The Dental Truth Project
The Dental Truth Project
No fluff. No spin. Just bold, unfiltered conversations about what’s really happening in the dental industry. Hosted by Ken Kaufman and Dallin Kaufman, AccruDent Co-Founders, this podcast dives into the mistakes, wins, and truths that DSO leaders, clinicians, and consultants usually avoid. Expect real talk, raw insights, and answers to the questions no one else is asking.
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Episodes
Oct 8, 2025
Oct 8, 2025
28 min
Dr. Eric Roman reveals that associate dentist underperformance could be costing dental groups millions of dollars per year - even for smaller DSOs with just 5-10 locations.
Key Revelations:The Associate Crisis No One Talks About
50% of dentists are now associate employees (up from 10-15% previously)
Patient trust in dentists has plummeted - they're no longer in the top 3 most trusted professionals
Patients actively seek "non-chain" dentists on social media
Some DSOs have five empty locations with no dentists
💡 The "Ask Ken" Question:
A DSO owner asks about growing from 5 to 10 locations without breaking their business. Ken's answer? Don't sign any leases until you build a comprehensive financial model.
Free Resource: The 5 C's of Credit for DSOs - https://resources.accrudent.com/accrudent-preparation-for-meeting-a-bank-the-5-cs-of-credit-for-dsos
Got a burning question about dental finance?Submit your question and it could be featured in a future episode.Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project
Oct 8, 2025
Oct 8, 2025
20 min
DSO founder AJ Peak, who built a $100M dental empire, delivers a brutal reality check: Chasing the highest multiple on your practice sale might be the worst financial decision of your life. In this explosive episode, Peak exposes how private equity deals are creating "zombie DSOs" trapped in debt - and reveals the billion-dollar real estate secret that 95% of dental sellers are missing.
Key Revelations:Industry Warning Signs
The dirty secret: Highest multiples often lead to business bankruptcy
"Zombie DSOs" barely keeping lights on, zero growth capital available
Private equity uses YOUR debt to pay for high valuations
95% of transactions destroy $100K-$500K in value through real estate mismanagement
How to demand financial transparency without killing deals
💡 The "Ask Ken" Question:
"What's the biggest mistake DSOs make when creating budgets?"Ken's answer: Thinking your budget is right the moment you hit 'save' - build from doctor days and validated assumptions, not wishful thinking about last year's numbers.
Got a burning question about dental finance?Submit your question and it could be featured in a future episode.Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project
Oct 2, 2025
Oct 2, 2025
30 min
DSO Titan, Brian Colao, who's guided over 750 dental organizations through 30 years of industry chaos, delivers a scathing reality check: "Folks that didn't fundamentally understand the business of dentistry really got involved in dentistry, whether it was an advisory capacity, an investing capacity or an operational capacity, and we're still working right now to clean it all up."
In this explosive episode, Brian exposes how the 2010 outsider invasion—fueled by cheap money and dental industry ignorance—created a mess that's still destroying practices and livelihoods today.
Key Revelations:Industry Veteran's Brutal Warning
The Brutal Truth: advisors who looked competent during the boom revealed their incompetence while competent ones are now cleaning up the mess
New Associates: Stop walking in entitled—walk in educated. Understanding the business will get you further than demanding top dollar while being clueless.
DSO Leaders: If you can't get along with your affiliated dentists, you don't have a business.
Private Equity: You can succeed without dental experience, but only if you do your homework and get proper advisors who actually know the industry.
💡 The "Ask Ken" Question: "What's the best way for a DSO leader to forecast collections when they have multiple practices with inconsistent performance?"Ken's critical answer: Focus on doctor days and individual practice patterns—your forecasting problems stem from treating inconsistent practices like they're the same business model.
Free Resource:The 5 C's of Credit for DSOs - https://resources.accrudent.com/accrudent-preparation-for-meeting-a-bank-the-5-cs-of-credit-for-dsosGot a burning question about dental finance?Submit your question and it could be featured in a future episode.Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project