares the challenges of practice ownership, from navigating the COVID-19 pandemic to managing the countless responsibilities that come with running a dental business, and explains how recognizing what wasn't bringing her joy helped her discover new opportunities within the profession.

Dr. Rainey and Dr. Flucke also explore the importance of mentorship, executive coaching, and building a supportive professional community. They discuss why dentists shouldn't feel limited to private practice ownership, how dental educators can multiply their impact beyond the patients they personally treat, and why maintaining clinical standards and following established protocols are essential to delivering consistent results. The conversation also touches on the pressures dentists face, the relationship between professional identity and personal fulfillment, and the value of learning from mistakes rather than facing them alone.

Whether you're a dental student exploring your future, a clinician navigating the challenges of practice ownership, or an experienced dentist considering a new direction, this episode offers a valuable reminder: there is more than one way to build a rewarding career in dentistry.

To connect with Dr. Lauren Yasuda Rainey, find her on Instagram at @rainydds or visit her website at laurenrainey.com.

Dental video education does not require a studio, a camera crew, or a Hollywood budget — and nobody makes that case more convincingly than Adam Barragato. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke welcomes the Director of Marketing and Customer Experience at Bien-Air for a conversation about authentic learning, the flipped classroom, how a $100 camera can outperform a $75,000 production setup, and why every dentist is already an educator, whether they know it or not.

Adam Barragato has spent a career making the case that the best dental video education is not expensive, complicated, or polished — it is authentic, short, and made by someone who genuinely cares whether the learner understands. Whether you are a dental student trying to get more hands-on time, a faculty member wondering whether video could help your students engage, or a practicing clinician who has thought about communicating more with patients but does not know where to start, his perspective is worth an hour of your time. To connect with Adam or learn more about Bien-Air’s educational programs, visit https://www.bienair.com/ or reach out to him directly on LinkedIn.

Dental business strategy looks very different when it comes from someone who has been inside both the treatment room and the boardroom — and Dr. Jen Derse has spent more than twenty years in both. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke sits down with the co-founder of Espire Dental, former Chief Clinical Director, and founder of Derse Dental Strategy for a wide-ranging conversation about practice culture, team leadership, technology adoption, the psychology of patient care, and what it actually takes to help good dentists become great practice owners. This episode is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, the proud sponsor making this podcast possible.

Dr. Jen Derse has spent two decades building practices, leading teams, and watching what separates the offices that thrive from the ones that stall — and her conclusion is that the answer is almost never clinical. It is cultural, communicative, and strategic. Whether you are a practice owner trying to scale, a clinician who wants to lead better, or a team member who wants to understand why some offices feel fundamentally different from others, her work is worth following. To learn more about Derse Dental Strategy or explore coaching options, visit https://www.dersedentalstrategy.com/ or find her on Instagram at @jenderse_dds.

AI dental phone automation is no longer a futuristic concept — it is a working product being built by a team of college students who grew up inside dental practices and decided to solve the problem from the inside out. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke welcomes the founding team of Kairos Health: co-founders Adhira Tippur and Tanush Chintala, Head of Growth Sanjana Kavula, and Head of Production Aditya Jain, for a conversation about what it actually looks like to build a healthcare AI startup from scratch, why the dental front desk is the most overlooked relationship asset in the practice, and how Kairos is quietly handling calls, scheduling appointments, and verifying insurance — invisibly, around the clock — for dental offices that have better things to do. This episode is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, the proud sponsor making this podcast possible.

AI dental crown design has finally reached the point where a busy clinician — or a trained staff member — can go from intraoral scan to printable STL file in a matter of minutes, with no engineering background required. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke sits down with Hakwan Kim, EVP of Imagoworks and head of its U.S. corporation, to talk about DentBird — the cloud-based, AI-powered CAD platform that is bringing same-appointment crown design within reach of dental offices and labs worldwide. This episode is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, the proud sponsor making this podcast possible.

AI dental crown design has crossed the threshold from promising concept to practical clinical tool — and DentBird is one of the clearest examples of what that looks like in practice. Whether you are a clinician looking to bring same-appointment crown delivery into your office, a team member tasked with learning a new design workflow, or a lab seeking a faster path through high-volume single-unit cases, DentBird is worth exploring. To create a free account and start designing, visit https://www.dentbird.com/.

Dental materials research is the engine behind every clinical decision a dentist makes — and no one translates that science into practical, clinician-friendly knowledge more effectively than Dr. Nate Lawson. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke sits down with the Director of the Division of Biomaterials at the UAB School of Dentistry for a wide-ranging conversation about how research actually gets done, why marketing claims and lab data don’t always align, where 3D printed zirconia is headed, and what the future of dental prevention might look like. This episode is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, the proud sponsor making this podcast possible.

Dr. Nate Lawson has built one of the most productive and practically oriented dental materials research programs in the country, and he does it while still seeing patients and teaching dental students who will carry those material science principles into their own careers. For clinicians who want to understand the science behind the materials they use every day — or for dental students looking for a more rigorous foundation than what they got in school — his work is essential reading and listening. Visit https://www.drnatelawson.com/ for his speaking schedule and resources, or follow him on Instagram at @dental_tubules.

Oral cancer screening saves lives — and no one makes that case with more passion, clinical depth, or hard-won personal experience than Deborah Zafiropoulos, RDH. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke welcomes the founder of the OralED Institute and the National Cancer Network nonprofit for a conversation that ranges from the origin of her dental hygiene career to stage four diagnoses that changed her forever, the truth about HPV, and why the dental hygiene chair may be the most underutilized seat in all of healthcare. This episode is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, the proud sponsor making this podcast possible.

Dental practice AI automation may be the single most powerful tool available to independent dentists who want to stay independent — and the man who built it arrived in the United States with $85 in his pocket. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke sits down with Dr. Vajahat Yar Khan, board-certified pediatric dentist, owner of twelve Houston-area practices, and founder of DentTrack — an autonomous, AI-driven business management platform built on top of existing practice management software that handles the operational and financial work most dentists never had time for. This conversation is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, the proud sponsor making this podcast possible.

Noninvasive cavity treatment has finally arrived — and the two Swiss dentist sisters who built a global movement around it are here to explain why it changes everything. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke welcomes Dr. Haley Abivardi and Dr. Goly Abivardi, co-founders of vVardis and the innovators behind Curodont, the world’s first biomimetic restorative treatment for early-stage cavities. Joining from Switzerland, the sisters share the full story of how 28 years of pediatric dental practice, a frustrating treatment gap, and a bold decision to bet everything on a single technology led to a product now used in 20% of U.S. dental offices and on over three million teeth. This conversation is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, the proud sponsor making this podcast possible.

Dental venture capital barely existed as a category six years ago — and Dr. Jeremy Krell built the infrastructure to change that. On this milestone 50th episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke sits down with the founder of Revere Partners, the first independent venture capital fund dedicated exclusively to oral health, to talk about how dental startups get funded, what investors look for, how dentist-entrepreneurs can get involved, and why the dental industry’s insularity has historically been both its greatest weakness and its greatest untapped opportunity. This episode is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, the proud sponsor making this podcast possible.

Dr. Ahmad Al-Hassiny Dentist, Global Educator Director of the Institute of Digital Dentistry Dr. Ahmad is the founder and director of the Institute of Digital Dentistry (iDD) and a pioneering force in the field. Dr Ahmad Al-Hassiny is recognized globally as a leader in digital dentistry, intraoral scanners, and 3D printing, carrying out lectures as a KOL for multiple leading companies. He is one of the few in the world who owns and has tested all mainstream scanners and CAD/CAM systems in his clinic. He is a driven and passionate full-time dentist from New Zealand. After graduating from the University of Otago with First Class Honours, Dr Ahmad has worked alongside his father in Wellington, NZ, where they run 39 dental chairs and a digital dental lab. Dr. Ahmad is passionate about education, which is why he started the Institute of Digital Dentistry, a world-leading digital dentistry education provider recognized globally in the CPD/CE space. iDD offers live courses, masterclasses, and an online training platform to ensure that dentists worldwide have easy and affordable access to the best digital dentistry training possible. Dr Ahmad understands the benefits of digital dentistry and how this can positively change daily dental practice. He has carried out many aspects of complex digital dentistry, including CAD/CAM full mouth rehabilitation, digital smile design, and full arch implant treatment, all done in-house. Dr Ahmad helps empower clinicians to bring their practice and procedures into the digital age, which enables them to reap the many benefits of CADCAM and digital dentistry.

Dental technology journalism has had no greater champion over the past three decades than Dr. Paul Feuerstein — and this episode is a master class in how passion, persistence, and a willingness to tinker can shape an entire profession’s relationship with technology. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke sits down with his longtime friend, collaborator, and fellow internet pioneer to trace a journey that runs from Sputnik-era IQ testing and punch-card computing to the editor-in-chief chair at Dentistry Today, the industry’s leading trade journal. This episode is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, the proud sponsor making this podcast possible.

Dental practice management looks very different from the inside of a career that has survived a major office fire, embezzlement, a lost lease, a robbery at gunpoint, and over two dozen associate relationships — and Dr. Bill Simon has been through all of it. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke sits down with the Chicago-based practitioner, organized dentistry leader, and passionate mentor to explore what four decades of hard-won experience actually looks like in practice. This conversation is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, the proud sponsor making this podcast possible.

Dr. Bill Simon’s career is a masterclass in dental practice management under real-world pressure — not the idealized version taught in dental school, but the version that includes fires, legal complications, betrayal by trusted team members, and the slow, disciplined work of building a culture that can survive all of it. If you are a dental student, an early-career associate, or a seasoned owner looking for a peer who has genuinely seen it all, he is worth reaching out to. Visit https://www.drbillsimon.com/ to learn more about his speaking topics and mentorship availability, or contact him directly at bill@doctorbillsimon.com.

Oral systemic connection research is reshaping what it means to be a dentist — and few people are better positioned to explain why than Dr. Ed Zuckerberg. Returning as the first repeat guest in the history of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, Dr. Zuckerberg joins host Dr. John Flucke for a deep dive into gingipains, salivary diagnostics, emerging periodontal therapies, and the venture capital landscape driving oral health innovation forward. This conversation is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, the proud sponsor making this podcast possible.

CBCT guided implant surgery has reshaped what’s possible for general dentists placing implants — and Dr. August de Oliveira has been at the center of that transformation from the very beginning. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke welcomes the published author, software developer, and recognized pioneer in CBCT-guided surgery for a wide-ranging conversation about implants, 3D printing, CAD/CAM dentistry, and where artificial intelligence is heading next. This episode is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, proud sponsor of this podcast.

Dental 3D printing started as a hobby for Dr. Andrew Ip — and turned into a global movement he now helps lead. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke sits down with the Sydney-based general dentist, multi-brand KOL, and internationally recognized 3D printing educator to talk about how this technology has evolved from a novelty into an essential clinical tool. From solid models to surgical guides to cosmetic mock-ups, Dr. Ip offers a rare combination of hands-on experience with over 42 different printers and a genuine educator’s commitment to making dental 3D printing accessible to every practice, everywhere. This episode is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, proud sponsor of this podcast and distributor of the Rodin line of 3D printing resins from Pac-Dent.

Dr. Andrew Ip represents exactly the kind of practitioner who makes dental 3D printing better for everyone — someone who pushes the technology to its limits, shares what he learns without holding anything back, and shows up in Singapore one week and Chicago the next to make sure the knowledge spreads. Whether you have never touched a 3D printer or already own several, his perspective is worth following. To explore his unbiased printer reviews and access free design workflow tutorials, visit ai3dprinting.com.au.

Dental executive coaching is one of the most underutilized tools available to practice owners, associates, and dental business leaders — and Thomas Passalacqua is on a mission to change that. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke sits down with the ICF-certified executive coach and founder of Ascend Professional Pathways to explore how clarity, self-awareness, and strategic reflection can unlock the kind of growth that consulting alone rarely delivers. This conversation is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, the proud sponsor making this podcast possible.

Whether you are a practice owner struggling to gain traction on a long-term goal, a young associate trying to figure out your next move, or a dental professional who has never considered dental executive coaching but keeps hitting the same ceiling, Thomas Passalacqua offers a refreshingly human-centered approach to getting unstuck. To learn more, explore his programs, or request a copy of his e-book, visit Ascend Professional Pathways.

Composite veneer technology has transformed what general dentists can deliver for patients — and few clinicians know that story better than Dr. Adam Hodges. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke sits down with Dr. Hodges, a Solventum KOL, Dental Advisor clinical ambassador, and 24-year veteran of a family dental practice in Asheville, North Carolina, to talk about how digital workflows are making composite veneers more predictable, more profitable, and more accessible than ever. This conversation is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, whose support makes this podcast possible.

Dr. Adam Hodges brings a rare combination of clinical depth, industry involvement, and genuine enthusiasm for the future of dentistry to every conversation. Whether you are a new graduate trying to figure out where composite veneer technology fits in your practice, or an experienced dentist looking to revisit a procedure you have been avoiding, his insights offer a practical and encouraging roadmap. To explore the independent clinical research and product evaluations that inform his decision-making, visit Dental Advisor.

Dental career expansion is no longer a distant dream for clinicians feeling stuck, burned out, or underutilized — and Dr. Namrata Upadhyay is building the infrastructure to make it a reality. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke sits down with the dental surgeon turned MedTech executive to explore how clinicians can bridge the gap between clinical practice and the medical device industry. Brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, this conversation covers Dr. Upadhyay’s remarkable global journey, the founding of FreeDen®, and her AGD PACE-recognized training program designed to empower dentists and hygienists to thrive beyond the operatory.

The conversation also expands into broader topics including leadership, staffing issues in dental practices, corporate dentistry, education, entrepreneurship, and the future of the profession. Farran repeatedly stresses that successful dentists are not necessarily the most technically advanced, but the ones who build trust, communicate well, and create strong office cultures. He encourages dentists to adapt to technological change instead of fearing it, comparing AI’s rise to previous transformative inventions that initially caused panic but ultimately expanded industries and opportunities.

Key Takeaways

• AI is expected to automate mundane dental tasks, not replace dentists entirely.
• Human connection and patient communication will become more important as technology advances.
• Radiology and diagnostics already show how AI can increase efficiency while creating more opportunities for specialists.
• Strong staff culture and low employee turnover are more important than constantly buying expensive technology.
• Dentistry is fundamentally a relationship business built on trust.
• Dentists who embrace change and adapt early will likely benefit most from AI advancements.
• Corporate dentistry and DSOs were discussed as a response to operational and staffing challenges.
• Farran emphasizes entrepreneurship, leadership, and communication skills as critical for long-term success.
• Technology should support better patient care, not remove the human aspect of dentistry.
• Fear surrounding AI mirrors historical fears around previous technological revolutions that ultimately improved productivity and growth.