Dentistry Unmasked: A Roundtable Podcast

This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Pam chats with Dr. Stephen Shaw and they explore the movement toward simplification in direct restorative dentistry and take a closer look at one of its most challenging steps: composite shade selection. Traditional composite systems can require clinicians to choose from an overwhelming number of shades and opacities, adding complexity to everyday procedures while leaving practice...

Every "yes" comes with a cost. But sometimes, so does "no." This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Pam wraps up her candid conversation with Irene Iancu by exploring one of the most difficult realities of building a public career in dentistry: knowing when to walk away.  From declining lucrative contracts and speaking engagements to ending partnerships and losing income, Irene shares why protecting your reputation some...

This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Brian and Pam sit down with Grace Rizza, CEO of Identity Dental Marketing to talk about why effective marketing starts long before you build a website, post on social media, or launch an ad campaign. It starts with understanding who you are as a clinician, what your practice stands for, and the patients you actually want to serve. Grace explains why your mission should be reflecte...

Posting on social media is easy. Understanding what you're signing isn't. This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Pam continues her conversation with Irene Iancu, diving into the business side of social media and the contracts that come with content creation and brand partnerships.Not all collaborations are created equal. Irene breaks down the critical differences between being a content creator, an influencer, an educator, ...

What does it really mean to become "known" in dentistry? Most of us see the highlight reel: the standing ovations, keynote presentations, podcasts, brand partnerships, social media, and travel. But what happens behind the scenes once your name becomes your brand? This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Pam sits down with Irene Iancu for an unfiltered conversation about building a public career in dentistry. From landing thos...

Thirty-five years into dentistry, Dr. Abdi Sameni isn’t thinking much about slowing down. He’s still asking what he can learn next.

Sameni joins Drs. Pam Maragliano and Brian Nový for a wide-ranging conversation about what happens when dentists remain students of their profession. They explore why some of the most interesting dental education is happening outside the usual circles, how commun...

Dentists may be attractive borrowers to banks—but that doesn't necessarily mean they're borrowing money wisely.

In this episode of Dentistry Unmasked, Drs. Pam Maragliano and Brian Nový talk with Daniel Gurfinkel of Gurfinkel & Partners about practice debt, credit, cash flow, and how dentists can approach financing more strategically.

Brian shares his own experience seeking operat...

Patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) face significant barriers to dental care—from finding providers with appropriate training to transportation, cost, communication challenges, and previous negative experiences in health-care settings.

In this episode of Dentistry Unmasked, Drs. Pam Maragliano and Brian Nový talk with Dr. Dimitri Christakis, Chief Health Officer for Spec...

Are insurance plans still bringing value to your practice, or are they quietly costing you money? This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Brian and Pam sit down with Dennis Marvel to discuss why more dentists are reevaluating their participation in PPO insurance plans. As reimbursements fail to keep pace with rising overhead and the cost of delivering quality care, what may have once been an effective patient acquisitio...

This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Brian and Pam sit down with Dr. Rick Huot to talk about something every dentist needs, but too many put off: financial planning with a purpose. Whether you’re a new graduate navigating debt, a mid-career dentist building wealth, a practice owner planning your next move, or thinking seriously about retirement, your financial goals should evolve along with your career. Dr. Huot bre...

What does it really take to lead a dental school and how much influence does a dean have on the future of the profession? This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Brian and Pam sit down with Dr. Gerry Kugel, dean of the University of Nebraska’s dental school, for a candid conversation about leadership, faculty, educational standards, and what it takes to truly prepare students for clinical practice. Dr. Kugel shares his...

LivFresh toothpaste isn't just another toothpaste…it's challenging decades of conventional thinking about biofilm management.This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Brian and Pam take a deep dive into the science behind LivFresh and explore why so many clinicians are talking about it. From its unique chemistry and mechanism of action to the growing evidence surrounding biofilm disruption, oral health, and the patient ...

Few people have had a greater impact on the adoption of silver diamine fluoride in the United States than this week’s guest. On Dentistry Unmasked, Pam and Brian sit down with Dr. Shirtcliff, the man who helped bring SDF to U.S. dentistry, to hear the remarkable story behind its introduction, the testing and approvals required to make it available to American patients, and how its role in dentistry has evolved. ...

Bonus systems are often touted as the secret to motivating a dental team; but do they actually work? This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Brian and Pam sit down with Sharyn Weiss, who challenges the conventional wisdom that bonuses drive better performance. In fact, she believes they can be counterproductive, create unintended problems, and fail to inspire the behaviors practice owners really want. Tune in as Sharyn expla...

Life doesn't stop when you're running a dental practice.  Dentists and dental professionals are often expected to lead their teams, care for patients, manage businesses, and support their families, even while facing some of life's most difficult personal challenges. Divorce is one of those challenges, yet it's rarely discussed openly within our profession. This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Pam sits down with entre...

What if the most exciting chapter of your career hasn't happened yet? Dentists are natural entrepreneurs, innovators, educators, and leaders, and many discover that their greatest opportunities exist outside the four walls of the operatory. This week, Brian and Pam share ideas for expanding your professional horizons through teaching, writing, speaking, consulting, entrepreneurship, and other passion projects that can...

This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Brian and Pam sit down with JoAnne Tanner, practice coach, consultant, and author, to talk about one of the biggest decisions in a dentist’s career: buying a practice. Whether you are dreaming of ownership, actively evaluating an opportunity, or preparing to sell, the process can be exciting—but it can also be overwhelming, expensive, and complicated if you do not know what...

This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Pam and Brian sit down with Dr. Mia Geisinger, past president of the American Academy of Periodontology, for a powerful conversation about the undeniable connection between oral inflammation and systemic health. For too long, “a little bleeding” has been minimized or accepted as normal—but Dr. Geisinger makes it clear: bleeding is a sign of inflammation, and inflammat...

This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Brian and Pam sit down with Dr. Jeff Brucia for a practical, clinically relevant conversation about what it really takes to bond composite predictably. Think you know the difference between an immature bond and a mature bond? This episode may change the way you look at and practice adhesive dentistry. Dr. Brucia breaks down the details that influence bond ...