The Bryan Laskin Podcast

Spreadsheets can lie. Patients can't feel technical or clinical excellence. Healthcare is not complicated. These are just a few of the truth bombshells I unpack in this episode of The Bryan Laskin Podcast. Whether you're a patient yourself or someone who provides care, this episode is going to be an eye-opener regarding what you thought you knew about healthcare and dentistry. I'm Bryan Laskin—dentist, author, innovator, entrepreneur, and engineer of systems that protect the way we make patients feel cared for. Read my latest book Unfair Care—Get the Care You Deserve in a System Designed to Fail You: UnfairCare.com Read my first book: The Patient First Manifesto

If you've been following me until now, you know that I've advocated for putting the patient first for a long time. However, I've only recently uncovered the salient reason healthcare and dentistry have drifted so far from their raison d'être, and I'm now on a mission to expose not only how this happened but also how care providers can leverage the true essence of care to their own—as well as their patients'—advantage. In this introductory episode of The Bryan Laskin Podcast, I elaborate further on my new mission to demonstrate how caring more is what ultimately helps providers make more. I'm Bryan Laskin—dentist with decades of clinical experience, author, innovator, entrepreneur, and pioneer in the medical-dental interoperability space. Read my latest book, Unfair Care—Get the Care You Deserve in a System Designed to Fail You here: UnfairCare.com

Dentists could soon have access to a tool that supplies them with the objective evidence they need to help patients grasp the urgency of recommended treatment. Dr. Robert Kane, DC, DABCT and CEO of Kane Thermal Imaging, joins me on The Patient First Podcast to explain how thermography could forever change the way we communicate with dental patients. Watch this episode to explore some of the surprising oral-systemic connections that thermal imaging reveals and their implications for oral health. I'm Dr. Bryan Laskin—dentist, author, entrepreneur and engineer and advocate of solutions that improve the business of oral care for patients and providers alike. Learn more about thermography: Kanethermalimaging.com Read my new book: UnfairCare.com

Co-CEO of Finance Rx® Nancy Kay Coy and I are both enthusiastic entrepreneurs addressing similar problems in the dental industry, but from different angles. I had such a great time interviewing Nancy in this episode of The Patient First Podcast on how her team is helping to bridge gaps between lenders and practices and between providers and patients. As you'll see in this interview, Nancy and I agree on something huge: empowered teams lead to empowered patients, which lead to empowered practices. The end goal of our respective endeavors? Helping practices thrive and profit by leveraging the patient experience. I'm Dr. Bryan Laskin—dentist, author, advocate of patient empowerment through data accessibility, and engineer of solutions that help providers unlock profitability through patient empowerment. Learn more: FinRxStudio.com Experience Cair™, the app that boosts transparency, improves convenience, deepens trust and increases treatment plan acceptance: Cair.net

In this episode of The Patient First Podcast, a neuroscientist and a dentist come together to talk about mushroom superfoods and nutritional counseling. Sean Lacoursiere, PhD is the Chief Innovation Officer of Maia Farms and a neuroscientist on a mission to change our relationship with nutrition for the better. He joined me on my podcast to explain what they’re accomplishing at Maia Farms and to talk about how dental practices can benefit from taking a more proactive approach to nutritional counseling for their patients. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—dentist, author, entrepreneur and engineer of solutions that connect oral healthcare providers to the resources and information they need to provide truly holistic care. Explore new frontiers in nutrition and wellness: MaiaFarms.com Don't forget to order your copy of Unfair Care! Follow Sean on LinkedIn.

This podcast episode could be your key to breaking free from the hamster wheel and making the next several decades of your life the best ones yet. In this episode of The Patient First Podcast, I interview Kathleen A. Adams, CFP® CPWA®, Co-founder of Second 50 Financial, to learn how she helps dental professionals build a life beyond the practice. Specifically, she helps professionals over the age of 50 to understand and leverage areas like artificial intelligence, longevity science and smart wealth strategies to realize the life of their dreams. Understanding how these elements can shape your future is essential to maximizing this next chapter of your life. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—a dentist, author and entrepreneur who wants to see more fellow dental professionals do more than simply save for retirement. I want to see dentists thrive personally as well as professionally at every stage in their lives. Connect with Kathleen on LinkedIn: @Kathleen Adams Follow the Second 50 Movement on LinkedIn: @Second 50 Learn how to get involved: Second50Movement.org

With health insurance costs spiraling out of control, employers can feel powerless to help their employees get the coverage they need. The situation becomes all the more tragically ironic for companies in the oral healthcare space. If you are a group or DSO with more than 50 employees depending on you to provide them with healthcare coverage options that meet their needs without breaking the bank, then this episode is for you. In Episode 181 of The Patient First Podcast, I interview Mark Gaunya, GBA, LIA to learn how his company Captivated Health® is helping oral healthcare providers leverage their individual and collective experience to build a better healthcare future for their people. This fresh and daring approach could be the only solution for success in a system designed for failure. If you want to learn more after watching or listening to this interview, join Mark again on Friday, September 19 for a webinar that takes a deeper dive into this unique strategy. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—a dentist, author, entrepreneur, data portability-enthusiast and patient advocate who wants more group practice owners to know how taking certain calculated risks can make health insurance better for all involved. Register for Captivated Health’s Friday, September 19, 2025 webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_adBkpbNIS4S55Yht2Maq_Q Get in touch with Mark Gunya: captivatedhealth.com borislow.com mark(at)borislow(dot)com Order your copy of my latest book: UnfairCare.com

In this episode of The Patient First Podcast, Founder of Dua Good Job Parul Dua Makkar, BSc, DDS, FACd joins me to share her story and discuss how dentists can prioritize patient wellness to the financial benefit of their practices. Oral cancer screenings—and the difficult conversations that accompany them—are a vital yet easily overlooked part of dentistry. Dr. Makkar has drawn on painful personal loss to develop the educational resources dental practices need to train their teams to render the holistic care patients need. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—author, dentist, entrepreneur, advocate for patient autonomy and engineer of solutions that blend patient wellness with practice wellness. Explore Dr. Parul Dua Makkar’s oral cancer courses: DuaGoodJob.com Follow Dr. Makkar on Instagram: @DuaGoodJob

There’s probably no better team member to take the lead in empowering patients with knowledge about the oral-systemic link than dental hygienists, and there’s probably no better team to help hygienists do that than L’Diamante Coaching. In this episode of The Patient First Podcast, I sit down with LD Coaching Co-Founders Danielle Avila, BSDH, RDH and Laura Bettencourt, BSDH, RDH to learn more about how these mindset hygiene career coaches are helping RDHs everywhere discover purpose, fulfillment and confidence in their craft. We also discuss the need for more leaders in dentistry who will make the bold changes needed to provide more comprehensive, integrated care to patients. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—author, dentist, entrepreneur and education enthusiast who celebrates and endorses other innovators who work to advance the oral healthcare industry for the benefit of all involved. Don't forget about LD Coaching’s webinar coming up on August 29, 2025! Register Here. Learn more about L’Diamante Coaching: LDiamanteCoaching.com

Get ready for my most exciting and ambitious project to date; my new book, Unfair Care—Get the Healthcare You Deserve in a System Designed to Fail You. In this episode of The Patient First Podcast, I’m thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of my latest book in a series of industry-shaking publications. Unfair Care is designed to equip everyone with the critical thinking tools they need to navigate their own healthcare decisions in a system deliberately designed to trade wellness for profit. Driven by both my passion for innovation, and by painful personal experience, this book is going to be life-changing for many, many people. It’s coming out in October 2025, but you can pre-order your copy today by visiting UnfairCare.com. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—dentist, impact junkie, entrepreneur and author of the best-sellers The Patient First Manifesto, and Dental Disorder and, now, Unfair Care. Get a copy of my first book that addresses the gap between patients and providers: The Patient First Manifesto. Read my second book, which describes the biggest problem in dentistry: Dental Disorder.

If we want truly integrated care and more medical-dental collaboration, then we need to be having more conversations. In this episode of The Patient First Podcast, Allison Stolz, MD, a primary care physician with decades of experience, sits down with me in the studio to talk about some of the hottest topics in regards to medical-dental collaboration and integrated care. You might be surprised as I was to hear some of the things she has to share. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—entrepreneur, author and dentist on a mission to clear up misconceptions and bridge information gaps in support of the oral-systemic link.

It’s time to change “data-driven growth” from a buzzword to reality. Justin Strong, Founder and CEO of Room 118, is here to help us all do just that. In this episode of The Patient First Podcast, I grill Justin on how his decades of experience have powered Room 118, a full-service dental marketing agency for dentists, to success. Justin shares some of his magic in the form of insights on what it takes to build a strong brand in dentistry. We also discuss what it means to unlock the potential of actionable data. This is the episode every forward-thinking dentist needs to watch so they can turn complex data into strategies that lead to practice success. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—dentist, author, entrepreneur and unabashed data enthusiast. Check out Room-118.com to see how Justin and his team’s dental research can help you reach your practice goals.

At what point does imitation cross the line from flattery to appropriation? In this episode of The Patient First Podcast, I highlight various pieces of evidence that prove how a core concept I engineered years ago has started a movement in the dental industry. As people continue to get on board with the concept of Connected Dentistry®, they need to be informed of the true origins of this registered trademark. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—dentist, author, entrepreneur, CEO of Toothapps® and the engineer behind the original concept of Connected Dentistry®. Read Dental Disorder. Subscribe to the Connected Dentistry® Newsletter by following Toothapps® on LinkedIn.

As a practicing dentist, Dr. Khamir Patel is all too familiar with the challenges of juggling manual data entry with treatment time and the typical vigors of running a business and managing a team. He’s also passionate about integrating innovative technology into healthcare, making him an ally of the Connected Dentistry® movement. Dr. Patel’s experience and insights ultimately led to the development of SmartChair.AI, a literal stopwatch for dental chairs that makes tracking appointment times a no-brainer. With SmartChair.AI, practices can easily collect highly accurate data, analyze it for patterns, and leverage it to make informed decisions. As you’ll learn in this interview, tracking chair time is about more than simply making dentistry faster and more profitable—it’s about elevating the dental treatment experience for everyone involved. In this episode of The Patient First Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Patel, Founder of SmartChair.AI to talk about how his innovation is benefiting practice owners across the country. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—author and fellow dentist and innovator fascinated by technologies that make dentistry more efficient and accessible. Learn more about Dr. Patel’s solution by visiting SmartChair.AI.

What if everything you’ve heard about entrepreneurship in dentistry is wrong? According to one of the most successful business people in our space, entrepreneurship is something every dentist should aspire to and it is about far more than striving for more money. Emily Letran, DDS is not just a successful clinician—she’s also a seasoned business person who readily shares her wealth of knowledge with others through coaching and consulting. In this episode of The Patient First Podcast, Dr. Letran and I exchange insights from our similar entrepreneurial experiences, and she shares some gems that can help all dentists achieve their professional aspirations. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—author, dentist and entrepreneur who believes that the next era of dentistry is going to be owned by the clinicians who know what it truly means to embrace an entrepreneurial spirit. Contact Dr. Letran or browse her online courses: DrEmilyLetran.com

Few people in oral healthcare have the rich and storied background of Ann-Marie DePalma, CDA, RDH, MEd. Ann-Marie has extensive experience in clinical practice, education, dental software, and volunteering, and her experience lends valuable insight into the interoperability challenges we face in dentistry today. Ann-Marie joined me on The Patient First Podcast to share her story as an oral health speaker and educator, as a clinician, and as a patient herself. In this episode, Ann-Marie and I talk about how dental teams can successfully implement new technology, the need for increased awareness of the connection between oral health and women’s health, and how solutions like Toothapps® are exactly what we need to bridge the gap between medicine and dentistry. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—dentist, author, entrepreneur and innovator of solutions that connect dentistry to overall health. Learn more about what Ann-Marie does and how she can help educate your team: depalmaannmarie(at)gmail(dot)com depalmaannmarie.com Read the book that inspired this podcast: The Patient First Manifesto Read the book that addresses the divide in the dental industry: Dental Disorder

There’s always another aspect of dentistry that can be improved through innovation, and this is perfectly demonstrated by Debora Carrier, RDH of The CPR Sisters. Deb and her sister have developed an innovative and highly personalized CPR training curriculum that helps dental professionals get the maximum benefit from the training without added performance anxiety. In this short and sweet episode of The Patient First Podcast, I interview Deb on-location at the Chicago Midwinter Meeting to learn more about how her team is helping dental teams everywhere experience a higher quality of CPR training. If you like learning at your own pace and learning online or want to offer these training methods to your practice team members, contact The CPR Sisters! Fill out the form to set up training for your team: CPRSistersTraining.com

Just as advances in technology are moving the practice of dentistry forward, so advances in clinical care are making a huge impact in the quality of care patients today receive. And sometimes, more advanced clinical care means going back to deceptively simple basics. The dynamic Aimee Vail, RDH, MHA/Ed and Special Markets Manager for Centrix joined me in the Toothapps® booth at the 2025 Chicago Midwinter Meeting to record this lively interview for The Patient First Podcast. In this episode, we talk about what she has been doing to help make more patients and providers aware of the benefits of minimally invasive dentistry and some modalities that can lower caries risk. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—author, entrepreneur and dentist who supports all initiatives that make dentistry easier, faster, more comfortable and more accessible for more people. Connect with Aimee Vail on LinkedIn Explore preventive dental solutions: CentrixDental.com

In this current climate of healthcare worker shortages, many dental practice owners struggle to find and retain the talent they need to sustain efficient operations while delivering high-caliber care to their patients. As a result, most dentists understandably feel they can’t afford to be picky when it comes to hiring temp workers. Fortunately, the highly rated Kwikly Dental Staffing takes care of the vetting for you so you can rest easy knowing that you’ll get high-quality workers right when you need them. In this episode of The Patient First Podcast, I interview Kwikly’s Head of Growth Pouria Nastaean on location at the 2025 Chicago Midwinter Meeting to learn how his team is transforming the face of the dental temp agency industry. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—a dentist, author and entrepreneur with extensive experience in dental practice ownership and in the development of tech-based solutions that elevate dentistry for everyone involved. Learn more about Kwikly: JoinKwikly.com

I always say that the two greatest charlatans in dentistry (after dental insurance companies, of course) are marketers and consultants. But this one marketing consultant breaks the mold. In fact, she’s the one who set the bar in the first place. Nancy Lashley Sullivan began her rich and storied career 25 years ago when “dental marketing” wasn’t yet a concept. While the landscape of marketing in dentistry has changed over the years, Nancy’s approach has remained solidly grounded in authenticity. Her success has earned her the well-deserved title of “Dental Marketing Specialist.” In this episode of The Patient First Podcast, Nancy tells her story of how she got into this very special line of consulting and explains where taking her own advice has gotten her today. I’m Dr. Bryan Laskin—author, dentist and entrepreneur who has personally benefited from Nancy’s sage advice in the past and who enthusiastically recommends her to other dentists and business leaders in our industry. Learn more marketing insights from Nancy: AthenaMarketing.com