Dental Tech Talks

by Youssef Hanine

#53 - Capturing Patient Intent Before They Sit in the Chair. A Conversation with Dr. Padma Gadiyar of Smilo.ai

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef Hanine sits down with Dr. Padma Gadiyar, founder of Smilo.ai, to unpack one of the most overlooked drivers in dentistry: patient intent. Dr. Padma shares how clinics are using AI-powered smile simulations and pre-visit engagement to understand patient motivations before they ever sit in the chair. We explore fear, trust, high-ticket treatment conversations, and why capturing intent at home changes everything for both patients and providers. Dr. Padma also shares the best advice she’s received as a healthcare entrepreneur and why curiosity should never be boxed in.

E52

Mar 10, 2026

33:46

#52 - Turning Dentistry Into a Profitable Business. Inside EBITDent With Kristie Kapp

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef Hanine sits down with Kristie Kapp, founder of EBITDent and a longtime leader across nearly every role in dentistry. Kristie shares how her partnership with her daughter, Joey Albertson, came together to bridge the gap between financial clarity and real-world dental operations. We dive into the realities dentists face as accidental entrepreneurs, why clean P and Ls and focused KPIs matter more than ever, and how accountability and systems drive sustainable profitability. From EBITDA optimization and valuation readiness to team buy-in and hygiene growth, this episode offers practical insights for practice owners looking to gain control of their numbers and build a practice that truly works for them.

E52

Feb 26, 2026

29:16

#51 - Building a Digital Front Desk. How proVEN Is Fixing Broken Patient Access in Dentistry

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef Hanine sits down with Efrain Ramirez, founder and CEO of proVEN Digital Systems, to unpack why the dental front desk is one of the most overlooked growth levers in healthcare. With over 20 years of experience across healthcare operations, compliance, and large-scale patient access systems, Efrain shares how broken communication leads to lost appointments, staff burnout, and poor patient experiences. We explore how Proven is building a true front desk operating system that unifies phones, text, chat, reviews, and AI, while staying HIPAA-compliant and human-centered. If you care about reducing no-shows, improving response times, and letting clinicians practice at the top of their license, this conversation is a must-listen.

E51

Feb 14, 2026

21:37

#50 - From Automation to Agentic AI. How Mario Lazo Is Building Scalable Intelligence for the Enterprise

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef Hanine sits down with Mario Lazo, Principal AI Solution Architect at Evergreen and a longtime leader in enterprise automation and AI. Mario shares his journey from RPA at UiPath and Blue Prism to designing agentic AI systems that operate at scale across Fortune 100 organizations. We explore why AI’s real impact lives in the unglamorous details, how human judgment and talent shape successful AI deployments, and what it takes to move from task based automation to workforce augmentation. From healthcare data fragmentation to multimodal agents and AI driven decision making, this conversation offers a grounded look at where enterprise AI is actually headed and what dental and healthcare leaders can learn from it.

E50

Feb 5, 2026

34:46

#49 - Security First: Joshua Nelson on HIPAA, AI Threats, and Practical Defenses for Dental Practices

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef sits down with Joshua Nelson, CXO of WOM Technology Management Group, to unpack realistic cybersecurity and compliance for dental practices. Joshua explains why HIPAA-level controls are the practical baseline for every small business, how AI is making phishing and automated attacks far more convincing, and why multi-factor authentication, layered defenses, and regular assessments are the best return on your security budget. We cover real breach fallout, the hidden costs of downtime and data theft, simple staff habits that prevent incidents, and how to use proactive testing to find gaps before attackers do. If you care about protecting patient data and keeping your practice running, this episode is a must-listen.

E49

Jan 30, 2026

28:20

#48 - Scaling Care, Not Just Clinics: Matthew Hernandez on People-First Ops and Same-Day Dentistry

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef sits down with Matthew Hernandez, Director of Operations at Mukilteo Dental Center and a third-generation dental leader with 25-plus years building DSOs, labs, and high-volume practices. We cover Matthew’s origin story, how he turned a 30,000 square foot space into a patient-centered, tech-enabled hub, and the operational changes that moved his team from chaos to repeatable performance. Expect practical playbooks on department design, KPI-driven decision making, same-day crown manufacturing, AI in scanning and lab workflows, and leadership lessons for scaling without losing culture. If you care about sustainable operations, faster clinical turnarounds, or building clinics that patients actually love, this one’s for you.

E48

Jan 22, 2026

32:52

#47 - How Hello Patient Is Rebuilding Healthcare Communication with Real Voice AI, with Alex Cohen

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef sits down with Alex Cohen, CEO and co-founder of Hello Patient, an Austin-based healthcare technology company reshaping how clinics communicate with patients. Before launching Hello Patient, Alex helped Carbon Health scale to more than 130 locations and over 200 million dollars in annual revenue, giving him a deep understanding of operational chaos inside busy healthcare groups. We explore how Hello Patient uses enterprise-grade conversational AI to automate scheduling, reduce abandoned calls, improve patient access, and create a more efficient front-office experience. Alex breaks down real integration challenges, why generative AI still needs guardrails, and how practices can adopt automation responsibly without losing trust or empathy.

E47

Dec 19, 2025

29:39

#46 - From Banking to Cookies to Dental AI: How Shaz Sheikh Is Redefining Automation and Voice Intelligence

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef sits down with Shahzeb “Shaz” Sheikh, a product leader who has built digital experiences across finance, e-commerce, and now dentistry. From leading U.S. Bank’s $8B merger integration to transforming David’s Cookies into a modern digital brand, Shaz has mastered the art of blending creativity with systems thinking. Now in stealth mode, he’s building AI-driven voice and automation tools designed to simplify dental operations and elevate patient experience. Tune in to hear how Shaz approaches innovation, data privacy, and the next wave of human-AI collaboration in dentistry.

E46

Dec 11, 2025

27:46

#45 - Bridging Technology and Empathy: How Intiveo is Redefining Patient Engagement

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef Hanine sits down with Josh DeVries, CEO and co-founder of Intiveo, a patient-engagement platform trusted by more than 60,000 providers across North America. Josh shares how he went from modernizing academic dental software at Exan (Henry Schein One) to building Intiveo — a company that now automates over 90 million messages a year and supports 33 million patients. We explore how academic insights shaped Intiveo’s design, why communication is the backbone of patient trust, how DSOs use integration as a growth superpower, and what’s next as AI enters the world of patient experience.

E45

Dec 5, 2025

42:25

#44 - How PatienXpress is Powering Paperless Dentistry with AI and Automation — with Hemesh Surana

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, we sits down with Hemesh Surana, founder of PatientXpress and former Oracle executive turned dental tech entrepreneur. After helping billion-dollar corporations streamline operations, Himesh applied his expertise to his wife’s struggling dental office—building a prototype that would evolve into a full-scale, all-in-one platform now used across five continents. We discuss how Patient Express is helping practices go fully paperless, cut admin costs, and achieve up to 44 % net-income growth through features like AI-powered voice reception, smart caller ID, and automated workflows. Himesh also shares his take on data security, WhatsApp-based engagement trends, and his long-term mission to simplify the black box of dental insurance.

E44

Nov 21, 2025

26:07

1 of 5