Dr. Michael Vetowich is one of Comfort Dental’s earliest partners, joining in 2000 as partner number 18. He practices near Boulder, Colorado, where he has spent more than two decades building a specialty in implant dentistry and oral surgery while keeping Comfort Dental’s core philosophy at the center of every patient visit.

The episode opens somewhere unexpected: music. Dr. Vetowich studied English and music performance at the University of Michigan, has run a marathon in every adult decade of his life, and completed multiple Ironman triathlons. He came to Colorado for the skiing. He stayed because the Comfort Dental model made sense.

From there, the conversation goes into what it actually feels like to practice dentistry every day. Dr. Vetowich does not pretend it is easy. He talks about the emotional reality of working with patients who tell you they hate being there, and he explains the “floor” he has built: a minimum standard of professionalism and compassion that holds regardless of what any patient brings into the room.

Then the patient-facing content takes over. He walks through the three questions every patient is really asking when they walk in: How much will it cost? How long will it take? Will it hurt? He explains how his practice answers all three, and what he says to patients who come in embarrassed because it has been a long time since their last visit. His answer is direct: “I’m not here to make judgments. I’m here to try and help you.”

The episode covers the full range of care his practice offers, from general dentistry to implants and full-arch cases using 3D printing and digital surgical planning. He talks about seeing a patient’s smile on screen before a single procedure begins, and about trying to bring that level of care to patients at a more affordable price point than they would find elsewhere.

He makes the oral health and systemic health connection in about a minute: diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, all tied to what is happening in your mouth. He makes the case for flossing in about 20 seconds. And he tells the story of a carpenter in his 40s with a broken-down smile who went through a full-arch procedure and gave him the biggest hug when it was done.

The episode closes with two answers that say everything. One word to describe what patients would say about him: passionate. Finish this sentence, every patient deserves: dignity.

Timestamps:

0:01 - Why dentistry: art, music, and wanting to help people

3:32 - Marathons, cross country, and Ironman triathlons

5:10 - The emotional reality of practicing dentistry

7:06 - The floor of professionalism: how Dr. Vetowich stays grounded

8:55 - How he found Comfort Dental in 2000

10:37 - The three questions every patient is really asking

11:35 - Addressing dental fear and anxiety head-on

12:10 - What a first visit actually looks like

13:24 - Affordability options and the Gold Plan

14:46 - No upselling: patients choose their level of care

15:46 - Implants, oral surgery, and full-arch dentistry

17:24 - The Da Vinci Curse and choosing mastery over dabbling

19:14 - 3D printing, Exocad, and seeing your smile before treatment

20:20 - Why patients may not know what is available in-house

21:09 - What gets him out of bed: alleviating suffering

23:11 - What new patients usually say

24:02 - “I’m not here to judge you”

24:52 - Practice culture with partner Jack Moss

26:09 - Two dentists who also play music together

27:45 - What he wishes every patient knew about timing their care

28:20 - Oral health and systemic health: the connection

29:27 - The real answer to most dental problems

30:42 - The carpenter story

33:00 - Focusing on the 19 patients who smiled

34:03 - What he would say to someone thinking about scheduling

35:01 - One word: passionate. Every patient deserves dignity.

Dr. Todd Crandall was not planning on dentistry. He had a master’s degree, eight years as a forensic DNA examiner, four kids, and a salary that required him to call his dad when his car got a flat tire. At 37, he decided to change careers. He graduated from CU Dental in 2016, moved to Durango with his wife and five kids, and opened Comfort Dental there in 2018.

Before he opened, he and his wife called every dental office in town to ask whether they accepted Medicaid. Two did. Both had a year-long waiting list. That gap is why he came to Durango.

In this episode, Shawn sits down with Dr. Crandall to talk about what his practice actually looks like from the patient’s side. About 60% of his patients are on Medicaid. About 60% of his staff are Navajo. His office sees patients within days, sometimes the same day. He explains how the Comfort Dental Gold Plan works for patients without insurance and what the real price difference is compared to a private dental office.

He also talks about the patients who waited too long and what it cost them. He talks about dental fear, the 50-50 split between financial avoidance and bad past experience, and what he tells patients who haven’t seen a dentist in years. He shares a case where 18 months of facial pain resolved in two days with a tiny occlusal adjustment. And he talks about the sailboat he has been restoring in South Carolina, the family’s upcoming trip up the Intracoastal Waterway, and the one word he hopes his patients use when they describe him.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

1. Why a forensic DNA examiner went to dental school at 37
2. What convinced Dr. Crandall to open a practice in Durango
3. How Comfort Dental handles same-day and emergency access
4. What the Gold Plan costs and who it’s for
5. Why 50% of dental avoidance comes down to past bad experiences
6. What patients with no insurance actually pay for a crown
7. The 18-month facial pain case that resolved in two days
8. What makes the Durango practice culture different from other offices
9. The sailboat in South Carolina and the coastal trip coming this spring