Hot Wings & Dental Things: Episode 6

Sixth Episode

Kendra Flowers Refuses to Quite While Eating Spicy Wings

Kendra from Harmony Health talks access to care, tearing her ACL, and all things dentistry.

Welcome to this next episode of Hot Wings & Dental Things—the only show where sizzling wings meet hot takes on dentistry. PerfectFitOrtho™ Co-Founder Jayson Hogan, brings you real talk from the front lines of private practice, business growth, and everything in between.

PerfectFitOrtho’s Jayson Hogan sits down with Kendra Flowers, Executive Director of Harmony Health Foundation, for a fiery conversation on technology, humanity, and what it truly takes to expand access to care. With more than 23 years in dentistry, Kendra shares the real challenge of innovation in healthcare: not the patients, but the providers. Introducing AI tools, new workflows, and modern systems is often met with hesitation—not because clinicians don’t care, but because dentistry is rooted in routine. Add to that the reality that many underserved communities simply don’t have the infrastructure to support new technology, and innovation quickly becomes as much about problem-solving as it is about progress.

When the conversation shifts to access, Kendra delivers one of the most grounding truths of the episode: neglect is not chosen. Many patients aren’t skipping appointments because they don’t care—they’re choosing between eating, keeping their jobs, caring for family, and survival. With rising financial pressures and resource instability, dentistry often sits much higher on Maslow’s hierarchy than healthcare providers realize—unless there’s pain.

Her message to the industry is clear:

Lead with understanding, compassion, and systems designed for real lives, not ideal circumstances.

In true Hot Wings and Dental Things fashion, the heat intensifies and so does the storytelling. Kendra recounts one of her wildest professional experiences—traveling seven hours to secure a hygiene board patient, navigating missing persons, financial chaos, a flat tire, and even attempted extortion… all before passing her exam. It’s a story of grit, adaptability, humor, and relentless determination—qualities she believes healthcare leaders need now more than ever.

Competitive spirit intact and tears only partly from the spice, she reminds us that bravery in dentistry isn’t just clinical—it’s human.