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100+ Best Dental Podcasts, Books & Influencers (2026)
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100+ Best Dental Podcasts, Books & Influencers (2026)

Curated list of 100+ dental podcasts, books, CE courses, and influencers for practice owners in 2026.

By DentalBase TeamUpdated May 13, 202638m

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#best dental podcasts#dental books#dental CE courses#dental conferences#dental influencers

Your dental degree taught you clinical skills. It didn't teach you how to run a business, hire the right people, or market your practice to the neighborhood around you. That's where the resources on this list come in.

We've curated 100+ of the most useful dental podcasts, practice management books, online courses, influencers, communities, YouTube channels, and conferences available right now. Every single entry was picked because it offers something specific and practical for practice owners, office managers, or dental entrepreneurs looking to grow.

This isn't a generic "top resources" roundup. Each entry includes a description of what it covers, what makes it worth your time, and a "best for" tag so you can jump to what's relevant. Whether you're a solo practitioner figuring out how to attract your first patients or a multi-location owner fine-tuning your operations, there's something here for you.

Here's what we cover:

  • 20 podcasts for practice growth and management
  • 20 books every practice owner should read
  • 15 online CE courses and education platforms
  • 20 influencers and thought leaders worth following
  • 13 Facebook groups and online communities
  • 10 YouTube channels for free dental education
  • 14 conferences and events worth attending in 2026

Bookmark this page. You'll keep coming back to it.

What Are the Best Dental Podcasts for Practice Owners?

Dental podcasts give you direct access to strategies from practice owners and consultants who've already solved the problems you're facing. Most episodes run 20-45 minutes, which means you can learn something useful during a commute or lunch break. According to HubSpot's 2025 marketing report, podcast listeners retain information at higher rates than blog readers, and they're more likely to act on recommendations they hear in audio format. Here are 20 dental podcasts worth adding to your rotation.

1. The Dental Marketer
Hosted by Michael Arias, this show focuses exclusively on marketing strategies for dental practices. Guests include practice owners, agency founders, and marketing directors who break down what's actually driving new patient calls. Episodes are tight, usually 30-40 minutes, and heavy on tactics you can apply the same week.
Best for: practice owners who want marketing-specific growth strategies.

2. Dentistry's Growing with Grace
Grace Rizza interviews dentists and industry leaders about growth, leadership, and the personal side of running a practice. The tone is conversational, and she's particularly good at drawing out the mindset shifts behind successful transitions. Not your typical "here are five tips" format.
Best for: dentists looking for both business and personal development.

3. Dentalpreneur
Dr. Mark Costes built this podcast around the idea that dentists are entrepreneurs first. Topics range from hiring systems to financial planning to scaling into multiple locations. He doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable parts of ownership, like firing a team member or renegotiating a lease.
Best for: ambitious owners thinking about expansion or multiple locations.

4. The Dental A Team Podcast
Kiera Dent and her team of consultants share front-office and operations advice you can use immediately. They cover scheduling, case acceptance, team culture, and KPI tracking. Episodes often feel like a consulting call you'd normally pay for. Short and punchy.
Best for: office managers and owners focused on daily operations.

5. The Thriving Dentist Show
Gary Takacs has coached dental practices for over 30 years, and his show reflects that depth. He focuses on fee-for-service growth, reducing insurance dependence, and building systems that let the practice run without the owner doing everything. The advice is grounded in real numbers.
Best for: owners working to reduce PPO dependence and grow fee-for-service revenue.

6. The Dr. Chris Griffin Show
Dr. Chris Griffin blends clinical tips with business advice in a laid-back Southern style. He covers associate negotiations, practice valuations, and real estate decisions that most dental podcasts skip. Good mix of clinical and business in every episode.
Best for: general practitioners balancing clinical work with ownership responsibilities.

7. Dental Hacks
A casual, roundtable-style podcast where dentists talk about products, techniques, and the realities of daily practice life. It's less polished than some shows on this list, which is exactly why it works. You get honest opinions without the consulting pitch.
Best for: clinicians who want product reviews and peer-to-peer conversations.

8. Shared Practices
Designed specifically for dentists in the first 10 years of practice ownership. Topics include buying your first practice, negotiating with banks, managing cash flow in year one, and dealing with staff turnover before you've built a reputation. Real stories from real owners.
Best for: new owners or associates planning to buy a practice.

9. The Relentless Dentist
Dr. Dave Maloley hosts this show about the intersection of high performance and dental practice ownership. Topics include leadership psychology, goal-setting frameworks, and avoiding burnout. He brings in guests from outside dentistry too, which keeps the perspective fresh.
Best for: owners who want to perform at a higher level without burning out.

10. Dental Drill Bits
Sandy Pardue and Michael Arias co-host this operations-focused podcast that tackles scheduling, collections, front desk scripts, and patient retention. Episodes are short, usually under 20 minutes, and each one gives you a specific action item. No fluff.
Best for: front desk teams and office managers looking for quick wins.

11. Nifty Thrifty Dentists
Dr. Glenn Vo created this community-driven podcast around saving money and finding deals on dental supplies, equipment, and services. It's part podcast, part buying group. If you're spending too much on supplies, this is where you start cutting costs.
Best for: cost-conscious owners who want to lower overhead without sacrificing quality.

12. Bulletproof Dental Practice
Dr. Peter Boulden and Dr. Craig Spodak tackle the business of dentistry with an entrepreneurial mindset. They cover marketing, associate compensation models, practice culture, and exit planning. Both hosts run successful multi-provider practices.
Best for: multi-provider practice owners scaling their business.

13. Delivering WOW
Dr. Anissa Holmes focuses on using social media and systems to grow dental practices. She built her own practice into a million-dollar operation and shares exactly how she did it. Strong emphasis on Facebook marketing and team development.
Best for: owners who want to build a strong social media presence.

14. Dental Amigos
Rob Montgomery (a dental attorney) and Paul Goodman (a dentist and entrepreneur) co-host this show about the legal and financial side of dentistry. They cover partnership agreements, insurance credentialing, lease negotiations, and practice sales in plain English.
Best for: dentists dealing with contracts, partnerships, or practice transitions.

15. Voices of Dentistry
This podcast and community was built to connect younger dentists with mentors and leaders in the profession. Topics range from clinical techniques to career planning to building influence in the dental world. It's also tied to a popular annual conference.
Best for: early-career dentists building their professional network.

16. The Clinical Edge Podcast
Focused more on the clinical side than most shows on this list, Clinical Edge covers restorative techniques, case planning, and hands-on tips from experienced clinicians. Worth listening to if you want to sharpen your chairside skills alongside your business knowledge.
Best for: clinically-focused dentists who want to improve treatment outcomes.

17. Dental Sound Bites
Hosted by the ADA, this podcast covers advocacy, policy changes, insurance trends, and the broader forces shaping dentistry. It's less about day-to-day practice and more about understanding the environment your practice operates in.
Best for: owners who want to stay informed about industry-wide changes and policy.

18. T-Bone Speaks
Dr. Tarun Agarwal brings serious energy to this podcast about clinical dentistry and practice growth. He's known for his expertise in digital dentistry and implants, and his episodes often bridge the gap between adopting new technology and making it profitable.
Best for: tech-forward dentists looking to integrate digital workflows.

19. The Dental Business Mentor Podcast
Dr. Jesse Green operates out of Australia, but his advice on practice systems, team leadership, and financial benchmarking applies globally. He runs one of the largest dental coaching programs in the Southern Hemisphere. Clear, structured episodes with specific frameworks.
Best for: owners who prefer structured, numbers-driven management advice.

20. Investment Grade Practices
Victoria Peterson focuses on the long game: building a practice that's worth something when you're ready to sell or bring on a partner. Topics include valuation multiples, EBITDA improvement, and creating systems that don't depend on you being there every day.
Best for: owners planning for an exit, sale, or DSO transition within 5-10 years.

Related: Looking for marketing strategies you can pair with these podcasts? → Content Marketing for Dentists: A 2026 Strategy Guide

Which Dental Practice Management Books Should You Read?

Books give you something podcasts can't: a complete framework you can study, annotate, and return to. A Dental Economics survey found that the highest-producing practices share one trait: their owners invest consistently in business education, not just clinical CE. The 20 titles below cover everything from financial systems to leadership psychology to scaling beyond a single location. Some are dental-specific. Others come from general business, but every one of them applies directly to running a practice.

1. Dental Practice Hero by Dr. Paul Etchison
A step-by-step playbook for building a practice that runs without you. Etchison covers hiring, training, scheduling systems, and financial benchmarks with the specificity most dental books lack. He wrote it while managing a high-volume practice, and it shows.
Best for: owners who want a systems-first approach to scaling.

2. Pillars of Dental Success by Dr. Ron Carlson
Covers the foundational pillars that separate growing practices from stagnant ones: leadership, marketing, finance, and team development. Each chapter includes self-assessments and action items. It reads like a consulting engagement condensed into 250 pages.
Best for: owners looking for a structured self-audit of their practice.

3. The E-Myth Dentist by Michael Gerber and Dr. Alan Kwong Hing
Applies Gerber's famous E-Myth framework to dental practice ownership. The core idea: most dentists are great clinicians but accidental business owners. This book helps you think about your practice as a system rather than a job you created for yourself.
Best for: solo practitioners trapped in the "doing everything" cycle.

4. DSO Secrets by Emmet Scott
If you've ever considered affiliating with a DSO, or building one yourself, this is the most practical resource available. Scott breaks down the operational, financial, and legal structures behind dental support organizations. Not a sales pitch. An honest look at the model.
Best for: owners evaluating DSO partnerships or multi-location expansion.

5. Traction by Gino Wickman
Not dental-specific, but widely adopted by practice owners running on the EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) framework. Traction gives you a system for setting quarterly goals, running productive meetings, and holding your team accountable. Many dental coaches recommend starting here.
Best for: owners who need a management operating system for their team.

6. Profit First for Dentists by Drew Hinrichs and Barbara Stackhouse
Adapts Mike Michalowicz's Profit First method to dental practice finances. The system is simple: allocate profit before expenses, not after. This book walks you through setting up the bank accounts, calculating your percentages, and making the switch without disrupting cash flow.
Best for: owners who collect plenty of revenue but never seem to keep enough of it.

7. Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
This general business classic teaches you to stop competing in crowded markets and create your own demand instead. For dentists, that might mean building a membership plan, targeting an underserved demographic, or offering a service mix your competitors don't. Think differently about positioning.
Best for: owners in competitive markets looking for differentiation strategies.

8. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Written by a former FBI hostage negotiator, this book transforms how you handle fee discussions, insurance negotiations, and vendor contracts. Voss's techniques for calibrated questions and tactical empathy are directly applicable to case presentations and patient conversations.
Best for: dentists who want to improve case acceptance and negotiation skills.

9. Start with Why by Simon Sinek
Sinek's framework helps you articulate why your practice exists beyond "to do dentistry." That clarity shapes everything: how you hire, how you market, and how patients talk about you. Short read, big impact on practice identity.
Best for: owners building or repositioning their practice brand.

10. Good to Great by Jim Collins
Collins studied what separates companies that make the leap from average to exceptional. The concepts of the "Hedgehog Concept" (focus on what you're best at) and "getting the right people on the bus" apply directly to dental practice growth. A must-read for any business owner.
Best for: experienced owners ready to push from stable to exceptional.

11. $100M Offers by Alex Hormozi
Hormozi breaks down how to create offers so good that people feel stupid saying no. For dentists, this reframes how you package treatment plans, membership programs, and new patient specials. It's aggressive, but the core principles are sound.
Best for: owners who want to rethink their pricing and service packaging.

12. Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
Miller's framework positions your patient as the hero and your practice as the guide. This changes how you write website copy, patient communications, and marketing materials. If your marketing talks more about you than your patient, this book fixes that.
Best for: anyone rewriting their website, brochures, or patient communications.

13. Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
Leadership lessons from Navy SEAL officers applied to business. The core principle is simple: leaders own every outcome, good or bad. That mindset shift changes how you handle team mistakes, patient complaints, and operational failures. Not gentle, but effective.
Best for: owners who want to build a culture of accountability.

14. The Wealthy Dentist by Dr. Tim McNeely
Focuses on the financial planning side that most practice management books ignore. McNeely covers retirement planning, tax strategies, asset protection, and wealth building specifically for dentists. If your accountant hasn't had these conversations with you, this book will.
Best for: mid-career dentists thinking seriously about long-term wealth.

15. Atomic Habits by James Clear
Not dental-specific, but the habit-stacking framework applies to everything from morning huddle routines to patient follow-up systems. Clear's research on how small changes compound over time is relevant whether you're building personal discipline or practice protocols.
Best for: anyone who wants to build better daily routines for themselves or their team.

16. Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
The central idea: stop asking "how do I do this?" and start asking "who can do this for me?" For dentists drowning in tasks they shouldn't be handling, this book gives you permission and a framework to delegate aggressively. It pairs well with the 100+ tasks your receptionist handles every day.
Best for: owners who struggle to let go of tasks and delegate effectively.

17. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Ries's build-measure-learn loop is useful for any practice testing new services, marketing channels, or operational changes. Instead of planning for six months and launching big, test small, measure results, and adjust. That approach saves money and accelerates learning.
Best for: owners who want a framework for testing new ideas without big financial risk.

18. Dental Economics: Collecting the Dentist's Fair Share by Dr. Charles Blair
Focused on insurance billing, coding optimization, and collections. Blair's work is the standard reference for maximizing reimbursements within ethical boundaries. Dense and technical, but the financial impact of even small coding improvements adds up fast.
Best for: owners and billing teams who want to collect every dollar they've earned.

19. Everything Is Marketing by Fred Joyal
Joyal, co-founder of 1-800-DENTIST, wrote this book about how every touchpoint in your practice is a marketing opportunity. From the way your receptionist answers the phone to the magazines in your waiting room, everything communicates something to patients.
Best for: owners rethinking the patient experience from first call to follow-up.

20. Buy Then Build by Walker Deibel
Written for entrepreneurs who'd rather buy a business than start from scratch. Directly applicable to dentists evaluating practice acquisitions. Covers valuation methods, due diligence checklists, and SBA loan structuring in a way that complements the dental-specific guides.
Best for: associates or investors evaluating dental practice acquisitions.

Need Help Turning These Ideas Into a Growth Plan?

DentalBase helps practice owners implement the marketing, SEO, and patient communication strategies covered in these resources.

See All Services →

Where Can You Find the Best Dental CE Courses Online?

Continuing education isn't just a licensing requirement. The right course can change how you diagnose, treat, and run your practice. The ADA recommends ongoing professional development beyond the minimum state requirements, and dentists who invest in structured business education alongside clinical training report higher satisfaction with their careers. These 15 platforms offer everything from clinical technique workshops to full business management programs. Some are free. Others cost thousands. All of them deliver real learning if you pick the right track for your goals.

1. Spear Education
One of the most respected names in dental CE. Spear offers a combination of online courses, in-person workshops at their Scottsdale campus, and study club programs. Their clinical content covers restorative, implants, esthetics, and treatment planning. The online platform is polished and well-organized.
Best for: clinicians committed to long-term clinical mastery.

2. Productive Dentist Academy (PDA)
PDA blends clinical education with business strategy in a way most CE providers don't. Their annual conference, workshops, and coaching programs focus on helping practices grow production while improving patient care. Dr. Bruce Baird built the program around real-world systems he used in his own practice.
Best for: practice owners who want clinical and business training under one roof.

3. ACT Dental
Kirk Behrendt's coaching and education platform focuses on the people side of practice management. ACT Dental offers team training, leadership courses, and live events that emphasize culture, communication, and accountability. Particularly strong for practices where the clinical work is good but the team dynamics need help.
Best for: owners investing in leadership skills and team performance.

4. The Pankey Institute
Based in Key Biscayne, Florida, Pankey has been a gold standard in relationship-based dentistry education since 1969. Their continuum program takes dentists through progressive levels of clinical and practice management training. It's a significant time and financial commitment, but graduates consistently rank it among the most impactful experiences of their careers.
Best for: experienced clinicians seeking a structured, multi-year development path.

5. Kois Center
Dr. John Kois runs this evidence-based education center in Seattle. The curriculum is built around risk assessment, treatment planning, and predictable clinical outcomes. Known for attracting dentists who want to practice at the highest clinical level. Their mentorship model pairs participants with experienced clinicians.
Best for: detail-oriented dentists who want evidence-based clinical frameworks.

6. Dental A Team Consulting & Courses
Kiera Dent's team offers structured courses alongside their consulting services. Topics include scheduling optimization, case acceptance scripts, and team communication systems. Their programs are practical and implementation-focused, designed for offices that need results this quarter, not next year.
Best for: office managers and front desk teams looking for structured training programs.

7. ADA CE Online
The American Dental Association's own CE platform offers courses across clinical, compliance, and practice management topics. Many courses are free for ADA members. Not the flashiest platform, but it's trustworthy, and the compliance and regulation courses are particularly useful for staying current on HIPAA requirements.
Best for: dentists who want affordable, reliable CE from a trusted source.

8. Dental Success Institute
Dr. Mike Abernathy's organization offers coaching programs and CE events focused on practice profitability and efficiency. Their annual summit attracts practice owners looking for actionable financial strategies. Strong emphasis on overhead reduction and production benchmarks.
Best for: owners focused on improving their practice's financial performance.

9. Seattle Study Club
A network of local study clubs that bring together dentists and specialists for case-based learning. Each club meets regularly to review real clinical cases, discuss treatment options, and learn from interdisciplinary collaboration. The peer-to-peer format makes it different from traditional lecture-based CE.
Best for: dentists who learn better through case discussions than lectures.

10. Catapult Education
Offers a mix of live webinars, self-paced courses, and product education sessions. Catapult is known for connecting dentists with new clinical products and techniques through educational content. Many of their courses are free or low-cost, which makes it easy to explore topics without a big commitment.
Best for: dentists exploring new products and staying current with emerging techniques.

11. DentalTown Learning Online
Howard Farran's DentalTown community has an extensive library of CE courses covering nearly every specialty and practice topic. The discussion forums add context that standalone courses lack. You'll get the CE credit and a community of colleagues discussing the same material.
Best for: dentists who want CE bundled with an active peer community.

12. Dental Intel Academy
Dental Intelligence's education arm offers courses focused on practice analytics, KPI tracking, and using data to drive decisions. The content ties directly into their software platform, but the principles apply even if you use different tools. Good training on reading your own numbers.
Best for: data-driven owners who want to turn practice metrics into action plans.

13. Dental Online Training (DOT)
A subscription-based platform offering on-demand courses primarily for dental team members: hygienists, assistants, and front desk staff. Covers clinical assisting, infection control, patient communication, and practice management basics. Affordable per-seat pricing makes it viable for training entire teams.
Best for: practice owners who need scalable training for their full team.

14. YouTube Dental CE Channels
Free CE content on YouTube has improved dramatically. Channels like Dental Digest and Mental Dental produce high-quality clinical walkthroughs that supplement formal CE programs. You won't get credit for every video, but the learning value is real and the price is right.
Best for: budget-conscious learners supplementing formal CE with free content.

15. Dentistry.One
A newer platform offering subscription-based access to CE courses across clinical and business topics. Their course library is growing, and the interface is modern compared to some legacy CE platforms. Worth watching as they continue adding content and instructors.
Best for: dentists who want a modern, all-in-one CE subscription platform.

Which Dental Influencers and Thought Leaders Should You Follow?

Social media gives you a direct line to the people shaping how dental practices operate. These 20 influencers and thought leaders share strategies, opinions, and behind-the-scenes looks at practice growth across LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X. A BrightLocal consumer survey found that 98% of people read online reviews before choosing a local business, and the practices that maintain an active social presence earn trust before a patient ever calls. Following these voices keeps you in the loop on trends, tools, and tactics that haven't made it into textbooks yet.

1. Dr. Anissa Holmes
Built a thriving practice in Jamaica and became one of the most recognized voices in dental social media marketing. Her content focuses on using Facebook, Instagram, and team building to grow patient volume. She also runs a coaching program for practice owners ready to scale.
Best for: owners who want to learn social media marketing from someone who built a practice on it.

2. Kiera Dent
Founder of Dental A Team and one of the most visible dental consultants on social media. Her content is high-energy, operations-focused, and aimed at office managers and owners who want immediate results. She posts daily on Instagram and LinkedIn with scripts, systems, and team motivation tips.
Best for: office managers and team leaders looking for daily operational advice.

3. Dr. Mark Costes
The mind behind the Dentalpreneur movement. Costes owns multiple practices and shares openly about the wins and mistakes involved in scaling. His LinkedIn content covers associate management, partnership structures, and exit planning. Blunt, experience-based advice.
Best for: entrepreneurial dentists thinking about multi-location growth.

4. Grace Rizza
CEO of Identity Dental Marketing and a frequent speaker at dental conferences. Grace's content mixes marketing strategy with motivational leadership. Her Instagram and LinkedIn posts are consistent, well-produced, and aimed at practice owners who want to grow without losing their personal identity.
Best for: female practice owners and marketing-focused dentists.

5. Gary Takacs
A 30-year dental practice consultant whose focus on fee-for-service growth has influenced thousands of practices. His social media presence is less flashy than some, but the substance is unmatched. If you're trying to reduce PPO dependence, his content is required reading.
Best for: owners building or converting to a fee-for-service model.

6. Sandy Pardue
A dental management consultant with decades of experience in front-office operations. Sandy posts practical tips about scheduling, patient communication, collections, and phone training. Her advice is specific enough that you can implement it the same day you read it.
Best for: front desk teams and office managers who want proven scripts and systems.

7. Dr. Maggie Augustyn
A practicing general dentist and prolific writer whose content explores the emotional and philosophical side of dentistry. Her LinkedIn articles and columns in dental publications address burnout, purpose, and what it means to be a good dentist beyond the clinical work.
Best for: dentists grappling with burnout or searching for renewed purpose in their work.

8. Dr. Kyle Stanley
A periodontist and dental educator known for his work in digital dentistry, implants, and clinical technology. His Instagram content combines clinical case photos with practice insights. He's also involved in dental education and product development.
Best for: clinicians interested in digital workflow integration and implant dentistry.

9. Dr. Sully Sullivan
A prosthodontist who shares high-level clinical content on Instagram and runs continuing education programs. His posts often feature detailed case walkthroughs with before-and-after documentation. Minimal fluff, maximum clinical substance.
Best for: specialists and clinicians focused on restorative and prosthetic excellence.

10. Dr. Tarun Agarwal
Known in the dental community as "T-Bone," Dr. Agarwal is a vocal advocate for technology adoption in dental practices. He shares candid content about the tools he uses, the investments that paid off, and the ones that didn't. Particularly strong on digital impressions, milling, and practice efficiency.
Best for: tech-forward dentists evaluating new equipment and digital workflows.

11. Michael Arias
Host of The Dental Marketer podcast and a connector in the dental marketing world. His social media presence is focused on helping dentists understand how to attract new patients through content, community, and smart marketing. He also posts regular podcast clips that are worth watching even if you don't listen to full episodes.
Best for: marketing-minded practice owners who want regular content strategy ideas.

12. Kirk Behrendt
Founder of ACT Dental and one of the most energetic speakers in dentistry. Kirk's content focuses on team culture, leadership, and building a practice you actually enjoy running. His LinkedIn posts are motivational but grounded in real practice management principles.
Best for: owners who need a leadership mindset reset.

13. Dr. Jesse Green
An Australian dentist and business coach who runs one of the largest dental coaching organizations in the Southern Hemisphere. His LinkedIn and YouTube content covers financial benchmarking, team management, and practice systems with a structured, data-driven approach.
Best for: numbers-oriented owners who want clear benchmarks and frameworks.

14. Ashlee Hirschfeld
A dental consultant and speaker who focuses on practice growth, leadership, and team training. Her social content is engaging and accessible, often addressing the challenges that come with managing people alongside managing patients.
Best for: newer practice owners building their leadership skills.

15. Heidi Mount
A dental industry veteran who posts about practice culture, team development, and operational excellence. Her content often highlights the human side of running a dental office, something that gets overlooked in the rush to talk about production numbers and KPIs.
Best for: owners who want to build a workplace culture that retains great team members.

16. Teresa Duncan
One of the most respected voices in dental insurance and revenue cycle management. Teresa's posts break down insurance coding, billing optimization, and claim management into plain English. She also speaks at conferences and offers training programs. If insurance claims frustrate you, follow her today.
Best for: billing teams, office managers, and owners who want to collect more per claim.

17. Laura Hatch
Founder of Front Office Rocks, Laura's content is laser-focused on training dental front desk teams. Her video courses and social content cover phone skills, scheduling, patient follow-up, and front desk workflows. She built her brand by addressing the area most practices neglect first: the phone.
Best for: front desk teams that want structured training in patient communication.

18. Dr. John Meis
Co-founder of The Team Training Institute and an experienced practice owner and consultant. His content covers production growth, team training, and practice systems. He approaches growth from a team-first perspective, arguing that the team's capabilities determine the practice's ceiling.
Best for: owners who believe team development is the fastest path to growth.

19. Dr. David Maloley
Host of The Relentless Dentist podcast and a high-performance coach for dental professionals. His social content blends practice management with personal development, covering topics like mindset, resilience, and avoiding burnout in a demanding profession.
Best for: high-achieving dentists who want to perform at a higher level sustainably.

20. Dr. Glenn Vo
Founder of Nifty Thrifty Dentists, a community and movement built around helping dentists save money on supplies and equipment. His social media presence is community-driven, often featuring deals, product comparisons, and vendor recommendations from thousands of member dentists.
Best for: cost-conscious owners who want peer-sourced recommendations on equipment and supplies.

Related: Wondering if your current marketing partner is the right fit? Here's how to evaluate them. → 10 Dental Marketing Red Flags Agencies Won't Address

What Are the Most Active Dental Facebook Groups?

Facebook groups are where dental professionals talk honestly about what's working and what isn't. No polished marketing. No CE credits. Just real conversations between people doing the same work you're doing. The group format lets you ask a question at 9 PM and wake up to a dozen answers from people who've faced the same situation. That kind of peer support is hard to find anywhere else, especially if you're the only dentist in your practice.

These 13 groups are active, well-moderated, and worth joining if you want real-time advice on everything from staffing decisions to insurance coding questions.

1. Dental Nachos
The largest and most active dental Facebook group, with over 30,000 members. Founded by Dr. Paul Goodman, the group covers everything from clinical questions to practice acquisitions to job postings. The moderation keeps discussions productive, and the community is welcoming to new members. If you join one group, make it this one.
Best for: any dental professional who wants an active, well-moderated community.

2. Dentistry Support
Focused on the administrative and front-office side of dental practices. Members share templates, scripts, insurance tips, and workflow ideas. Particularly helpful for office managers and billing coordinators who don't have a peer network within their own practice.
Best for: office managers and front desk staff looking for admin and billing support.

3. Dental Office Managers
A group specifically for dental office managers to share challenges, solutions, and resources. Discussions range from handling front desk burnout to implementing new scheduling systems. Membership is verified to keep the group focused on people actually doing the work.
Best for: office managers who want a dedicated peer community.

4. I Love Dentistry
A clinical-focused group where dentists share case photos, ask for treatment planning advice, and discuss clinical techniques. Less business talk than Dental Nachos, more clinical discussion. Good for dentists who want peer input on challenging cases.
Best for: clinicians seeking case feedback and clinical peer discussions.

5. Women in Dental
A supportive community for women in all roles across dentistry: dentists, hygienists, assistants, office managers, and industry professionals. Discussions cover career development, work-life balance, leadership, and clinical practice. A safe space for topics that don't always get airtime in mixed groups.
Best for: women in dental seeking career support and professional connections.

6. Dental Startup Network
Focused specifically on dentists planning or going through a startup or acquisition. Members share real costs, contractor recommendations, floor plan ideas, and financing experiences. If you're two years or less from opening your doors, this group will save you from expensive mistakes.
Best for: dentists planning a startup or in the early stages of opening a new practice.

7. DentalTown Forums
While technically a forum rather than a Facebook group, DentalTown's online community has been the largest dental professional network for over two decades. Discussions cover every specialty, every business topic, and every clinical question you can think of. It's archived, searchable, and deep.
Best for: dentists who want access to the largest and oldest dental discussion archive online.

8. Dental Entrepreneurs
A group for practice owners who think of themselves as business builders first. Discussions lean toward growth strategies, marketing experiments, and financial optimization. The tone is more ambitious and business-forward than general dental groups.
Best for: growth-minded owners who want to talk strategy with other entrepreneurs.

9. DSO Discussion Group
A focused community for discussing DSO models, affiliations, and the future of group dentistry. Members include practice owners evaluating DSO offers, DSO executives, and industry consultants. Useful for getting honest perspectives from multiple sides of the DSO conversation.
Best for: owners exploring DSO partnerships or building multi-location groups.

10. Dental Hygienists Network
The largest Facebook community specifically for dental hygienists. Members discuss clinical protocols, patient communication, career development, and workplace challenges. Practice owners should be aware this group exists because your hygienists are probably already in it.
Best for: dental hygienists seeking peer support and clinical discussions.

11. Dental Marketing Tips
A group dedicated to marketing strategies for dental practices. Members share what's working with Google Ads, SEO, social media, and patient referral programs. The discussions are practical, and you'll pick up ideas from practices of all sizes and locations.
Best for: owners and marketing staff looking for real-world marketing ideas that convert.

12. Dental Lab and Digital Dentistry
A technical group focused on CAD/CAM, 3D printing, digital scanning, and lab communication. Members include dentists, lab technicians, and technology vendors. Useful for practices adopting or expanding their digital workflows and needing peer guidance on equipment choices.
Best for: dentists and technicians working with digital workflows and in-office milling.

13. New Dentist Now (ADA)
The ADA's community for dentists in the first 10 years of their career. Discussions cover student loan strategies, associateship negotiations, buying a first practice, and building clinical confidence. The ADA backing gives it access to resources and experts that independent groups can't match.
Best for: new graduates and early-career dentists navigating their first professional decisions.

Which Dental YouTube Channels Are Worth Subscribing To?

YouTube has become a real education platform for dental professionals. The barrier to producing quality content has dropped, which means you'll find clinical walkthroughs, business strategy breakdowns, and patient communication training that would have cost hundreds in CE fees a decade ago. These 10 channels produce consistently useful content you can watch between patients, during lunch, or as part of a team training session. Some focus on clinical technique. Others cover business strategy. All of them are free, and most publish new content weekly.

1. Dental Digest
Short, high-quality videos covering clinical techniques, product reviews, and practice tips. The production quality is noticeably higher than most dental channels, and the videos respect your time by staying under 10 minutes for most topics. Feels like a professional broadcast, not a home recording.
Best for: clinicians who want polished, efficient clinical education.

2. ToothIQ
Covers dental topics from a patient education angle, which makes it surprisingly useful for practice owners too. Understanding how patients research and understand their dental needs helps you communicate better during treatment presentations and on your practice website.
Best for: practices looking for patient education content they can share or learn from.

3. Teeth Talk Girl
Whitney DiFoggio's channel has millions of subscribers and covers dental topics in a consumer-friendly format. For practice owners, her channel is a masterclass in how to make dental content engaging and shareable. Study her format even if you never make a video yourself.
Best for: dentists who want to understand what dental content resonates with patients online.

4. Dr. John Yoo
A cosmetic dentist who shares detailed case walkthroughs, veneer preparations, and smile design processes on YouTube. His videos show the clinical process from start to finish, which makes them educational for both clinicians and patients considering cosmetic work.
Best for: cosmetic dentists looking for case presentation ideas and technique walkthroughs.

5. Mental Dental
Focused on the mental health and wellness side of dental practice. Addresses burnout, anxiety, imposter syndrome, and the emotional toll of running a practice. An underserved topic that deserves more attention. The host creates a safe, honest space for these conversations.
Best for: dental professionals dealing with stress, burnout, or mental health challenges.

6. Dental Up with Keating Dental Lab
Interviews with dental professionals covering clinical techniques, lab communication, and practice management. The Keating team brings in guests from across the industry and the conversations are practical and solution-oriented. Good production quality and consistent publishing schedule.
Best for: dentists who want to improve lab communication and case outcomes.

7. Dental Excellence TV
Clinical education videos focused on restorative techniques, implant placement, and treatment planning. The content is straightforward and educational without excessive branding or sales pitches. Useful for dentists who want visual demonstrations of specific clinical procedures.
Best for: clinicians looking for procedure-specific video demonstrations.

8. The Dental Marketer (YouTube)
Michael Arias extends his podcast content to YouTube with video versions of interviews and standalone marketing strategy videos. The visual format adds context when guests share slides, screenshots, or practice examples that don't come through in audio alone.
Best for: marketing-focused dentists who want the visual layer on top of podcast content.

9. ACT Dental (YouTube)
Kirk Behrendt's team publishes short clips and full presentations on leadership, team culture, and practice growth. The content mirrors their coaching philosophy: invest in your team first, and the numbers will follow. Good material for team meetings and staff development sessions.
Best for: teams watching together during morning huddles or staff meetings.

10. Productive Dentist Academy (YouTube)
PDA's channel features conference presentations, coaching tips, and case studies from their network of practices. The content covers clinical production, scheduling optimization, and new patient growth. If you can't attend their live events, the YouTube channel gives you a solid sample of their approach.
Best for: practices exploring PDA's coaching model before committing to a program.

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What Dental Conferences Should You Attend in 2026?

Conferences give you something no podcast, book, or online course can replicate: in-person connections with the people building the future of dentistry. The exhibit halls introduce you to tools you didn't know existed. The hallway conversations often teach you more than the scheduled sessions. And as Moz's research on authority signals suggests, the relationships you build at these events often lead to the collaborations, referrals, and partnerships that grow your practice faster than any marketing campaign. These 14 events are worth putting on your calendar for 2026 and beyond.

1. Voices of Dentistry
A younger, community-driven conference that connects early and mid-career dentists with mentors and industry leaders. The vibe is collaborative rather than corporate, and the content covers career planning, clinical skills, and personal development. The dental community that formed around this event is one of its biggest draws.
Best for: early to mid-career dentists building their professional network.

2. SmileCon (ADA Annual Meeting)
The ADA's flagship annual meeting attracts thousands of dental professionals and features the largest dental exhibition in North America. The CE sessions cover every specialty and business topic, and the networking opportunities are unmatched in scale. The exhibit hall alone justifies the trip for anyone evaluating new products.
Best for: anyone who wants the largest, most diverse dental conference experience.

3. The Dental Festival
A newer event that blends clinical education with a festival-like atmosphere. It attracts a younger demographic and emphasizes hands-on workshops, live dentistry demonstrations, and interactive experiences. If traditional conferences feel stale, this one is worth trying.
Best for: dentists looking for a more engaging, non-traditional conference format.

4. Dykema DSO Conference
The premier event for the DSO and dental group space. If you're building, selling to, or working within a dental support organization, this is where the decision-makers gather. Sessions cover valuations, M&A trends, operational scaling, and regulatory developments.
Best for: DSO executives, multi-location owners, and dentists evaluating group models.

5. AADOM (American Association of Dental Office Management)
The only major conference focused specifically on dental office managers. AADOM's annual event offers CE tailored to practice administrators, covering HR compliance, billing optimization, team leadership, and technology implementation. If you value your office manager (and you should), send them here.
Best for: office managers and practice administrators seeking dedicated professional development.

6. DEO (Dental Entrepreneur Organization)
DEO events target practice owners who think like entrepreneurs. Their conferences and masterminds cover growth strategy, acquisition playbooks, and operational scaling from people who've done it. Smaller than SmileCon, but the conversations are more focused on business growth.
Best for: ambitious owners building toward multi-location or partnership models.

7. Dental Whale Summit
A practice management conference organized by Dental Whale that focuses on operations, growth, and profitability. The format emphasizes workshops and peer discussion over traditional lecture sessions. Attendees tend to be hands-on practice owners looking for actionable takeaways.
Best for: practice owners who prefer workshop-style learning and peer discussion.

8. Pacific Dental Conference (PDC)
One of the largest dental conferences in Canada, held annually in Vancouver. PDC attracts speakers and attendees from across North America and offers a strong mix of clinical CE and practice management sessions. The exhibit hall is substantial, and Vancouver doesn't hurt as a travel destination.
Best for: Canadian dentists and US dentists looking for a high-quality international conference.

9. Greater New York Dental Meeting
One of the oldest and largest dental meetings in the world, held annually at the Javits Center in Manhattan. Over 50,000 attendees, hundreds of exhibitors, and a massive CE program spanning all specialties. The sheer scale makes it ideal for thorough product scouting and CE completion.
Best for: dentists who want to complete CE requirements and explore the largest exhibit hall.

10. Hinman Dental Meeting
Held in Atlanta, Hinman is one of the most respected regional dental meetings in the US. It's known for the quality of its speakers, the organization of its CE program, and the Southern hospitality that runs through the event. Many attendees call it their favorite annual dental meeting.
Best for: dentists in the Southeast looking for a well-organized, high-quality regional meeting.

11. Chicago Midwinter Meeting
Organized by the Chicago Dental Society, this is one of the largest and most well-attended dental meetings in the country. Held every February, it offers a strong CE program, a major exhibition, and a central location that draws attendees from across the Midwest and beyond.
Best for: Midwest dentists and anyone looking for a major winter CE event.

12. Yankee Dental Congress
The largest dental meeting in the Northeast, held annually in Boston. Yankee offers a full CE program, a large exhibit hall, and a focus on both clinical and practice management education. The New England dental community is well-represented, making it a strong networking event for the region.
Best for: New England dentists and practice teams looking for a full-spectrum regional event.

13. Southwest Dental Conference
Hosted by the Dallas County Dental Society, this conference attracts dentists from across Texas and surrounding states. It's smaller than the national meetings, which makes it easier to connect with speakers and exhibitors. The CE program covers clinical topics, practice management, and compliance.
Best for: Texas and Southwest dentists who want a manageable, high-value regional event.

14. CDA Presents (California Dental Association)
One of the largest state dental conferences, held twice a year in Anaheim and San Francisco. CDA events combine strong CE programming with an extensive exhibit floor. California's dental market is large and competitive, so the content tends to reflect that intensity.
Best for: California dentists and anyone interested in trends from the largest US state dental market.

The dental profession moves fast. New tools launch every quarter. Patient expectations change. Insurance rules shift. And your competitors are reading the same articles and attending the same events you are.

The difference is what you do with the information. Pick three or four resources from this list and commit to them for the next 90 days. Listen to one new podcast per week. Read one book per quarter. Join one Facebook group and actually participate. Attend one conference this year that you've never been to before. If you're building a marketing strategy alongside your professional development, pair these resources with a proven dental SEO strategy to make sure the patients you're learning to serve can actually find you online.

Small, consistent investments in your own professional development compound faster than you'd expect. A single podcast episode can introduce you to a system that saves your front desk 10 hours a week. One book can reframe how you think about profitability. One conference connection can become your next associate or referral partner. And now you've got 112 places to start.

Did we miss a podcast, book, community, or conference that belongs on this list? Drop a comment below and tell us about it. We update this guide regularly and want to make sure nothing gets left out.

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Sources & References

  1. HubSpot Marketing Statistics Report
  2. Dental Economics Practice Success
  3. ADA Practice Resources
  4. BrightLocal Consumer Review Survey
  5. NIDCR Research Data

Frequently Asked Questions

The Dental Marketer hosted by Michael Arias is one of the most popular dental podcasts. It focuses on marketing strategies for practices with guests sharing tactics that drive new patient calls.

Yes, if you match the platform to your goals. Spear Education and Pankey Institute offer clinical depth. ACT Dental and Productive Dentist Academy focus on business growth. Many offer free introductory courses.

Start with Dental Practice Hero for systems, Traction for team management, and Profit First for Dentists for financial structure. These three cover the most common first-year ownership challenges.

Dental Nachos is the largest dental Facebook group with over 30,000 members. It covers clinical questions, practice acquisitions, job postings, and management discussions in a well-moderated space.

SmileCon offers the largest exhibit hall and CE program. DEO and Dykema cover business growth and DSO strategy. Voices of Dentistry is strong for networking and mentorship.

Start on LinkedIn and Instagram. Dr. Anissa Holmes and Kiera Dent post daily practice management content. Dr. Tarun Agarwal covers digital dentistry. Teresa Duncan focuses on insurance and billing.

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DentalBase Team

Expert dental industry content from the DentalBase team. We provide insights on practice management, marketing, compliance, and growth strategies for dental professionals.