A free weekly newsletter and podcast on how a dental practice makes money: PPOs, overhead, associate pay, DSOs and practice value, with real numbers.https://grind.dental/en-ushttps://grind.dental/p/pay-yourself-from-a-dental-practice-without-creating-a-tax-problem/https://grind.dental/p/pay-yourself-from-a-dental-practice-without-creating-a-tax-problem/Owner compensation, distributions, and the "reasonable salary" test.Sun, 30 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTPractice moneyMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/dental-ai-in-2026-the-funding-race-is-over-the-land-grab-has-begun/https://grind.dental/p/dental-ai-in-2026-the-funding-race-is-over-the-land-grab-has-begun/Pearl, Overjet and Videa raised the war chests. Now they're racing to wire themselves into every DSOWed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTTechnologyMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/why-dentistry-feels-doomed-online-and-what-the-data-actually-says/https://grind.dental/p/why-dentistry-feels-doomed-online-and-what-the-data-actually-says/Reddit says don't do it. The numbers say something more complicated: the problems are real, the conclusion isn't.Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTIndustryMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/from-a-500-corner-drugstore-to-the-world-s-largest-dental-distributor-the-henry-schein-story/https://grind.dental/p/from-a-500-corner-drugstore-to-the-world-s-largest-dental-distributor-the-henry-schein-story/A pharmacist in Queens, a mail order catalog, and nine decades of compounding growth that ended up stocking most of America's operatories.Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTIndustryMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/how-private-equity-actually-buys-a-dental-practice-step-by-step/https://grind.dental/p/how-private-equity-actually-buys-a-dental-practice-step-by-step/Friendly PCs, management fees, EBITDA multiples and the "second bite of the apple" The DSO roll-up in plain English.Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTIndustryMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/the-hygienist-shortage-is-getting-worse-and-the-data-explains-why/https://grind.dental/p/the-hygienist-shortage-is-getting-worse-and-the-data-explains-why/Only 60% of dentists say they have enough hygienists. The ADA's economists say this isn't a blip, it's a math problem.Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTIndustryMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/the-rise-of-aspen-dental-how-a-single-idea-grew-into-a-1-000-office-giant/https://grind.dental/p/the-rise-of-aspen-dental-how-a-single-idea-grew-into-a-1-000-office-giant/Build from scratch offices, wave after wave of private equity capital, and a value priced niche few others wantedThu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTIndustryMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/credentialing-101-how-insurance-panels-work-and-why-they-take-forever/https://grind.dental/p/credentialing-101-how-insurance-panels-work-and-why-they-take-forever/You may be ready to see patients. The insurers need 90 to 120 days to agree you exist.Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTInsuranceMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/dentistry-just-walked-into-walmart/https://grind.dental/p/dentistry-just-walked-into-walmart/One DSO is expanding to 15 locations inside Walmart stores. It is not the first to try this. It might be the one that makes it work.Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTIndustryMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/what-is-a-dso-in-dentistry/https://grind.dental/p/what-is-a-dso-in-dentistry/The term is everywhere in dental school and early career conversations. Here's exactly what it means, how DSOs work, and why the model has reshaped American dentistry.Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTIndustryMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/associate-buy-or-build-the-decision-that-s-quietly-worth-millions/https://grind.dental/p/associate-buy-or-build-the-decision-that-s-quietly-worth-millions/Three ways out of dental school, three wildly different net worth curves. The gap between them is bigger than almost anyone expects, and the only number that matters is the one you run for yourself.Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTCareerMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/the-15-yard-sign-that-built-a-dental-empire-how-rick-workman-made-heartland-dental/https://grind.dental/p/the-15-yard-sign-that-built-a-dental-empire-how-rick-workman-made-heartland-dental/A farm kid from a town of 247 turned a single Illinois practice into the largest dental support organization in America, a network of nearly 1,900 offices, and a personal fortune Forbes pegs at $1.6 billion. Here's how he did it and why the model he pioneered is the most argued over force in dentistry.Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTIndustryMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/aob-vs-eob-two-terms-every-front-desk-should-get-right/https://grind.dental/p/aob-vs-eob-two-terms-every-front-desk-should-get-right/They look almost identical — both end in "OB" — and they get mixed up at the front desk constantly. But an assignment of benefits and an explanation of benefits are completely different documents that show up at opposite ends of the same claim. Getting them straight prevents collection headaches and catches money you're owed.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTInsuranceMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/in-network-vs-out-of-network/https://grind.dental/p/in-network-vs-out-of-network/“In-network” and “out-of-network” are two of the most used — and most misunderstood — phrases in your practice, by patients and sometimes by staff. Patients often hear "out-of-network" as "they don't take my insurance," which is usually false. Owners describe themselves as "a PPO office" or "fee-for-service" without always being precise about what that means for billing, patient cost, and who actually gets paid.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTInsuranceMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/the-overhead-truth-your-p-l-is-hiding/https://grind.dental/p/the-overhead-truth-your-p-l-is-hiding/You billed a great month. You collected decently. And somehow you don’t have much left. Here’s what's actually happening, and what the numbers meanFri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTPractice moneyMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/the-ppo-math-no-one-shows-you-at-signing/https://grind.dental/p/the-ppo-math-no-one-shows-you-at-signing/Joining a PPO plan feels like gaining patients. What the contract doesn’t highlight is how much of every dollar you earn, you immediately hand back. The arithmetic is worse than most dentists realize, and for many practices, it’s been silently compressing their margins for years.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTInsuranceMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/the-written-fee-renegotiation-request/https://grind.dental/p/the-written-fee-renegotiation-request/Most dentists treat their PPO fee schedules as fixed. They aren't. You can ask a plan to raise the contracted fees you agreed to when you joined its network — and most owners never do, which is exactly why a schedule set five years ago quietly turns into a pay cut as overhead climbs.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTInsuranceMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/embezzlement-prevention/https://grind.dental/p/embezzlement-prevention/Dental embezzlement is common and incredibly costly. The natural next question is the one every owner asks: how do I keep it from happening to me?Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTPractice moneyMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/ppo-explained/https://grind.dental/p/ppo-explained/Dental PPOs are by far the dominant form of commercial dental coverage. Here is what you need to know.Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTInsuranceMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/stay-in-or-drop-ppo/https://grind.dental/p/stay-in-or-drop-ppo/Once you understand what a PPO is, the harder question follows: should you stay in the ones you're in? It's the issue that quietly weighs on more practice owners than almost any other. Many feel trapped — resentful of the write-offs, but afraid of empty chairs if they leave.Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTInsuranceMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/the-109k-employee-you-trust-the-most/https://grind.dental/p/the-109k-employee-you-trust-the-most/Dental embezzlement is not rare. It is not something that happens to careless owners. It is happening, statistically, to you or to someone you know.Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTPractice moneyMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/p-l-statement-explained/https://grind.dental/p/p-l-statement-explained/Understand one of the fundamental financial statements explained in a context familiar to you.Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTPractice moneyMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/ucr-fees-explained/https://grind.dental/p/ucr-fees-explained/Few terms in dental insurance cause as much confusion, and as much lost revenue, as “UCR.” Patients assume it’s a fair, objective standard. Plenty of dentists treat it like a fee schedule they’re supposed to match. In reality, UCR is one of the least transparent numbers in your entire revenue cycle, so much so that the American Dental Association flatly calls it “a misleading acronym.”Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTInsuranceMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/why-profit-doesn-t-always-equal-cash-and-why-your-cash-flow-statement-matters/https://grind.dental/p/why-profit-doesn-t-always-equal-cash-and-why-your-cash-flow-statement-matters/Understand the relation between profit, your cash flow statement, and P&L statementWed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTPractice moneyMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/the-one-big-beautiful-bill-changed-dentistry-here-s-what-nobody-is-explaining-clearly/https://grind.dental/p/the-one-big-beautiful-bill-changed-dentistry-here-s-what-nobody-is-explaining-clearly/The bill that cut your loans, shrank your repayment options, and told rural America to figure it out.Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTIndustryMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/what-caused-the-dso-boom-the-answer-is-hiding-in-the-debt-data/https://grind.dental/p/what-caused-the-dso-boom-the-answer-is-hiding-in-the-debt-data/The reason why many young dentists choose a DSO isn't laziness. It's this.Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTIndustryMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/the-six-figure-trap-young-dentists-are-falling-into/https://grind.dental/p/the-six-figure-trap-young-dentists-are-falling-into/Rising debt, higher living costs, and delayed ownership are creating a strange new reality where many young dentists earn six figures while still feeling financially behindMon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTCareerMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/ai-is-quietly-replacing-one-of-dentistry-s-most-repetitive-tasks/https://grind.dental/p/ai-is-quietly-replacing-one-of-dentistry-s-most-repetitive-tasks/Most dentists think AI in dentistry will look dramatic, but the real transformation is happening quietly inside the workflow. The future winners in dental AI may not be the companies building robots — they may be the ones removing the most operational friction.Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTTechnologyMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/california-just-fired-a-warning-shot-at-corporate-dentistry-73b3fce90a9cdd21/https://grind.dental/p/california-just-fired-a-warning-shot-at-corporate-dentistry-73b3fce90a9cdd21/California’s new Senate Bill 351 directly targets private equity influence in dental and medical practices and New York may be moving in a similar direction.Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTIndustryMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/insurance-companies-are-quietly-squeezing-dental-practices/https://grind.dental/p/insurance-companies-are-quietly-squeezing-dental-practices/Most dentists have a reimbursement problem. As overhead rises and insurance reimbursements stagnate, some of dentistry’s busiest practices are quietly becoming its least profitable.Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTInsuranceMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/private-practice-isn-t-dead-it-just-has-to-evolve/https://grind.dental/p/private-practice-isn-t-dead-it-just-has-to-evolve/The future of independent dentistry may not look like the traditional solo office anymore. It may look more like founder-led regional groups with centralized systems, operational discipline, and corporate-level infrastructure.Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTIndustryMichael Ghalebhttps://grind.dental/p/rising-costs-are-changing-how-smart-practices-operate/https://grind.dental/p/rising-costs-are-changing-how-smart-practices-operate/Dentistry has officially entered its “everything is more expensive” era. The practices winning right now are not necessarily producing the most dentistry.Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTOperationsMichael Ghaleb