Picture this: A dentist and an entrepreneur, sitting across from each other, dreaming about ways to elevate our profession. That's how every great partnership begins, right? Well, during one of our strategic planning sessions, I turned to my business partner Shawn Zajas and said, "You know what? Why don't we start a podcast?"

Now, if you know Shawn, you know his brain immediately went into branding mode. (The man can't help himself—it's like watching an artist see a blank canvas.) As he was thinking about what to call our new venture, he looked at me and said something that stopped me in my tracks:

"Allison, everything about who you are is perfectly captured in three words:
The Authentic Dentist."

Here's the thing—I've always been that person who can't help but say what everyone else is thinking. When I see production pressures forcing unnecessary treatment plans, I speak up. When I witness colleagues struggling with moral conflicts they're too afraid to voice, I create safe spaces for those conversations. When systems prioritize profit over patients, I become what some might call "inconveniently honest."

Shawn had watched me navigate countless situations where being authentic wasn't the easy choice, but it was always the right one. He'd seen me advocate for legislative changes that others whispered about but wouldn't publicly support. He knew about the times I'd been labeled "too idealistic" for believing that ethics and success could coexist.

So when he said "The Authentic Dentist," it wasn't just a podcast name—it was a mirror.

It reflected someone who's never learned to compartmentalize their values, who believes that our profession's greatest strength lies in the integrity of its practitioners, and who's built a career on the radical idea that being genuinely yourself is not just possible in dentistry—it's essential.

The name stuck because it captured something I'd been unconsciously embodying my entire career: the belief that authenticity isn't just a nice-to-have quality in healthcare—it's the foundation of everything meaningful we do.

And honestly? It perfectly describes the community we're building together.

Every dental professional who's ever felt like they were "too much" for caring deeply about patient welfare, too idealistic for questioning profit-driven protocols, or too principled for compromising their values—you're part of The Authentic Dentist movement.

Because at the end of the day, being authentic isn't about being perfect. It's about being real, being brave, and being willing to stand up for what matters most, even when (especially when) it's not the easy path.

That's who The Authentic Dentist is. That's who we are.

– Dr. Allison House

"The Authentic Dentist"