Financing expert Dan Lewis from Huntington Bank delivers a data‑driven breakdown of how lenders evaluate dental startups and acquisitions—and the key financial indicators dentists must understand before choosing a path. Dan explains why banks view dental borrowers differently from other industries, what factors strengthen or weaken a loan application, and how new graduates, associates, and multi‑location owners can position themselves for approval.

Listeners will learn how cash flow, production history, practice value, borrower experience, and market conditions influence lending decisions—and why the “best deal” is not always the one with the lowest rate.

Topics include:

● How banks evaluate startup vs. acquisition risk

● What lenders look for in production history, credit, and liquidity

● Why cash flow matters more than collections in practice valuation

● Common mistakes borrowers make during loan applications

● How to secure stronger terms through preparation and documentation

● Financing considerations for multi‑location expansion

● What borrowers misunderstand most about dental lending

Technology expert Dan De‑Steno dives into the operational and cybersecurity challenges dentists face when starting or acquiring a practice. With decades of experience supporting dental IT infrastructure, Dan outlines the hidden costs, risks, and long‑term implications of both paths—especially when it comes to outdated hardware, inconsistent data systems, network vulnerabilities, and HIPAA compliance gaps.

This episode provides a practical, behind‑the‑scenes look at how technology impacts production, efficiency, patient experience, and team performance—making it essential listening for any dentist evaluating a practice or preparing to build one.

Topics include:

● Startup IT requirements vs. acquisition IT cleanup

● Legacy systems, outdated hardware, and hidden upgrade costs

● Cybersecurity risks unique to dental offices

● HIPAA compliance mistakes and how to fix them

● Server vs. cloud considerations for growing practices

● How poor technology slows production and frustrates teams

● What to evaluate before signing a purchase agreement or lease

Dr. Ben Liu shares one of the most dynamic ownership journeys featured in this series—relocating to a new state, rapidly expanding across multiple locations, acquiring underperforming practices, and launching startups inside existing orthodontic spaces. His path includes buying distressed practices, relocating them, scaling from 2 ops to 5+, and using systems to turn stagnant offices into high‑growth pediatric dental practices.

Dr. Liu also discusses the unique challenges of specialty ownership, the importance of trust when evaluating acquisition opportunities, and how market selection and landlord relationships shape long‑term expansion strategy.

Topics include:

● Starting with two practices overnight—one leased startup, one small acquisition

● Relocating an outdated two‑op practice and growing it into a high‑volume office

● Acquiring distressed practices and scaling patient bases

● Expanding to 4–5 locations through strategic opportunity, not randomness

● How startups differ when launched inside an existing ortho space

● Financial, operational, and staffing challenges of multi‑location growth

● Acquisition vs. startup strategy for pediatric specialists

In this episode, Rafael A. Martinez brings an operations and business‑systems perspective to the acquisition vs. startup conversation. Drawing on his extensive experience supporting dental practices, Rafael explains the operational blind spots that cause practices to underperform—and how buyers and new owners can use systems, leadership, and metrics to create immediate improvements. He highlights why relying solely on the seller’s processes can be limiting, and how new owners can introduce structure that improves collections, patient flow, team accountability, and financial clarity.

This episode is especially valuable for dentists who feel unsure about the “business side” of ownership and want a framework for evaluating or improving a practice.

Topics include:

● The operational red flags to identify before buying a practice

● Why systems—not the seller’s habits—determine long‑term success

● Leadership expectations for new owners

● How to correct weak scheduling, AR issues, and workflow breakdowns

● Startup vs. acquisition: which offers more control over systems?

● What numbers reveal about practice health and hidden inefficiencies

● Building accountability across the team during a transition

In this episode, Dr. Izzat Sebeih shares the story behind launching his large, 5,000 sq. ft. dental startup—built from scratch after a failed partnership opportunity pushed him to create his own path. Dr. Sebeih explains how he evaluated acquisition opportunities, why the numbers didn’t make sense for the practices he considered, and how his risk tolerance shaped his decision to open a fee‑for‑service startup in a highly competitive market. He also breaks down the realities of growing slowly, expanding operatories over time, and securing financing when traditional lenders initially said no.

Listeners gain a candid look at space selection, loan challenges, insurance strategy, and why starting from scratch—despite higher upfront risk—gave him the control and long‑term scalability he wanted.

Topics include:

● Why he rejected multiple acquisition opportunities despite bank approval

● Opening a 5,000 sq. ft. startup and growing it from 4 to 10 ops

● How fee‑for‑service impacted early growth and patient flow

● Lease negotiation challenges and selecting the right location

● Overcoming multiple loan rejections and finding the right lender

● Evaluating practice purchases as a risk‑averse dentist

● How systems, metrics, and financial analysis guide long‑term success

Dr. George Kreisheh shares his compelling journey from graduating dental school to opening a startup practice just one year later—followed by navigating COVID-19 within his first year of ownership. He explains why early acquisition opportunities felt overpriced, how he leveraged lender relationships, and why having a dual-income household allowed him to pursue startup ownership with confidence. Dr. Kreisheh also discusses the challenges of inexperience, the realities of learning the business side as you go, and how the pandemic unexpectedly accelerated his practice growth.

This episode offers a transparent look at taking risks early, evaluating acquisition opportunities, and building resilience as a new practice owner.

Topics include:

● Evaluating outdated or overpriced acquisition opportunities

● Transitioning from associate to owner after just one year

● Leveraging lender relationships and realtor referrals in the startup process

● How COVID-19 impacted new practices and patient flow

● Using low overhead and rent abatement to survive early challenges

● Building confidence and clinical boundaries (what to treat vs. refer out)

● Why some dentists thrive by “jumping in” and learning ownership on the job

Marketing expert Michael Anderson of Wonderist Agency breaks down the critical role that marketing plays in the success of dental startups and acquisitions. With over a decade helping more than 800 practices grow, Michael explains why startups face immense pressure to generate new patients quickly, how to budget realistically for launch-stage marketing, and why the first 100 patients often determine long-term success. He also demystifies SEO, Google My Business optimization, and the difference between onsite and offsite search strategies.

This episode is essential for dentists who want to understand modern marketing expectations, the cost of visibility in competitive markets, and how to avoid running out of funds mid-buildout.

Topics include:

● Why startups must invest heavily in early marketing to survive

● Budgeting for marketing inside your loan, not after

● How to make the first 100 patients your “raving fans”

● SEO basics: onsite optimization vs. offsite signals (reviews, backlinks, listings)

● Google My Business and local ranking strategy for new dentists

● Why multiple clients in the same zip code creates SEO conflicts

● Startup vs. acquisition marketing pressures and expectations

Dr. Williams, a seasoned clinician with decades of academic and private practice experience, provides a historical and practical perspective on dental practice ownership. From building a multi-operatory faculty practice within a HUD building to growing alongside Baltimore’s Inner Harbor redevelopment, he explains how dentistry—and the process of opening or acquiring a practice—has evolved across generations. His insights highlight the realities of starting lean, expanding as demand increases, and navigating patient demographics long before modern marketing tools existed.

Dentists will gain an appreciation for how practice models have changed, what challenges remain constant, and how ownership decisions differ dramatically between eras.

Topics include:

● Building a practice from one operatory to a multi-suite facility

● Using used equipment and lean resources to grow sustainably

● How patient demographics and urban development shaped practice growth

● The limited acquisition opportunities available in earlier decades

● How associateships and slow buy-ins functioned historically

● Differences between past and modern startup challenges

● Lessons today’s dentists can learn from long-term practice evolution