Technology, Equipment, and the Nuts and Bolts of Building Evelina Smiles

In this episode Ashley sits down with Dr. Rich Constantine for a deep dive into every system, tool, and piece of equipment going into Evelina Smiles before the doors open. The decisions nobody tells you about until you are already making them.

What You'll Hear in This Episode:

05:00 – Practice Management Software Cloud-based vs server-based and why Rich made the choice he did. What to look for in a startup package. Why the software you choose is one of the hardest decisions to ever walk back.

12:00 – Phones, Payments, and Patient Communication How Rich is handling incoming calls, patient messaging, and merchant services. Why transparent pricing at checkout eliminates awkward counter conversations. And how he is handling insurance credentialing without doing it alone.

20:00 – Insurance Delta Dental, teachers, veterans, and the employers driving his in-network decisions. Why being in-network is marketing in disguise. How Rich thinks about PPOs without turning the practice into a dental mill.

28:00 – Equipment: CT, Chairs, and Cabinetry Why Rich visited vendor showrooms in person before committing to anything. DCI chairs over his previous brand for quality at a lower price point. How Design Ergonomics shaped the entire clinical floor plan and why rear delivery and a tub system beat side cabinetry every time.

38:00 – AI Tools Worth Knowing About AI-assisted radiograph analysis that patients actually get excited about. Instant chairside smile simulations without sending anything to a lab. After hours and overflow call answering so no patient ever hits a voicemail. And the implant robot neither of them are buying yet but cannot stop talking about.

46:00 – Supply Ordering and Equipment Timing Why Rich has not touched his FF&E loan yet. What he ordered early and why. The master supply list mistake that costs new practices money fast. Startup regrets from location one including lab space and cabinetry overspending.

52:00 – Construction Update Power is on. Parking lot paved. Landscaping finalized. Custom cabinetry going in this week. Equipment install weeks scheduled for June. Oh and there is a peanut butter conversation that you did not know you needed.

Coming Next Episode: More from the build as Evelina Smiles gets closer to opening day.

Connect with Ashley: Instagram: @ashleyjovesdds

Connect with Rich: Instagram @dr.c_smiles or richconstantinedds@gmail.com

Thank You to Our Partners

• Net32: The dental marketplace that helps practice owners stop overpaying for supplies. Compare and save at net32.com/themakingof.
• Studio 8E8 — Dentistry's story-driven growth agency for startups. s8e8.com/vsl
• Kasper Opportunity Finder: Fill those empty chairs and reclaim lost revenue with one click. Get it free at meetkasper.com/register.

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