Stepping out of dental school and into real-world dentistry can feel overwhelming. Shiny technology, leadership pressures, debt, and the weight of patient care — it’s a lot to handle. In this episode of The Dentists Show, Chase and Ryan get real about what matters most for dental students and new grads.

Chase shares insights from speaking to a room of over 200 dental students, answering their burning questions about affording tech, buying equipment, and stepping into leadership roles. The takeaway? Don’t get caught chasing every shiny new tool. Being a step behind the bleeding edge is often smarter — and cheaper.

Instead, the guys emphasize what really matters: putting in reps with bread-and-butter dentistry, investing in quality CE (even if it costs you), and surrounding yourself with strong mentors and teammates. They get into the importance of reflection, the role of personality and hobbies in interviews, and why being intentional with your growth early in your career pays off forever.

Whether you’re still in dental school, a fresh grad, or mentoring young dentists yourself, this episode will leave you with practical, honest advice you won’t get from a textbook.

LINKS: https://www.thedentistsshow.com

Episode Minute By Minute:

00:00 – Recording filters, background noise & real-life interruptions

02:30 – Chase speaks at Smiles event: 230 dental students

04:30 – Students’ biggest questions: tech & equipment costs

06:00 – Why new grads shouldn’t chase shiny new technology

08:00 – Being a step behind the bleeding edge (car & boat analogy)

09:30 – Focus on patient experience and team leadership first

11:00 – Put in reps: bread-and-butter dentistry is your foundation

12:30 – CE courses: why even expensive ones are worth it

15:00 – Live-patient CE and safe ways to build advanced skills

17:00 – Ryan’s story: working with Chase was like a “mini residency”

19:00 – The role of mentorship (finding mentors & mentoring others)

21:00 – How they evaluate new dentists in interviews

22:30 – Why reflection and personality matter as much as skills

25:00 – Students: reach out, invite us for pizza + Q&A

27:00 – Closing laughs & reminders to like, share, and subscribe

Not every month is a record-breaker. Not every month is a disaster. Some months just… are. In this episode of The Dentists Show, Chase and Ryan talk honestly about what they call the “mid months” — those stretches where production is okay, collections are fine, but nothing feels exciting.

Instead of brushing past them, they argue that mid months are where true leadership shows up. These are the moments to sharpen your tools, reset your team, and create momentum for the future. They share stories of navigating disappointing numbers, redirecting staff energy, and how reflection (even on failures) can drastically reduce repeat mistakes.

They also cover why September can be a make-or-break month, the power of same-day treatment, and why frustration is often the best signal that change is coming. Add in some laughs about heat waves, new slang, and losing a patient over podcast banter, and you’ve got a mix of humor and hard-hitting leadership advice.

Whether you’re running one practice or managing multiple offices, this episode will challenge you to see mid months not as wasted time, but as opportunities to lead better and build stronger teams.

LINKS:

https://www.thedentistsshow.com

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 – Back together (sort of), weather talk & podcast fallout
• 03:00 – August recap: why it felt “mid”
• 05:30 – Teen slang, new words & feeling old
• 07:00 – What a mid month looks like in dental numbers
• 08:30 – Team mindset: turning $85k into $170k
• 09:45 – The danger of being passive about mid months
• 10:30 – Sharpening the ax: why reflection matters
• 12:00 – Slow months: chatter, bonding, and missed opportunities
• 13:00 – Using downtime for training and leadership growth
• 15:00 – How to explain profitability vs. production to your team
• 16:30 – Leadership test: handling average months well
• 18:00 – Why reflecting on failures prevents repeat mistakes
• 20:00 – Culture of mistakes: turning errors into opportunities
• 21:30 – Rallying after mid months vs. bad months
• 23:00 – Spring energy, fall motivation & hitting September goals
• 24:00 – Team giveaways, incentives & patient experiences
• 25:00 – Wrapping up: guests, growth, and avoiding foot-in-mouth moments

If you’ve ever felt guilty about not having the “perfect” balance between work, family, and life, this episode will hit home. Chase and Ryan dig into the myth of work-life balance and why chasing it is a guaranteed way to stay frustrated.

They talk about the real grind of dentistry, the constant tug-of-war between clinic life and family life, and how the idea of “balance” sets up unrealistic expectations. Instead, they introduce a different framework — thinking in seasons. Sometimes it’s a season of long hours and late nights, and other times it’s a season of family trips, slower schedules, or health.

From letting go of shame to learning how to actually be present (yes, that means putting down your phone), this conversation is equal parts honest, funny, and practical. Chase and Ryan even share their own hacks — like muting phones at night, scheduling “rock priorities” first, and empowering their teams to take ownership so they can step back when needed.

At the end of the day, they remind us: you don’t need balance. You need presence, intentionality, and the freedom to embrace whatever season you’re in.

LINKS:

https://www.thedentistsshow.com

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 – Welcome back & Chase’s move
• 02:00 – Work-life balance: the myth we all bought into
• 04:00 – Why balance doesn’t actually exist
• 06:00 – The “pursuit of happiness” trap
• 07:00 – What dentistry really looks like after 5 PM
• 08:00 – Seasons vs. balance: a healthier way to think about life
• 09:30 – How seasons play out in dentistry, family, and career
• 11:00 – The danger of extremes: all work vs. all family
• 12:30 – What Ryan hopes his kids say at his funeral
• 13:30 – The key: being present where you are
• 15:00 – Phones, distractions, and learning to disconnect
• 17:00 – BBQ talk: Chase’s new grill & Ryan’s steak routine
• 18:00 – Dan Sullivan’s free day concept & planning immersion days
• 19:00 – Letting go of control and empowering your team
• 21:00 – Health, growth, family: shifting focus by season
• 22:00 – Rocks, gravel, and sand: how to plan your year
• 23:00 – Family travel commitments and making memories
• 26:00 – Why guilt around “balance” isn’t worth it
• 27:00 – Social media hacks to stay present
• 28:00 – Final thoughts: forget balance, focus on what matters most