The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes 2506: From the First Call to a Lifelong Patient Relationship
May 11, 2026
Dr. Mark Costes, founder of the Dental Success Institute and longtime practice owner who runs charitable dentistry work, shares lessons from his unconventional path. He talks about building trust through team culture. He discusses mapping patient touchpoints and using systems that stay human. He highlights retention metrics and practical steps to improve communication and case acceptance.
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Crooked Path Into Dentistry Shaped His Business Mindset
- Mark Costes described his crooked path into dentistry, taking three years and 21 tries to get in while building business experience and an EMBA before dental school.
- That struggle taught him business skills, resilience, and gratitude that later shaped his practice-building approach and book Pillars of Dental Success.
Now Doing Dentistry For Free Through His Nonprofit
- Mark described his current passion: running Smile Outreach International and delivering roughly $2M in charitable dentistry across multiple countries.
- He travels extensively to lead clinics in Honduras, Fiji, Dominican Republic, and Tanzania with volunteer teams.
Dentistry Requires Balanced Clinical And People Skills
- Dentistry requires three pillars: academic science, motor (technical) skills, and interpersonal customer service, and excellence needs balance across all three.
- Mark argues top academic performers often lack the social skills to build patient trust, so mid‑range well‑rounded practitioners can outperform purely academic stars.
