Kinda Different: Innovation, Connection, and Making Dental Care More Human

About Kinda Different: Innovation, Connection, and Making Dental Care More Human

Kinda Different is a short podcast from the people at DifferentKind (differentkind.com). We chat with dental industry leaders, clinical providers, and patients to discuss innovation in dentistry, connect with our fascinating guests on a personal level, and explore how together we can make dental care more human.

Publisher

DifferentKind

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Feb 2022

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

67 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Can AI Make Dentistry More Human? With Dr. Ryan Hungate of Henry Schein One

   Can artificial intelligence actually make dental care more human? In the Season 7 premiere of Kinda Different, Dr. Matt Allen, CEO and co-founder of DifferentKind, sits down with Dr. Ryan Hungate, Chief Strategy and Clinical Officer at Henry Schein One, to explore how AI is transforming dental practice management, patient trust, and the future of dentistry.Ryan believes we're approaching a golden age of dentistry, one where AI eliminates administrative friction, gives dental professionals more time to focus on patients, and helps people better understand their treatment options and costs.But technology alone isn't enough. What happens when we use AI not just to improve efficiency, but to help dental teams communicate better, build trust, and improve patient outcomes?In this episode, we explore:- How Henry Schein One's Model Context Protocol (MCP) opens new possibilities for dental practice management- Why AI could help dentists rediscover the joy of practicing dentistry- How AI agents can automate administrative tasks and revenue cycle management- The emerging role of ambient listening and AI-powered clinical communication coaching- Why patient trust, treatment acceptance, and treatment completion are connected- How clearer insurance information and price transparency can improve the patient experience- Why the smallest human interactions can make the biggest difference in building trustEpisode chapters:00:00 | Welcome to Season 7 of Kinda Different01:05 | Ryan Hungate's vision for Henry Schein One02:20 | MCP, AI agents, and the future of dental practice management06:59 | What should dental teams do with the time AI saves?08:15 | Restoring the joy of dentistry11:59 | Ryan's personal story, family, and professional legacy15:05 | Building patient trust and treatment confidence18:08 | Making dental care more human with AI19:21 | Ambient listening and AI-powered clinical coaching24:39 | What builds trust from a patient's perspective?27:11 | Price transparency and the future of dental payments28:45 | What's next for Henry Schein One?About our guestDr. Ryan Hungate is the Chief Strategy and Clinical Officer at Henry Schein One, where he helps guide innovation across dental technology, artificial intelligence, clinical workflows, and practice management.About Kinda DifferentKinda Different is a podcast from DifferentKind, hosted by Dr. Matt Allen. Each episode explores innovation in dentistry through conversations with people working to make dental care more human.Learn more about DifferentKind: https://www.differentkind.comLearn more about Henry Schein One: https://www.henryscheinone.com

2. 

   7 Oct 2026

   How provider enablement and pay-for-reporting can move dentistry forward with Rebekah Mathews

   This episode explores how the dental payer world can innovate without losing sight of the human side of care. Matt Allen is joined by Rebecca Mathews, who brings about 20 years of experience at the intersection of oral health policy and system improvement, to discuss provider enablement, alternative payment models, and what it will take to make dental care more human.We discuss why the biggest barrier to progress is often not the technology itself, but the human work required to use it well, and why pay-for-reporting may be a practical first step toward better data sharing and more advanced value-based care.Key topicsRebecca Mathews shares her background in oral health policy, state government relations, Medicaid funding, and work with DentaQuest and CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.The conversation centers on the “human side” of digital transformation and why dentistry needs more support for change management.Rebecca explains provider enablement as equipping clinical teams with tools, resources, and strategies to adopt new workflows successfully.Matt and Rebecca discuss how dentistry has lagged medicine in operational support for change, including infrastructure and human adaptation during EHR and value-based care rollouts.Technology is framed as a partner, not the center, with its role being to unlock data, improve workflows, support quality, and strengthen financial performance.They dig into alternative payment models and how more dental plans are using them to tie reimbursement more closely to quality.Rebecca explains pay-for-reporting as a simpler alternative payment arrangement where reimbursement is earned by submitting structured data.Examples include reporting caries risk status and supporting closed-loop referrals in medical-dental integration work.Matt emphasizes that shared data can create a more balanced payer-provider relationship and help practices shape the future of value-based care instead of reacting to it later.The discussion closes on patient experience, with Rebecca noting that the industry still tends to measure it episodically rather than longitudinally across the care journey.Timestamps(00:00) Setting up the conversation after NADP Converge and the payer innovation theme(01:25) Rebecca Mathews introduces her background in oral health policy and system improvement(04:10) Why the human side of digital transformation matters most right now(08:07) Provider enablement and why dentistry has lacked this kind of support(10:50) New DSO roles and tools that reflect a more medical-style approach to support(12:21) Technology as a partner for workflow, quality, and financial improvement(13:35) How provider-payer partnerships can build enablement at scale(14:05) Alternative payment models and the push to connect reimbursement with quality(15:09) What pay-for-reporting is and why it matters for structured data exchange(16:40) Using pay-for-reporting to track caries risk status over time(18:19) Closed-loop referrals and medical-dental integration examples(19:01) Why shared data creates trust and opens the door to more advanced payment models(22:59) A lighter turn: music, podcasts, and a few personal preferences(27:27) Why patient experience is still measured too episodically(28:40) What really gets a patient through the door versus what keeps them loyal(31:37) How to reach Rebecca for APM and oral health policy conversations

3. 

   10 Dec 2025

   11 Hot Takes That Will Change How You Market Your Dental Practice with Nicole Toudouze

   Host Matt interviews Nicole Toudouze, CEO and founder of Transcendental, sharing eleven unfiltered dental marketing insights to drive practice growth and enhance patient experience.

Who has been a guest on Kinda Different: Innovation, Connection, and Making Dental Care More Human

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Nicole Toudouze
• Dr Maulik Kotdawala
• Thomas Passalacqua
• Caroline McLeod
• Caitlin Walsdorf

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.4 / 5

7 ratings

Contact Kinda Different: Innovation, Connection, and Making Dental Care More Human

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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