Podcasts about American Dental Association

Send us a textTwo wonderful softwares at battle with each other. Unfortunately, Dentrix is flexing their mighty muscle, and it just might lead to dental practices making the switch to other dental practice management software. Vyne is the preferred software when it comes to the submission of dental insurance claims. Hopefully they'll fix their integration issues. Tracy takes on the podcast on this power struggle issue.Support the show

Dr. Len Tau, aka the Reviews Doctor, is on the podcast. With Kiera, he goes into the most critical nuts and bolts of making sure your practice stands out (or at least keeps pace with) online reviews amid AI. He explains jargon terms like ranking power and factors and velocity of reviews, whether or not you should actually be responding to reviews of your practice, and a ton more. Visit SuperchargeYourDentalPractice.com and enter the code RAVING to save $100 on registration for Dr. Tau's annual conference. About Dr. Tau Dr. Len Tau thrives on helping practices maximize their online reputation, marketing, and social media strategies. As a speaker, Len is known for his lively and engaging presentations packed with ready-to-use strategies. He regularly travels the country sharing his marketing brilliance and passion for practice growth with audiences. As a consultant, he offers practice leaders with real-world solutions tailored to fit their specific challenges and opportunities. Len loves to help doctors and their teams understand and implement successful online systems to build their practice. He currently serves as general manager of the Dental for Birdeye Reputation Marketing Software. Selected as one of Philadelphia's Top Dentists by Philadelphia Magazine, he continues to experience growth year after year in his fee-for-service practice focusing on general, cosmetic, reconstructive and implant dentistry. Following his father into the dental profession, Len graduated from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and continues to pursue ongoing continuing education opportunities. He has had the privilege of serving patients for two decades. He is an active member of numerous professional organizations including the American Dental Association, the Pennsylvania Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, the Eastern Dental Society, the Northeast Philadelphia Dental Implant Study Club, and the American Academy of Clear Aligners. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Kiera Dent (00:00) Hello, Dental Team listeners. This is Kiera and today I am so excited. This is one of my dear friends. We've known each other for several years in the industry. I'm super freaking pumped. I'm going actually be at his event next year in September. Little teaser. Stay tuned. He's got an amazing event he does every year in September. I have Dr. Len Tau. He is one of my faves. He is better known ⁓ as an authority in the dental consulting world, reputation marketing, and a practice growth. He's recognized by dentistry today as a top dental consultant for eight straight years.   He is the author of Raving Patients and 100 plus tips to 105 star reviews in a hundred days. Like this man knows how to do it. He's one of my faves. We really do collaborate on so many fun things. After 20 plus years in clinical practice, he now helps dentists nationwide, increase revenue, case acceptance and visibility. He leads the dental vision at BirdEye, hosts the Raving Patients podcast and runs the Supercharger Dental Practice Conference, which is the one I was alluding to that we're gonna be at next year in September, empowering practices to thrive in today's competitive landscape.   He's truly one of my faves. And today we're gonna dig into like, how do you get online reviews? But Len, welcome. I'm so happy to have you on the podcast. How are you today?   Dr. Len Tau (01:06) I'm good, thanks for having me, I'm excited to be here.   Kiera Dent (01:08) Of course. And this just came about because Len like, let's just do a little teaser. You're prepping full like steam ahead right now for your event that's coming up in September in Florida. ⁓ I love like the last time you and I were on the podcast, we talked about you in clinical dentistry. And then we reconnected after some time and you've left the chair, you're living your best life and you full blown gone into the event space. So just like, I know we're gonna get into like online reviews and how AI is changing that it's going to be just a really, really fun episode today. But tell us a little bit like   How is it going from like full blown dentist in the chair to now full blown events, like running these awesome events that we're super excited to be a part. Just kind of give me a little insight to that.   Dr. Len Tau (01:46) Well, it's been, it's been a lot of, a lot of fun. It's been very different, obviously, you know, for 23 years, I practiced dentistry, um, for about 12 of those, 13 of those who was full time. And then I went part time in 2017 until I sold and retired in 2022. Um, but one of the things I've grew up on in dentistry was going to dental events and, the big, the ones, the small ones, you know, all over the country and as a dentist first, and then as a vendor.   Kiera Dent (02:08) Mm-hmm.   Dr. Len Tau (02:15) Um, since 2013 or 14, so a long time in the space. know, one of the things that really hit me was that the events are not really put on very well. They're not, um, you know, whether you, if you're a dentist, there's issues when you're a vendor, there's issues. And I said, you know what? I want to change the game. And, um, one of my goals when I retired from dentistry was to start putting on events. So in 2023, um, in, in September, we did an event in Delray had 208.   Kiera Dent (02:25) Right.   Dr. Len Tau (02:44) Dennis there, 33 sponsors. was, first day was business, second day was marketing. Excuse me. First day was marketing. Second day was business. Had a 13, 14 speakers. It went off better than I could ever imagined. I then moved to the last year in 2024 to Scottsdale. And we were at the Scott Resort and Spa, which is a beautiful hotel and the event was good. It wasn't great. Definitely moving to different coasts.   I felt there was not as much, know, engagement, excitement about the event. So I, my family and my wife and I decided, Hey, we're going to do this. Let's have people come down to me. I live in beautiful, you know, part of Florida. we're having this year's event and the next three of them at super at, ⁓ at pure 66, a brand new hotel, ⁓ in Fort Lauderdale. It's literally half hour from my house, five miles from the airport, easy to get to. So this year event is September 26th and 27th.   Kiera Dent (03:32) Bye.   you   No.   Mm-hmm.   Dr. Len Tau (03:45) We've got 14 speakers, ⁓ mixture of business and marketing. So we've got people talking about social media, about content. We have people talking about saving money on taxes. We're talking about how to become a fee-for-service practice. ⁓ So a lot of different great content and top speakers, Steve Rasner, Paul Goodman, ⁓ Jeff Buski, ⁓ Richard, Rich Maddow. So some real, real heavy hitters. And then some people who people haven't really heard of, Melanie Diesel, who's new in the dental industry.   So, but I like to do it differently and my events are very high end. You come, you're going to see things you probably have never seen before. I give a ton of time to the vendors so the vendors love me because they make sure that they get integration or interaction with the attendees. So you're going to be speaking in 2026, same weekend at September 25th and 26th in 2026, same hotel, pure 66.   Kiera Dent (04:28) Sure.   Yeah.   Dr. Len Tau (04:40) We're ramping things up right now. We're literally a month out from the events. still have people signing up. I still have people wanting to reach out as sponsors. And it's, it's, it's, is the fun time for me. Cause when I'm done, I'm, you know, I get a couple of months of break and then I start promoting 2027 again. So ⁓ it's been a good time. I really enjoy it. And I find that I've kind of ⁓ created something that's very different and the attendees really enjoy it and the vendors really enjoy it. So if I can make everybody happy,   Kiera Dent (04:45) No.   Dr. Len Tau (05:09) That's all I'm looking to do here.   Kiera Dent (05:11) ⁓ and Len, I hope the audience, if they can't see it, they can hear it. I think it's so fun because I mean, I've seen you in different spaces in your career, in your life. And there is just this like giddy, like younger version of Len that I feel is emerging of like, it's like giddy boyhood, like excitement of I'm excited to put these on. I'm excited to do these events. And it just makes me so happy for you. And what I think I'm hearing is yes, attendees are happy. Vendors are happy. But I also hear that Len is very happy and to do something   in dentistry is just very, very fun. It's very exciting. And so we're jazzed. I'm really excited. I love good events. I love great time. I love to help. love business marketing. Everybody can take that. That's not Kiera's jam. Like I, that's why I wanted to bring you on. You guys are very good at marketing. You're very good at that space. but to talk about how to help people have their best lives to grow the practices that they want to grow. I think you and I are so synergistic in that. So we're super excited and I love, I mean, I'm not going to highlight the fact that there were   a couple of sixes in that is September 26 at Pier 66. You guys hopefully like, I like the alliteration. Don't put anything weird on it guys, but I do appreciate that you made it easier. September six and nines flipped upside down are a six. Like hopefully everybody can remember September 26, Pier 66. It'll be a good time in 2026. I mean, we got four lines, so we're okay. We've at least got four sixes, not we didn't end on three, but I really hope an exciting step. We'll make sure we put some info for people.   For this year and for next year, I think it'll be a fun time. Dental A Team will be there, so come hang out with us. ⁓ Len, I'm super excited. I will not spoil secrets, but a lot of the things he told me for the events, I will say he does put his heart and soul into it. So Len, excited about that. Thank you for sharing. Good luck for this year. We're gonna be rooting you on this year and next year. And now let's pivot. Let's go into like your jam. You're in BirdEye, you're in marketing, you're on online reviews. AI has come into the scene. Practices are changing.   I also will say, I hope everybody listens to you of their like succession story. You hung up the hand piece, but you are still full steam ahead in dentistry. And so I hope people see that like there is no path to dentistry. Like you just, it's a, it's a beautiful world that you're in. So let's talk though, online reviews, AI, how is this working? How do we make sure that practices are still being visible? Chat GPT is on, on the prowl.   There are clients signing up with us now that have found us on chat. GPT, which is so random. It's changing how people have been doing things. Walk me through. What are you seeing with these online reviews? The importance, how to bring AI in? Like, let's just kind of go in a rift on how practices can still be visible with AIs. Like just showing up to the scene.   Dr. Len Tau (07:43) So I wanna talk about chat CPT for a second. ⁓ I refer to it as my best friend. ⁓ It helps me edit. No, I haven't named it yet. No, I haven't named it. ⁓ you have?   Kiera Dent (07:50) Have you named it? I've got to just ask Len. Have you named? I have! Me and Chet,   I had a name and now her name is Wanda. I don't know why, I don't even know where Wanda came, but people are like, here, are you hanging out with Wanda again? Cause I agree. Like they're our best friends. So go on Len. I can't wait to hear what you name your Chet GPT cause mine is currently Wanda.   Dr. Len Tau (08:06) I'll have to, I   have to name it now that I have to think of something. ⁓ but no, I started using it. I'm like, this is really helpful and it's only gotten better. And, just to give you an idea is, ⁓ my wife and I, and my son, my son just graduated high school. He's literally just started his freshman year at, university of Florida on a free ride. ⁓ smart, smart ass kid. I'm very proud of him. But, you know, and I travel a ton, but I travel a ton for business and I made a commitment. I think I told you that,   Kiera Dent (08:25) Boo? Yeah.   Dr. Len Tau (08:35) during the summer when he was going away for school, I was not going to travel. So from March to literally next week, beginning of September, I haven't traveled at all for business. we did plan some really great travel for our personal lives. And one of the things we did was we had a cruise, a 17 day cruise to Europe. ⁓ And when I decided I did not want to do the excursions to the cruise, cause they're really expensive and you're with all these people. I prefer to kind of just go and tour myself.   Kiera Dent (08:44) It's awesome.   Dr. Len Tau (09:05) So I use ChatGPT in every city. And I said, I'm going to the city. This is what I'm going to get in. This is the cruise I'm going on. It got the cruise itinerary. And I said, I want to set up private tours in every city with different people. And it helped me pick the best tour guides. They referred me to a website called Tours by Local, which is an amazing website that you can meet people who are local that will take you around.   show you the city and it was amazing. It was amazing. So I thank Chachi PT for doing that because I wouldn't have known about half these things if I didn't do it. And in fact, one of the women, and actually the very first place you went to, which was in Split, Croatia, which was beautiful. I told her that literally that's kind of how I went down this road was I asked Chachi PT, what should I do in Split? And they said, you need to use this tour guide. She's the highest rated tour guide and has the best reviews on tours by local. like,   What's towards by local? And that started this whole thing. So she was, she was amazed to hear that. So, ⁓ I have been using Chad GPT for a long time, like I said, and even now it is people I know type in, know, get me to the best dentists in the area. And it's very much based on reviews. So you have to be a highly rated practice. you may not believe in reviews and if you do, think you're not smart, but you know, if, if you want to be at the forefront of where people are looking,   Kiera Dent (09:58) Yeah.   Yes.   Dr. Len Tau (10:25) You have to generate reviews in a significant amount. Velocity now, which is how often you're getting them, is one of the biggest ranking factors on Google, whether you want to believe chat GPT or not. ⁓ But you have to get reviews. You can't, you know, rest on your laurels and say, well, I have enough because you never have enough. Okay. And, ⁓ and you've got to let Google rank you high. And there's been a big discrepancy in the industry, a big, I don't want to say a misunderstanding.   Kiera Dent (10:43) read.   Dr. Len Tau (10:52) But I've been in the review space now since 2013, so 12 years. And in the past, dentists thought that if they get reviews, they're going to rank. And that's not the way it is anymore. If you have reviews, but don't pay attention to the other ranking factors, you actually don't rank well. And that's a problem. So, chat GPT AI is so important, but you still got to dominate Google. You still got to get to the top of the pages.   And that's really where the direction is going. and if you aren't there now and you are ignoring it, you're never going to get there. So I would love to talk to you about our list in instruct or educate the listeners and viewers of these ranking factors that they need, need to pay attention to, or they're going to be left behind when it comes to ranking on Google.   Kiera Dent (11:27) Yeah.   absolutely. And I'm excited for this too, because, I did notice that you've got to like, AI is just crawling the web. That's where it's getting, it's being taught. It's crawls it. It looks through all of it. And so agreed with you. have a lot of clients and like, we want the secret pill of marketing. And I might get your reviews up. Like it is constant and consistent that if you get those reviews up and you bring pieces to the table, that people literally like that's what's going to rank you higher. So I'm excited, Len to, to dig in deeper because it is like how   getting more reviews, but to hear that there's more beyond just the reviews really can help these offices like get the best bang for their buck, help more practices. And I'm like, it used to be when I first started consulting when I used to tell offices get to like 100 Google reviews. It is now I'm pushing people like five, six, 700 reviews that you need to be getting ranked into. And I don't know if you're seeing like a cutoff line or if it matters on that. So I'm really excited to dive into like, what are the rankings? What are the pieces? Is there a difference? But I'm like now   100 reviews, when I look at somebody I'm like, hmm, like if there's another dental practice that has maybe 400, 500 new clients come on, the first thing I do is I go look them up to see how many reviews do you have? And I'm shocked at how many dental practices actually are not showing up when I Google their names and they're like, no, no, care, we're here. And I'm like, but if I'm a prospective new client that doesn't work in your practice and I don't see you all the time and I just tried to find you and I'm looking for you.   How many patients who are not looking for you are not finding you as well. So yeah, take us away, and I'm super curious, very intrigued by this. It's fascinating. And I'll also say, because AI is new, feel like people got like a reset slate. Like, hey, you can actually get back into the game if you haven't been into the game, if you just start playing now. If you don't, I agree with you. I do think that you will unfortunately get obliterated without trying if you don't get into the game now.   Dr. Len Tau (13:28) 100 % so and I couldn't agree with you more. So the best thing to do here is if you're listening to this, I want you to go to a Google search and I want you to type your practice name in. Okay, so that's the first thing to do. Right.   Kiera Dent (13:39) and not in your office. Don't do it in   your office. Go somewhere else. Like try it somewhere else.   Dr. Len Tau (13:44) Right, well, and 100%, that's another thing is that if you're gonna look up your ranking specifically, you do not wanna do that from your office location, okay? Because you're not gonna get real results. You also wanna go into incognito mode or private browsing mode on your phone or your computer if you're doing that to check ranking. But this is not specifically about ranking. This is more about how you appear online. So go to Google and type in your practice name. Not your name unless it's the name of the practice, but your business name, okay?   Kiera Dent (13:52) Yes.   Mm-hmm.   Dr. Len Tau (14:13) and it doesn't have to be what's registered with the state board. It's how you, when you answer the phone, what you say, okay? Pennsylvania Center for Dental Excellence was my practice name, okay? So you wanna look yourself up. So these are some of the ranking factors that Google looks at. Obviously one of them is your total number of reviews you have. Definitely a ranking factor, but the total number has not been as important as some other factors as well. So.   Kiera Dent (14:20) Mm-hmm.   Dr. Len Tau (14:40) Average number of reviews in the industry right now is about 350. It used to be like 100 was the golden number. Now 350 is the average in the industry. So are you average? Are you below average or are above average? Okay, that's something to look at. The second ranking factor, which is even more important is the velocity of reviews. So how many reviews, how often you're getting them. Okay, so if you're getting once every two weeks, not enough. If you're getting them once every week,   Kiera Dent (14:46) Yes.   Dr. Len Tau (15:10) Not enough. You don't need them every single day, but two or three every single week is ideal. Okay, because you think two or three every week gives you eight to 15 a month times 12 months is 100 reviews a year, which is a nice number. Okay, so you have to have that velocity. All right. Third ranking factor is the total score, your average number of stars. So   I would like you to be anywhere from 4.6 to five stars. Okay. I don't think you have to be only five stars. think there's a negativity related to that. If you're only five star reviews, but I also don't want you to below 4.5. Okay. ⁓ And if you're at 4.3, 4.2, or even 4.1, another better review or two, and you're to be in the threes. And that's really where you don't want to go. Cause you lose a huge percentage of patients who may come in if you're less than four stars. Okay. Another ranking factor.   is the primary category. So how do you know your primary category? If you look under your Google, your name, will say right where the stars is, will say, hopefully dentist in your town or dentist in your county or dentist in your city. Okay. So your primary category should be dentist because we're a dental practice. Okay. If you're an oral surgeon, you may want it to be oral and actual facial surgeon. If you're an endodontist, want it to say endodontist. You don't want it to say dentist if you're a specialist. Okay.   ⁓ That's a big ranking factor and I'll give you an example. I, ⁓ my wife had some plastic surgery over the last couple of years and we were referred to that doctor. So we didn't need to search for him. We were referred to him. went in, we liked him, we used his services. ⁓ And of course, being a plastic surgeon, I talked to him about reviews. He now uses BirdEye, but he had me speak in an event that he holds down here in Boca Raton.   And I talked about this exactly. And I asked everybody, cause it was a small group. What is your primary category? And he goes, he said to me, literally, he says, I'm listed as a nurse practitioner. He wasn't listed as a plastic surgeon. He was listed as a nurse practitioner. So his categories were all messed up. So when you actually typed in plastic surgeon near me, he never showed up because his category was wrong. So primary category is a very important ranking factor as well. Now you also have to make sure your secondary categories are also. ⁓   Kiera Dent (17:15) No.   Dr. Len Tau (17:35) ⁓ under ⁓ are there as well as under the proper categories. So secondary categories, if you're a dentist, dental clinic, teeth whitening services, denture care center, orthodontist, if you're doing aligners, if you're endo, you're doing root canals, you can have endodontist. If you do periodontist, can do periodontist. You want to make sure you have nine secondary categories. Okay, if you don't have them, you want to add them.   Now, how do you add them? It's very easy. You go to Google using ChatGPT or anything and say, how do I add secondary categories to my Google business listing? Okay. It will tell you exactly like a recipe how to do it. You need to add those secondary categories. All right. And if you want help doing it, you can always reach out to me. The last ranking factor, which is really important is making sure that the practices name, address, and phone number is consistent. Okay. So just to be clear, most   website companies do not do local SEO. They do website SEO, which is making sure the website is SEOed so the website ranks higher on the organic rankings. We're talking about getting the Google business page ranking higher, which the website companies are not focused on. So when it comes to the name, address and phone number, is it consistent? You have to be consistent. And this is a Google requirement.   It is not a patient thing. It's not a me thing or you thing. It's a Google requirement that this data is consistent. So the name is obviously important. So if you have the and or the ampersand, you may find things inconsistent. When it comes to the address, if you have, you know, South State Streets, Unit 510, you can have South or S, you can have Street or ST, and then you can have Suite, Unit, Number, or STE.   All these variations need to be consistent. So one of them has to be done and one and stuck with. And then if you are using a tracking number for whatever reason on your Google business listing, you may find your inconsistent there as well. So when you make everything consistent and you get a higher velocity of reviews, guess what happens over time? You rank higher on the maps. And when you rank higher on the maps, you get more visible for patients to find you. So that's where the secret sauce is. And   Not that this is a sales pitch about BirdEye, but that's exactly what BirdEye does. BirdEye does those. We check all those boxes for you. And then what ends up happening is a practices get more reviews. But more importantly, when they ask patients how they find them, they're going to see that they found them because of their ranking online and the reviews drove them to the practice. So that's how this whole thing plays a role in getting a practice more visible and credible.   Kiera Dent (20:06) Thank   Wow. So I was over here like taking a lot of notes, which I really loved. I love the number, the 350 at the average, the velocity, like three to five per week you were saying. It doesn't need to be an everyday, but I do agree like them consistently coming through the total score, the 4.6 to five primary category, secondary category, making sure we have nine. And then you were talking about like the practice name, phone number, all of that has to be consistent. So the addresses have to be the same. And that's going to help you rank higher.   Did I miss anything? Those are my notes, Len. And I'm just curious, like, did I catch them all? Because there was a lot of pieces to consider. And then I have some follow ups as well. So like, did I miss anything in that list?   Dr. Len Tau (21:02) No, I   think you got it all there.   Kiera Dent (21:06) Okay, so hopefully that was a good recap for everybody. If you were listening, I tried to like summarize everything he said, because I really feel that those are super valuable pieces to know. Now, Len, there's a couple of things that happen and I'm very curious of what you've seen. Maybe you know, maybe you don't know. It's just a riff for me genuinely curious over here. Does it impact for the business to respond to the reviews? Because I know there was like a big misnomer out there like for a while, like you have to respond to every single review that helps you rank higher. What's the   What's kind of the lay of the land right now responding to the reviews that come in?   Dr. Len Tau (21:39) So there's been a big push over the years to respond to reviews. And there's also been those naysayers who don't want you to respond to reviews. So I want to make this very clear. When you respond to a review and you acknowledge them as a patient, you are technically violating HIPAA. Okay. Now by the letter of the law, if you do that, you violated HIPAA and can be in trouble. Now in all the years I've been doing this, I've only seen one   Kiera Dent (21:49) Mm-hmm.   Dr. Len Tau (22:08) example of a positive review being responded to and the dentist got in trouble. Okay. So if someone writes a review for you and it's five stars and you say, thank you so much for your feedback. We were glad you had a great experience in our practice. Okay. You technically violated HIPAA there because you acknowledged that they came into the practice. I don't think you'll ever run into any problems with that. I don't, I've never seen any instance when a, when a practice has got into trouble. But again, by the letter of the law, it's a violation.   Here's where the person ran into a problem. Okay. So the review in question, the patient wrote, I'm so happy with my appearance after I went to so-and-so's dental office. I think they were in Texas. The dentist responded, we're so happy that you, thank you so much for your review. We're so happy that you loved our magic needles. Okay. So it, from what I understand is the patient had Botox or   dermal fillers placed and that's what they call their magic needles. So the patient wrote, wrote a letter to the practice saying, I didn't appreciate you letting the world know that I had Botox done and asked for the review response to be taken down, which the dentist immediately did. Took it down and apologized, but it really pissed the patient off and the patient sued the dentist and won. Okay. Because the dentist went out of their way to   Kiera Dent (23:08) Mm-hmm.   Right.   Dr. Len Tau (23:33) you know, release private information that wasn't supposed to be done. So in that case, you shouldn't be doing that. Okay. Now on the same note, I would be very careful responding.   Kiera Dent (23:37) Mm-hmm.   Dr. Len Tau (23:45) to a review that's left by a negative, a negative review that's written by a patient. I would be very careful responding publicly to that because it's very hard to respond without violating HIPAA. So a simple response like, we're sorry to hear about your experience. Please contact the office to discuss the concerns as we're unfortunately unable to comment due to HIPAA release privacy stuff. That's fine. But.   Again, I just not sure it's the best thing to do. So you have to be careful with negative reviews. What it doesn't do is we really haven't found any relationship between responding and ranking. Okay, so you have to, I always leave it up to the people to respond. I like using AI to respond as well, because I think it comes up with HIPAA compliant and really good responses. ⁓ But you have to decide what you want to do for your own practice.   Kiera Dent (24:16) Mm-hmm.   Interesting.   That's actually really helpful to know. ⁓ Okay, good feedback for people to ponder and decide what they want to do on. The second piece is   some people lose their Google My Business and they're not able to be found. ⁓ And I don't know if you have reasons why. I don't know if it's from like a name change or it's inconsistent. So like a lot of offices have a lot of reviews, but when you go to search them, they're hidden on Google My Business. Like it will show up on the person's side, but nobody externally can find it. Do you have any ideas of like what causes that or what offices can do if they're struggling with that?   Dr. Len Tau (25:11) So I want to clarify that what question you asked there. I'm sorry to ask a question when you asked the question was when you say that you're saying that when they search for their Google business listing, they can't find it or when someone is searching for the office, they're not visible on the maps.   Kiera Dent (25:15) Hey, that's okay.   So when they're searching, so if I just go into Google and I type in like my perfect smile, the website might link, but the Google My Business with all, and they might have like 150 Google reviews, like it might be, like they've got them all and the office can see it when they like log in as like, this is, you own this, but they've lost it and it's no longer visible publicly. Do you know what causes that or how they can get that back? It's okay if you don't, I'm just genuinely curious. Cause I know some offices struggle with this, especially with like name changes of practices.   going through different ownerships. ⁓ Some of them have told me it's like when I changed the name of my practice, it no longer showed up. Like we have all these reviews, but we're not showing up. Do you know what causes that or how practices can get back being visible?   Dr. Len Tau (26:02) Yep. Now that you   asked it that way, so that usually means that your Google business listing has been suspended. And if you can't find it on search, but you see it, means it's suspended in most cases. Name changes, address changes, other things you do can cause it to be suspended. There are, if you look up on use chat GPT, ⁓   and say, why is, why can your Google business page be suspended? There is a list of different reasons why it can get suspended. ⁓ if you're getting reviews the wrong way is a big one. So, like you should not be incentivizing for reviews. And I'm talking about incentivizing the patients. You shouldn't be getting reviews in your physical office space because there's IP address conflicts and location services on the patient's phone. So if you're doing that, not only will you can potentially lose reviews, but you can't get it suspended, but you can look on.   Kiera Dent (26:37) Mm-hmm.   Dr. Len Tau (26:55) on chat GPT or Google and just say, what are the reasons that your business page can be suspended? And they're there. So usually you have to ⁓ re-approve it or re-verify that page. And there's certain things you do. You'll have to take a video of yourself in front of the practice, showing the address, showing the name of the business on the door. So there's things you will have to do to get it over to Google. So they'll re-verify you. And then once it happens, there's a good chance they'll unsuspend the listing. But that happens for that reason.   Kiera Dent (27:24) Gotcha. Okay. That's super helpful because I know a few offices have struggled with that. So was just curious for that. All right. This has been so helpful to figure out rankings. It's been helpful to understand. ⁓ My last question as we wrap up today on reviews has been so helpful, Len, is how do offices go about like, what are your recommendations? Yes, bird eye, swell, podium. Like there's a lot of review in Weave. I do, I usually recommend using an external one outside of things. think that they like, if they're just, if that's what they do, they're going to be experts at it.   But how can offices ethically and appropriately, like obviously great patient experience, but how do they increase these Google reviews? What are some of the best tactics you've seen to help these offices out?   Dr. Len Tau (28:04) So being biased, I mean, I'm a true believer in BirdEye because we help with the reviews and the ranking part. ⁓ Swell, which is a great product. know the guys who swell really well. A lot of their doctors don't rank well because they don't focus on the listings part of it or the ranking part of it. ⁓ I'm not a fan of Wee from a review perspective because they swell BirdEye and Podium, make it very easy. Weave doesn't. It's just the way we do it with our three other products. ⁓   I always say this, you can get reviews any way you want. The most effective is gonna be use some software, simple as that. But it all starts with the practice and it all starts with, I like to create a reputation culture in the practice, which means you know that every time a patient comes in the practice, that they're going to be evaluating you and reviewing you potentially. And you've gotta be on your best behavior, you've gotta put a happy smile on your face, you gotta treat them like they're the...   Kiera Dent (28:40) Mm-hmm.   Dr. Len Tau (29:00) king of the world, okay? You gotta roll out the red carpet. And if you don't do that, they may write a bad review, okay? But if you don't create that reputation culture, I think it's gonna be hard to get the practice to really accelerate the reviews. So creating that reputation culture using great verbiage skills. I love calling it feedback, not a review. If you call it a review, it sounds like you're begging for it. ⁓ The feedback conversation is much more comfortable to have. So, you know, it's an interesting situation, but if you don't ask, you don't get.   So you've got to ask. I think if you ask and you combine it with a really good software, you'll get a really good number of reviews. If you don't ask, you don't get. It's that simple.   Kiera Dent (29:30) Mm-hmm.   Yeah.   ⁓ well, that was so great. I appreciate this so much. And it's fun to hear about how AI is helping. It's fun to hear about how you still have to be great on Google. So ⁓ I just appreciate you. I appreciate you being here. I appreciate the knowledge you shared. appreciate for offices. I hope they take action and Len any last thoughts, how people can connect with you if they want more help on this. know ⁓ like truly in my opinion, this is the simplest marketing. Everybody wants to like sexy magic pill of marketing. And I'm like, no, it's like really great experience. Ask for the reviews, ask for the feedback.   like rank so that way people can find you I've had offices that had like three four or five new patients and they're like I need this marketing I need all these things which I'm not here to say not to do it but I will say great reviews will boost you very quickly so Len any last thoughts you've got how people can connect with you because it's been truly just an incredible episode today   Dr. Len Tau (30:26) So ⁓ I'm around the country a lot. So you can always connect with me in person if I'm at some of these events. If you wanna come to Supercharge, you can connect me there. SuperchargeYourDentalPractice.com You can use the code RAVING to save $100 on registration. ⁓ We also have some scholarships available. So if you do wanna come, you can reach out to me personally. So ⁓ my cell phone's all over the internet. The easiest way, if you have any questions, you want advice, you want help, I'm the guy to reach out to. My phone number is 215.   Kiera Dent (30:40) Awesome.   Dr. Len Tau (30:55) 292-2100. And my best email is Len, L-E-N, at drlentau.com, which is D-R-L-E-N-T-A-U.com. And you can email me, you can text me, you can call me, tell me you heard about me here and you need some advice. I'm more than happy to offer it to you. I do it all the time. ⁓ I love when people reach out to me because they know I'm an expert. So I do it kind of as a favor to people. ⁓ But no, you reach out to me, I'm happy to give advice.   Kiera Dent (31:23) amazing. Len, thank you so much for being on the podcast. I'm super excited for Supercharge 2025 and especially 2026. So everybody snag that. And truly, I hope you take action from today's podcast. This is easy ways for you to boost your marketing, be found and seen online. And Len, thank you for joining me today. I truly, truly appreciate you.   Dr. Len Tau (31:41) Thank you for having me, Kiera, I appreciate it.   Kiera Dent (31:43) Of course. And for all of you listening, thank you for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.  

Keeping yourself up at night? Tips to calm worrying thoughts with Dr. Kimberly Harms In this helpful mini-episode of The Afterlight Podcast with Lauren Grace, Dr. Kimberly Harms shares simple yet powerful ways to quiet the mind and ease those looping, late-night worries. Learn how to: Shift out of fear-based thinking The power of prayer Embrace the power of asking for help when you need it most If worry has been stealing your sleep, this conversation is for you. Tune in now. This is part of our full-length episode: Love, loss, and legacy: Honest conversations about life and death with Dr. Kimberly Harms, https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-w3tv4-1889255 ----more---- About Welcome to The Afterlight Podcast with Lauren Grace, a spiritual podcast full of stories and conversations that prove we're never alone. Lauren Grace, host of The Afterlight Podcast, is a high-impact coach and medium dedicated to helping professionals deepen their connection to their soul so they can experience more freedom, fulfillment, and purpose.   Connect with Lauren Grace, Lauren Grace Inspirations: Lauren on Social @LaurenGraceInspirations Website: https://laurengraceinspirations.com Want to work with Lauren? Book a Free Discovery Call with Lauren: https://laurengraceinspirations.com Free Offers: https://laurengraceinspirations.com/freeoffers   The Afterlight Podcast:  The Afterlight Podcast on Social @theafterlightpodcast To be a guest, apply here: www.theafterlightpodcast.com Sign up for our newsletter: https://laurengraceinspirations.com/contact   Meet Dr. Kimberly Harms Dr. Kimberly Harms has been around the block in life.  She has served as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Public Health Service, a dental school professor, a grief counselor, a death doula, a civil mediator, a clinical dentist with her late husband Jim in Farmington MN, a school board Chair, President of an international women's organization, the first woman President of the Minnesota Dental Association, a National Spokesperson for the American Dental Association (21 years), Coach for Widows, an award-winning, best selling author and international speaker on the topics of grief, conflict and legacy planning and the cohost of the RethinkingDeath.Life Podcast.  She has also suffered many personal losses, including the deaths by suicide of her mother and son and the death by broken heart of her husband after their son's death.  These days, she enjoys her most important role yet: mom to two remarkable kids and grandma to six delightful grandkids, splitting her time between Kansas City and Minneapolis to soak up every precious moment. Connect with Kim here: https://www.drkimberlyharms.com Resources: https://www.drkimberlyharms.com/resources

Dr. Brett Kessler returns for a conversation with KJ on the latest trends and the developments in the Dental World. We talk AI, Materials, Digital Workflows, Labs, if you're a dentist you do NOT want to miss this episode! Ladies & Gentlemen, you're listening to "Confessions From A Dental Lab" and we're happy you're here. Subscribe today and tell a friend so we can all get 1% better :)Connect with Dr. Kessler on instagram at @bikodds and email him at kesslerb@ada.orgFollow KJ & NuArt on Instagram at @lifeatnuartdental, you can also reach us via email: kj@nuartdental.comAsk us about our scanner program!Learn more about the lab and request information via our website: https://nuartdental.com/contact

Send us a textWhy Do Dental Specialists Feel Restricted in Charging Referred Patients, or should I say, using up the PPO patient's benefits?If you've ever wondered why your dental specialist friends seem hesitant to bill additional fees for value-added services, or their full fee, or why your dental specialist family member says they have to “keep their fees within the referring dentist's range,” you're about to find out.Support the show

Send us a textJoining us today is the Executive Director of the Florida Dental Association, Drew Eason. Listen to this frank discussion on the American Dental Association's challenge to stay relevant and why its existence is necessary.

[01:02:08] Meta AI Grooming ChildrenDiscussion of Meta's chatbot seducing vulnerable users and grooming children, raising alarms over how AI is weaponized for control. [01:10:12] Congress Uses Crisis to Push Digital IDCriticism of Senators using Meta's scandal to advance online ID systems instead of stopping child exploitation. [01:16:56] Larry Fink & BlackRock Control WEFAnalysis of BlackRock's Larry Fink taking over World Economic Forum power, enforcing ESG/DEI agendas, and forcing global corporate compliance. [01:43:07] Trump & Ukraine Peace DealCoverage of Trump's position on Ukraine peace negotiations, skepticism over EU/NATO motives, and fears of engineered perpetual war. [01:55:04] U.S./UK Boots on the GroundTrump assures “no American boots” in Ukraine but hints at air support; UK pushes to deploy ground forces immediately. [02:06:25] Vaccine-Autism Study ExposedChildren's Health Defense scientists challenge a 2002 New England Journal of Medicine study dismissing autism links, calling its math flawed and data manipulated. [02:16:31] Lawsuit Against CDC Over 72-Dose ScheduleA major lawsuit highlights the CDC's failure to test the combined childhood vaccine schedule, alleging constitutional violations and industry capture. [02:23:21] Texas Sues Eli Lilly for BriberyAttorney General Ken Paxton sues the pharma giant for bribing doctors to push high-profit drugs, drawing parallels to the opioid crisis. [02:32:13] Mercury Fillings & Global BansExposure of the American Dental Association's ties to toxic mercury amalgam fillings, contrasted with EU and global bans ignored by U.S. regulators. [02:55:23] Election Rigging & Gerrymandering TeaserClosing segment transitions into election rigging and gerrymandering, previewing corruption on both political sides. [03:01:12] Gerrymandering & Rigged ElectionsDiscussion on redistricting battles in California and Texas, showing how both parties manipulate maps to lock in control and eliminate real voter choice. [03:10:06] Usury: Biblical Condemnation & Modern ExploitationShift to economic corruption, exposing how usury was once banned in Christian and civil law, but now thrives through credit cards, mortgages, and payday loans. [03:47:14] Trump, Heaven & Zionist Third Temple PlansTrump claims foreign policy wins could earn him heaven; contrasted with Zionist efforts to breed red heifers and rebuild the Third Temple, seen as delusional legalism. [03:57:00] Zionism, Prophecy & Final WarningsClosing critique of Zionist attempts to “force God's hand” in prophecy, with warnings against false gospels and misplaced faith in political or religious schemes. Follow the show on Kick and watch live every weekday 9:00am EST – 12:00pm EST https://kick.com/davidknightshow Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHT Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.

[01:02:08] Meta AI Grooming ChildrenDiscussion of Meta's chatbot seducing vulnerable users and grooming children, raising alarms over how AI is weaponized for control. [01:10:12] Congress Uses Crisis to Push Digital IDCriticism of Senators using Meta's scandal to advance online ID systems instead of stopping child exploitation. [01:16:56] Larry Fink & BlackRock Control WEFAnalysis of BlackRock's Larry Fink taking over World Economic Forum power, enforcing ESG/DEI agendas, and forcing global corporate compliance. [01:43:07] Trump & Ukraine Peace DealCoverage of Trump's position on Ukraine peace negotiations, skepticism over EU/NATO motives, and fears of engineered perpetual war. [01:55:04] U.S./UK Boots on the GroundTrump assures “no American boots” in Ukraine but hints at air support; UK pushes to deploy ground forces immediately. [02:06:25] Vaccine-Autism Study ExposedChildren's Health Defense scientists challenge a 2002 New England Journal of Medicine study dismissing autism links, calling its math flawed and data manipulated. [02:16:31] Lawsuit Against CDC Over 72-Dose ScheduleA major lawsuit highlights the CDC's failure to test the combined childhood vaccine schedule, alleging constitutional violations and industry capture. [02:23:21] Texas Sues Eli Lilly for BriberyAttorney General Ken Paxton sues the pharma giant for bribing doctors to push high-profit drugs, drawing parallels to the opioid crisis. [02:32:13] Mercury Fillings & Global BansExposure of the American Dental Association's ties to toxic mercury amalgam fillings, contrasted with EU and global bans ignored by U.S. regulators. [02:55:23] Election Rigging & Gerrymandering TeaserClosing segment transitions into election rigging and gerrymandering, previewing corruption on both political sides. [03:01:12] Gerrymandering & Rigged ElectionsDiscussion on redistricting battles in California and Texas, showing how both parties manipulate maps to lock in control and eliminate real voter choice. [03:10:06] Usury: Biblical Condemnation & Modern ExploitationShift to economic corruption, exposing how usury was once banned in Christian and civil law, but now thrives through credit cards, mortgages, and payday loans. [03:47:14] Trump, Heaven & Zionist Third Temple PlansTrump claims foreign policy wins could earn him heaven; contrasted with Zionist efforts to breed red heifers and rebuild the Third Temple, seen as delusional legalism. [03:57:00] Zionism, Prophecy & Final WarningsClosing critique of Zionist attempts to “force God's hand” in prophecy, with warnings against false gospels and misplaced faith in political or religious schemes. Follow the show on Kick and watch live every weekday 9:00am EST – 12:00pm EST https://kick.com/davidknightshow Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHT Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.

Send us a textImagine you offer two options to your patients—one with premium materials, one standard. Sounds good, right? But what happens when those better options come at a cost that insurance won't cover?Now ask yourself—when you pass on those costs to higher-paying patients, is that ethical? Or are you just playing Robin Hood with root canals?Here's the kicker—many practices do this silently. PPO plans cover less, yet those patients often walk out with the same high-quality restorations that cash-paying or premium-insured patients get. So, who's really paying? Your MEPAT patients… the ones funding your LEPAT patients' dental care.Support the show

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Join Elevated GP: www.theelevatedgp.com Net32.com  Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Follow @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram    Peter Milgrom, DDS is Emeritus Professor of Oral Health Sciences at the University of Washington. He has been recognized throughout the world as a clinical scholar and innovator in a career spanning nearly 50 years. Among numerous awards, he received the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Bergen, Norway, the Norton Ross Award for Excellence in Clinical Research by the American Dental Association, the Distinguished Dental Behavioral Scientist and Irwin M. Mandel Distinguished Mentor Awards of the International Association for Dental Research, the Public Service Award from the American Association of Public Health Dentistry, and the Innovator Award from the University of California, San Francisco. Professor Milgrom is best known today for having created the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program in Washington State and introducing fluoride varnish and silver diamine fluoride in the United States. He is best known clinically for having co-created the Dental Fears Research Clinic at UW. Having published more than 325 research papers and books,. Dr. Milgrom has consulted with government, non-profits, and industry throughout his career.

Have you heard of Photobiomodulation (PBM)? Or are you thinking... ‘photo-what?!' Is red light therapy just voodoo science—or is it already part of mainstream healthcare? Can PBM really help with wound healing, pain relief, and even reduce the risk of dementia? In this episode, Professor Praveen Arany joins Jaz Gulati to break down the science and clinical relevance of PBM in dentistry. They explore how this light-based therapy works, its applications in managing oral lesions, and why it's already standard care for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. They also discuss real-world cases, practical protocols, and how PBM could shape the future of dental care. Whether you're a skeptic or just curious, this episode will open your eyes to an emerging and evidence-based treatment modality. https://youtu.be/lQrawr3-YQA Watch PDP234 on YouTube Protrusive Dental Pearl: SHEEP Scoring as a practical tool to assess the prognosis and restorability of compromised teeth.

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we chatted with Andre Moore about his journey in healthcare law.Andre Moore is a Chicago native and a final-semester law student at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he is a fellow at the Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago's (UIC) School of Public Health. Over the past two summers, he gained in-house legal experience, most recently at the American Dental Association, where he worked on healthcare compliance and data privacy and security matters.Episode produced by: Deborah ChenEpisode recording date: 4/29/2025www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonateContact info for Andre Moore: lmoore22@luc.edu

On today's legally speaking podcast, I'm delighted to be joined by the wonderful Dr Kimberly harms. Dr harms is an international speaker with 30 years of dental, grief, conflict and transition management experience, she is an award winning Best Selling Author. She was the first woman president of the Minnesota Dental Association, and has served as the national spokesperson for the American Dental Association for 21 years. Dr harms is passionate about challenging societal norms surrounding death and end of life planning.So why should you be listening in? You can hear Rob and Kimberly discussing:- End-Of-Life Planning Being An Act Of Love, Not Just A Legal Requirement- Transparent Communication Preventing Family Conflicts After A Loved One's Death- Emotional Legacy: As Important As Financial Inheritance- Confronting Death Openly Helping Families Process Grief More Effectively- How Personal Resilience And Forgiveness Can Transform Traumatic Loss Into Meaningful ImpactConnect with Dr. Kimberly Harms here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-harms-bb524666

#ThisMorning on #BRN #Wellness | #Helping #Kids Who Don't Visit a #Dentist as Much as They Should | Megha Sata, MD, American Dental Association r | #Tunein: broadcastretirementnetwork.com #Aging, #Finance, #Lifestyle, #Privacy, #Retirement, #Wellness

Here's the typical scenario: dental offices are not profitable by procedure, so they work the hygienists to death in order to make up for lost revenue. Then there's the lack of support Hygienists need when diagnosing periodontal disease. Need I say more?It's no wonder why dental hygienists are burned out... But is there something dentists can do to reverse this problem? Enjoy the podcast...Support the show

The ADA introduced a new role. Is the Oral Preventive Assistant a problem for Dental Assistants? Everyone in dentistry is talking about something big. For dental assistants, this change feels like a direct challenge to their daily work. The American Dental Association's proposed Oral Preventive Assistant role could redefine work, value, and entire career paths. Are assistants about to take on more without fair compensation, pushing them further into burnout? We explore key questions about increased workload, the "slippery slope" concerns, and growing tensions among dental professionals. This episode reveals how the Oral Preventive Assistant could impact the dental profession. Get the truth behind the headlines! To truly grasp the full scope of this critical issue, make sure to watch the entire podcast; every moment holds crucial insights into dentistry's evolving future. Connect with Stephanie Website: https://www.polishedposture.net/ Podcast (Straight Up With Steph): https://straightupwithsteph.buzzsprout.com/ —-------------------------------------------- Hey friends—cool news! The Dental Assistant Nation Podcast was featured on Feedspot's Top 100 Dental Podcasts and their Top Dental Assistant Podcasts list. Huge thanks to you for listening, subscribing, and supporting the show. Couldn't have done it without you. Go check it out—we're listed alongside some amazing shows! 100 Best Dental Podcasts - https://podcast.feedspot.com/dental_podcasts/ 4 Best Dental Assistant Podcasts - https://podcast.feedspot.com/dental_assistant_podcasts/ —--------------------------------------------

Dr. Jeanette MacLean, a trailblazer in minimally invasive SDF practices, joins Dr. Joel Berg to discuss how observations and a willingness to try a different approach can positively benefit both providers and patients. Dr. MacLean shares how her own learning experiences seeing the same patients year after year in private practice led to her desire to consider less aggressive treatment options. She also delves into how the collaborative pediatric dental community was imperative in guiding her path. Guest Bio: Dr. Jeanette MacLean has been in private practice as an Owner for 20 years. As an appointee to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's Speakers Bureau and has provided lectures across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as webinars viewed in over 40 countries. Dr. MacLean graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Northern Arizona University in 1999. She received her dental degree, with honors, from the University of Southern California in 2003 and completed her specialty training in pediatric dentistry in 2005 at the Sunrise Children's Hospital through the University of Nevada School of Medicine. Dr. MacLean is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Fellow of the American College of Dentists, Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Her research has been published in the journals Pediatric Dentistry, the Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, the British Dental Journal, and Compendium. She has been featured twice in the New York Times: She is also an active member of the Central Arizona Dental Society, the Arizona Dental Association, the American Dental Association, the Arizona Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. She is married to Timothy Budd, an attorney, and they have a son, Charlie, and a daughter, Sabrina. She has donated her time to underprivileged children both locally and in Mexico, Belize, and Costa Rica, and has been honored for her volunteer work and humanitarian achievements. She speaks conversational Spanish, and her interests include party planning, crafts, Jazzercise and all things Disney. She is also active in Local First Arizona, the Arizona Dental Associations' AHCCCS Subcommittee and Women in Dentistry group. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of Newly Erupted, host Dr. Joel Berg talks about the keys to avoiding burnout with Dr. Trudy-Ann Frazer. Dr. Frazer shares her three-step approach to mitigating burnout, particularly for female practitioners and what steps to take once you realize burnout has taken hold – either in yourself or your team. Guest Bio: Dr. Trudy-Ann Frazer has experience working exclusively with children. It is her goal to promote good oral habits to children and parents as a part of preserving beautiful, healthy smiles for a lifetime. She earned her DDS from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee as the Valedictorian, then completed her certificate in Pediatric Dentistry residency from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/ Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. She is a proud graduate of Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama where she received her Bachelor of Science in Biology. Dr. Frazer was born in Negril, Jamaica and grew up in Stone Mountain, Georgia. She has dedicated much of her professional career to educating and serving children and participated in numerous outreach activities, which include several mission trips to offer dental services to children in Jamaica. She is also involved in various organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, and National Dental Association, as well as a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. She enjoys swimming, basketball, camping, traveling and spending quality time with her family and friends.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

**Discussion begins at 6:00**In 1901, Frederick McKay was a dentist who opened a practice in Colorado Springs and found that his patients all seemed to have stained/mottled teeth, but no cavities.  Why was this?  He determined, after nearly 30 years and with the help of other researchers, that they all had what is now called fluorosis – and it was the result of high levels of fluoride in the Colorado Springs drinking water.  He reported his findings to the dental community, and people started comparing fluoride levels and dental hygiene in various geographical areas. In the 1930s, a dentist with the US Public Health Service, sought to determine how high the level of fluoride in the water could be before it caused mottling, in hopes they could remove fluoride from water sources where there were higher levels.  During his study, he learned that low doses had a protective effect.  It was reported that when natural fluoride concentration was greater than 1 part per million, the incidence of cavities was seen to be reduced by some 50-65% and the World Health Organization began to recommend supplemental fluoride where levels were low.In the 1940s and 50s, there was a push to fluoridate water in the US and Canada, reportedly in an attempt to improve dental health.  This practice was immediately divisive, and remains that way today.  Today, the American Dental Association remains a strong advocate of adding fluoride to water and estimates that every dollar spent on fluoridation saves about fifty dollars in future dental expenses.  Nonetheless, for the last7 0 years there have been people who felt that the government had and continues to have a more nefarious goal… Was this all a communist plot to undermine American health or control the population?  Other critics note similarities between MK Ultra studies and fluoridating water.   The potential goal of mind control was even referenced in the 1964 political satire Dr Strangelove – in which one of the characters, General Jack D. Ripper believes that fluoridation of public water supplies is a Communist conspiracy designed to weaken American willpower. He sees it as a sinister plot to destroy "our precious bodily fluids".  Was this all a conspiracy to cover up and get rid of fluoride, an industrial waste product of fertilizer?  Finally, there are those who believe that water fluoridation is an infringement of individual rights - similar to mass medication or vaccination without consent.  Additional concerns surround the potential negative health effects including bone cancer, thyroid issues, and cognitive deficits in children – but what is the truth?    Is fluoride in our water a cheap and effective way to improve dental health?  Or is there something more sinister at play?Send us a textSupport the showTheme song by INDA

In Who Moved My Cheese?, Dr. Spencer Johnson uses a simple allegory involving four characters (Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw) who navigate a maze in search of “cheese” — a metaphor for what we want in life, such as a job, relationship, or health. The story centers on how each character reacts when the cheese is moved, reflecting the need to adapt to change.This narrative is eerily applicable to the current state of dental insurance — particularly how companies like Delta Dental operate. Dentists and patients alike are characters in this real-life maze, constantly trying to locate the “cheese” of quality oral health care. But the challenge is that insurers aren't just moving the cheese; they're changing the maze itself. The rules are always shifting: what procedures are covered, reimbursement rates, required pre-authorizations, and even what counts as “necessary” care.For providers committed to delivering the best, most advanced care, this inconsistency is not just frustrating — it's professionally and ethically compromising.Support the show

  We're tackling the widespread misunderstanding about insurance, how it works, navigating the challenges, and what's being done to help dentists on this issue.  Special Guest: Dr. Sara Stuefen  For more information, show notes and transcripts visit https://www.ada.org/podcast

Today we are delighted to welcome Dr. Erin Smith and Dr. Timothy Imafidon Jr, passionate art collectors and owners of Goldsboro Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. Originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, Dr . Erin Smith completed her undergraduate education at Duke University in Durham. After her graduation she earned her Doctorate from Howard University before heading south to continue her training at Jacksonville University School of Orthodontics, earning certification in Orthodontics and Maxillofacial Orthopedics. Professionally, Dr . Smith is a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, American Dental Association, and the National Dental Association. Personally, she is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Dr. Timothy Imafidon Jr . is a Board Certified pediatric dentist who was born in High Point, North Carolina. Growing up, he called North Carolina, Ohio and Indonesia home before heading off to Guilford College in Greensboro where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Following college, Dr. Imafidon completed four additional years of dental school at Howard University in Washington D.C. before completing a two-year residency program at Jacobi Medical Center, a teaching hospital affiliated with Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. While in N.Y . he received extensive training in treating special needs and medically compromised children at the Rose F. Kennedy Center for Developmental Disabilities. He is a member of the North Carolina Dental Society, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association. He is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi.  In this episode of The Art Elevator podcast, Sarah Reeder and Larissa Wild speak with Dr. Erin Smith and Dr. Timothy Imafidon Jr. about their journey in collecting art. I Topics discussed: - How to start educating yourself on the type of art you are interested in - Their tips on how to start a collection - How their collecting focus on African American art has influenced their friends, family and clients - The importance of supporting artists whose work speaks to you - The joy of living surrounded by art You can read more in the show notes here: https://larissawild.com/post/13416-the-art-elevator-episode-48---insights-on-collecting

Having tough conversations with those you love and the power of resilience with Dr. Kimberly Harms In this heartfelt mini-episode of The Afterlight Podcast with Lauren Grace, Dr. Kimberly Harms shares thoughtful insights on navigating the conversations we often avoid—but truly need to have. Lauren and Kim explore: Why we cannot change the past—and how shedding old hurts allows us to move forward without becoming victims of our history The importance of preparing for death and creating a positive legacy no matter what stage of life you're in How open, honest conversations about end-of-life wishes can bring peace, clarity, and connection Teaching children to live fully while you're here, so they can flourish when you're gone This episode is a powerful reminder that letting go of what we cannot change, and facing life's realities with love and openness, helps us—and those we care about—find freedom and peace. Listen now. This is part of our full-length episode: Love, loss, and legacy: Honest conversations about life and death with Dr. Kimberly Harms, https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-w3tv4-1889255 ----more---- About Welcome to The Afterlight Podcast with Lauren Grace, a spiritual podcast full of stories and conversations that prove we're never alone. Lauren Grace, host of The Afterlight Podcast, is a high-impact coach and medium dedicated to helping professionals deepen their connection to their soul so they can experience more freedom, fulfillment, and purpose.   Connect with Lauren Grace, Lauren Grace Inspirations: Lauren on Social @LaurenGraceInspirations Website: https://laurengraceinspirations.com Want to work with Lauren? Book a Free Discovery Call with Lauren: https://laurengraceinspirations.com Free Offers: https://laurengraceinspirations.com/freeoffers   The Afterlight Podcast:  The Afterlight Podcast on Social @theafterlightpodcast To be a guest, apply here: www.theafterlightpodcast.com Sign up for our newsletter: https://laurengraceinspirations.com/contact   Meet Dr. Kimberly Harms Dr. Kimberly Harms has been around the block in life.  She has served as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Public Health Service, a dental school professor, a grief counselor, a death doula, a civil mediator, a clinical dentist with her late husband Jim in Farmington MN, a school board Chair, President of an international women's organization, the first woman President of the Minnesota Dental Association, a National Spokesperson for the American Dental Association (21 years), Coach for Widows, an award-winning, best selling author and international speaker on the topics of grief, conflict and legacy planning and the cohost of the RethinkingDeath.Life Podcast.  She has also suffered many personal losses, including the deaths by suicide of her mother and son and the death by broken heart of her husband after their son's death.  These days, she enjoys her most important role yet: mom to two remarkable kids and grandma to six delightful grandkids, splitting her time between Kansas City and Minneapolis to soak up every precious moment. Connect with Kim here: https://www.drkimberlyharms.com Resources: https://www.drkimberlyharms.com/resources

Dr. Carlos Smith, a general dentist and ethicist, is the Associate Dean of Ethics and Community Engagement and an Associate Professor in the Department of Dental Public Health and Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. His work focuses on professional identity formation, dental ethics, and oral health justice. In this episode, Dr. Smith discusses his unique path blending dentistry, theology, and bioethics. He begins by discussing the importance of seeing other Black health professionals in his community and observing the professional contentment of dentists while exploring career options. He also cites the crucial piece of advice of one mentor who encouraged him to see the paths of dental school and seminary as not an either/or, but a both/and. Dr. Smith encourages us to think about some of the basic principles in bioethics – beneficence and maleficence – with a broader lens. For example, he talks about the professional duty to understand the reality of racism of all forms in order to think about harms and benefits more systematically and wholistically. He also pushes the envelope on the long-standing medical ethical imperative to place patients' interests above physicians' interests by pointing out that the political interests of patients should also be placed above the political interests of health professionals in order to uphold that principle with integrity and trustworthiness. Dr. Carlos provides some clear-headed definitions of diversity and equity and engages with Kirk and Amelia on a must-listen discussion of the ethical dilemmas institutions are facing regarding the precise use of language in this political climate and the critical need to engage with communities and to advocate during these times. Works cited in the podcast can be found here:Teeth, by Mary Otto https://a.co/d/j68ePPQSmith, C. S., Kennedy, E., Quick, K., Carrico, C. K., & Saeed, S. (2021). Dental faculty well-being amid COVID-19 in fall 2020: A multi-site measure of burnout, loneliness, and resilience. Journal of Dental Education, 85(12), 1956-1965. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34780060/Smith, C. S. (2023). Applying a systems oriented ethical decision making framework to mitigating social and structural determinants of health. Frontiers in Oral Health, 4, 1031574. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37521174/Smith, C. S., & Simon, L. E. (2025). To do good and refrain from harm: Combating racism as an ethical and professional duty. The Journal of the American Dental Association, 156(2), 91-94. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39269381/Smith, C. S. (Guest Editor). (2021). A Clarion Call to Leaders in Dentistry - A Professionalism Ethic for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Journal of the American College of Dentists, 88(2), 1-48. https://issuu.com/college1920/docs/ejacd_vol88-2_2021-07-22_f/s/12896517Smith, C. S. (Guest Editor). (2021). The Beauty of Many Voices: Unlocking A Growth Mindset Towards Diversity and Inclusion. Journal of the American College of Dentists, 88(3), 1-48. https://issuu.com/college1920/docs/ejacd_vol88-3_10-21_f4/s/13713999

Dr. Joel Berg is joined by cariology expert Dr. Brian Novy for a discussion on all there's still to learn about dental caries. Dr. Novy delves into the importance for practitioners to understand the science of cariology, particularly when working with patients and families that may be opposed to traditional treatments, like fluoride. He also shares his personal path in evidence-based dentistry research and how this work has improved his approach to educating the future generation of dentists. Guest Bio: Often described as “The tenth dentist,” Dr. Brian B. Nový has faculty appointments at Virginia Commonwealth University and Harvard School of Dental Medicine. He served on the American Dental Association Council of Scientific Affairs from 2010-2014, and in 2016 was appointed the consumer representative to the United States Food & Drug Administration Dental Products Panel. His papers are published in various journals including the Journal of the American Dental Association, the Journal of Dental Research, the Journal of Evidence Based Dentistry, Dentistry Today, Inside Dentistry, Dental Economics, Compendium, the National Academies of Medicine, and the International Journal of Equity in HealthSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a textWe always appreciate the opportunity to discuss the latest dental imaging technology, so we're excited to chat with Dr. Ankur Gupta about his experience with using PreXion!Dr. Gupta graduated from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in 2004. He completed a one-year General Practice Residency in Cleveland, Ohio, and he and his wife Dr. Nisha Gupta started North Ridgeville Family Dentistry in 2005. In addition to opening their own dental practice, Dr. Gupta is a member of the American Dental Association, Greater Cleveland Dental Society, Ohio Dental Association, ADA Success Speaker Corp and an active board member and speaker for Catapult Education's Speaker Bureau.✨Helpful Links:Dental Education Website: https://bebetterseminars.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ankurguptadds/Special thanks to PreXion for making this episode possible!

Dr. Kimberly Harms' many life roles have included serving as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Public Health Service, a dental school professor, a civil mediator, a clinical dentist, the President of an international women's organization, and a National Spokesperson for the American Dental Association. She is also a death doula, a grief counselor, an award-winning, bestselling author, and an international speaker on the topics of grief, conflict, and legacy planning. Having suffered the deaths by suicide of her mother and son and the death by broken heart of her husband after their son's death, Kim knows from personal experience that it is possible to prepare for a healing path to joy and peace no matter what life brings. Be sure to tune in for this powerful interview, as Kim shares the wisdom she has gained through tragedy, how she pulled herself out of her pit of despair, the tasks of mourning, the importance of overcoming grief and challenges in our lives to leave a legacy of joy and resilience, and so much more! Grab your copy of Are You Ready?: How to Build a Legacy to Die For---✨ Grief & Rebirth Resources and Healing Tools ✨Welcome to a space for finding healing modalities, inspiration, and growth. Below, you'll find some of the most important resources to help guide you through your journey. ---

Love, loss, and legacy: Honest conversations about life and death with Dr. Kimberly Harms In this deeply moving and beautifully human conversation, Lauren is joined by Dr. Kimberly Harms—grief counselor, author, and podcast host of RethinkingDeath.Life Podcast. Together, they explore how to live a purposeful life while preparing for what comes after. From the power of spiritual connection and legacy-building to navigating grief with love, honesty, and even laughter—this episode is both grounding and inspiring. You'll hear: Reflections on spiritual purpose and finding strength through loss Why talking about death can actually bring more life to your days The role of joy, laughter, and legacy in healing How to prepare your family with love and clarity before you go Dr. Kim also shares emotional stories from her personal life—including the loss of her son and husband—and the lessons they left behind. Listen now ----more---- About Welcome to The Afterlight Podcast with Lauren Grace, a spiritual podcast full of stories and conversations that prove we're never alone. Lauren Grace, host of The Afterlight Podcast, is a high-impact coach and medium dedicated to helping professionals deepen their connection to their soul so they can experience more freedom, fulfillment, and purpose.   Connect with Lauren Grace, Lauren Grace Inspirations: Lauren on Social @LaurenGraceInspirations Website: https://laurengraceinspirations.com Want to work with Lauren? Book a Free Discovery Call with Lauren: https://laurengraceinspirations.com Free Offers: https://laurengraceinspirations.com/freeoffers   The Afterlight Podcast:  The Afterlight Podcast on Social @theafterlightpodcast To be a guest, apply here: www.theafterlightpodcast.com Sign up for our newsletter: https://laurengraceinspirations.com/contact   Meet Dr. Kimberly Harms Dr. Kimberly Harms has been around the block in life.  She has served as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Public Health Service, a dental school professor, a grief counselor, a death doula, a civil mediator, a clinical dentist with her late husband Jim in Farmington MN, a school board Chair, President of an international women's organization, the first woman President of the Minnesota Dental Association, a National Spokesperson for the American Dental Association (21 years), Coach for Widows, an award-winning, best selling author and international speaker on the topics of grief, conflict and legacy planning and the cohost of the RethinkingDeath.Life Podcast.  She has also suffered many personal losses, including the deaths by suicide of her mother and son and the death by broken heart of her husband after their son's death.  These days, she enjoys her most important role yet: mom to two remarkable kids and grandma to six delightful grandkids, splitting her time between Kansas City and Minneapolis to soak up every precious moment. Connect with Kim here: https://www.drkimberlyharms.com Resources: https://www.drkimberlyharms.com/resources

Story at-a-glance In an open letter, I urge the American Dental Association to discontinue supporting water fluoridation, based on research linking fluoride exposure to reduced IQ scores, ADHD symptoms and thyroid dysfunction Most Western European nations have rejected water fluoridation in favor of education, fluoride-free products and dietary improvements to address dental health concerns I call for the elimination of mercury amalgam fillings, as research shows elevated blood mercury levels in patients with multiple amalgam fillings The European Union implemented a comprehensive ban on dental amalgam in January 2025, while many other countries have restricted or banned its use, particularly for vulnerable populations Despite global shifts toward safer alternatives, U.S. federal programs like Medicaid continue using amalgam fillings, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations with limited health care options

We're diving into the oral microbiome and how your mouth could be impacting both egg and sperm quality. Could what's happening in your mouth be impacting your fertility? In this episode, we dive into the surprising connection between your oral microbiome and reproductive health. From silent gum inflammation to the role of mouth breathing, you'll learn how your oral health can influence everything from egg quality and implantation to gut balance and sperm DNA. We're breaking down practical steps—like dental cleanings, gentle oral care, and smart toothpaste swaps—that can make a real difference on your fertility journey. If you're trying to conceive and looking for overlooked but powerful strategies, this one's for you. 

I'll never forget the first time I sat down with a dental insurance representative, and started asking questions. I began with questions based on all the “false information” that had been thrown at me through the years regarding PPO contracts, such as: “sending in fee-for-service (FFS) fees increases PPO reimbursement rates”, or “you can't upgrade patients on PPO plans” and many others. Her response to my questions was very interesting and not what I expected.Support the show

Connect with Kimberly HarmsDr. Kimberly Harms transforms the often daunting task of end-of-life planning into a compassionate journey, helping people navigate the emotional aspects of legacy planning. She has witnessed death up close many times throughout her life, including the loss of her mother and her son to suicide and, eventually, her husband from a broken heart after their son's death. These events shaped her views on finding meaning in grief, and she set out on a mission to end the stigma around end-of-life planning. As a fourth-quarter coach and international speaker specializing in grief, conflict resolution, and legacy planning, Dr. Harms helps end-of-life professionals, like hospice workers, make their clients' legacy planning practically and emotionally seamless. Her book Are You Ready? How to Build a Legacy to Die For discusses how to build a legacy that lives on after your death. It was a #1 bestseller on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and has won numerous awards, including being named the most inspirational book of 2024 by the Pacific Book Awards.More about Dr. Harms: Worked as a grief counselor, civil mediator, and death doula. Featured in The Chicago Journal, US Reporter, Women's Journal.Co-founder of 65 Eric Harms Memorial Libraries throughout Rwanda.30+ years of experience in clinical dentistry; serving as the National Spokesperson for the American Dental Association for 21 years.The first woman President of the Minnesota Dental Association. Connect with Host Terry LohrbeerIf you are a Boomer and feel you would make a great guest please email Terry with your bio and any other info you would like to share at: terry@kickassboomers.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2658545911065461/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrylohrbeer/Instagram: kickassboomersTwitter: @kickassboomersWebsite: kickassboomers.comTerry's editing company:Connect to Premiere Podcast Pros for podcast editing:premierepodcastpros@gmail.com LEAVE A REVIEW and join me on my journey to become and stay a Kickass Boomer!Visit http://kickassboomers.com/ to listen to the previous episodes. Email terry@kickassboomers.com

Oral health care for children is required in every state under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Plan. But dental coverage for adults is optional. And while nearly every state provides some level of coverage for adults, what is covered and who is covered varies widely from state to state and even within states.Our first guest on this podcast is Ian Hedges, the director of Medicaid and Medicare program policy for the American Dental Association. Hedges explained how oral health care affects overall health and why different levels of coverage for adults under Medicaid can lead to higher costs later on for health complications that arise from neglected oral health issues. One study found that untreated oral health conditions can lead to health complications that cost the U.S. about $45 billion each year in lost productivity.Our other guests are Sen. Evan Vickers, a Republican of Utah, and Sen. Malcom Augustine, a Democrat from Maryland. Senators Vickers and Augustine explained how their states have approached broadening coverage for adults covered by Medicaid, the challenge in assembling a group of providers that will accept Medicaid reimbursement and some of the particular problems in providing care to those with low incomes and those living in rural areas.ResourcesMedicaid Adult Dental Benefits Are on the Move in 2024, CareQuestVariation in Use of Dental Services by Children and Adults Enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, KFF

Let's face it—most of us would rather do anything than talk about death. But avoiding the conversation doesn't make it go away—it just leaves your loved ones drowning in decisions, grief, and sometimes financial chaos. In this episode of Everyone's Talkin' Money, I sit down with Dr. Kimberly Harms, a grief counselor, death doula, mediator, author, and former national spokesperson for the American Dental Association, who has lived through more loss and reinvention than most of us can imagine. From losing her son to suicide, her husband to a broken heart, and her career to injury, Kim rebuilt her life by embracing the hardest conversations—and now she teaches others how to prepare emotionally and financially for the inevitable. We talk about: Why open conversations about death and money reduce family conflict and emotional trauma The importance of legacy planning, estate organization, and writing a “love letter” binder Common financial regrets people share at the end of life—and how to avoid them What every member of the sandwich generation needs to know about long-term care and expectations How to talk to your kids (and grandkids! and parents!) about death without fear or shame Why grief + money = explosive—and how to avoid drama by planning ahead The surprising role of hospice, and why dying on your terms can be the greatest gift you give Kim's wisdom will leave you inspired to tackle your own plans, have those long-overdue conversations, and rethink what a “wealthy” life really means. You're going to walk away knowing: Financial planning is crucial for emotional preparedness in end-of-life scenarios. Hospice care focuses on comfort rather than prolonging life. Many families experience conflict after a death due to lack of communication. Leaving a legacy of love is the most important aspect of life. Planning for retirement and end-of-life care can alleviate burdens on family members. Kim encourages writing love letters to family members as a lasting legacy. Conversations about death should be normalized to reduce fear and discomfort. Joy and resilience are essential themes in navigating life's challenges. If you just want to make life easier for your loved one, or yourself - this is your must-listen episode. Connect with Dr. Kimberly Harms: https://drkimberlyharms.com Learn more about her book Are you Ready? How to Build a Legacy to Die For  Rethinking Death.Life podcast Connect with me (Shari!) on Instagram: @everyonestalkinmoney Subscribe to Everyone's Talkin' Money and leave a review if this episode moved you Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of little teeth, BIG Smiles, host Dr. Joel Berg is joined by Dr. Brittaney Hill, the 2024 recipient of the AAPD Jerome B. Miller “For the Kids” Award. As an up-and-coming practitioner, Dr. Hill shares her experience as a mentee and the impact her mentors had on her career trajectory into pediatric dentistry and the public health sphere. She also delves into how those experiences have impacted her relationship with students as the Pediatric Dentistry Post-Graduate Residency Program Director at UIC. Guest Bio: Dr. Brittaney Hill earned her DDS from Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry. She then completed a Pediatric Dentistry Residency at the University of Illinois Chicago, where she earned her Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry, an MS in Oral Sciences, and an MPH in Health Policy and Administration. Upon completion of her residency program, Dr. Hill immediately transitioned into full-time faculty at UIC and now serves as Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program Director. Dr. Hill is involved in service and leadership in numerous organizations including the Chicago Dental Society, American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tracy was headed down to Utah County a few months ago, listening to one of our favorite talking heads interview an author, Annie Jacobsen, on a book she wrote titled, “Nuclear War.” She ended up buying the book for me to read, and it was very eye opening. I love reading books and finding what I call “crossovers” to what I see in our profession, and such was the case here.Support the show

Dr. Brett Kessler overcame adversity to build an amazing dental career en route to becoming President of the American Dental Association. He shares personal stories, the latest advancements in dentistry, the biggest challenges facing dentists, dental lab solutions, and so much more. Ladies & Gentlemen, you're listening to "Confessions From A Dental Lab" and we're happy you're here. Subscribe today and tell a friend so we can all get 1% better :)Connect with Dr. Kessler on instagram at @bikodds and email him at kesslerb@ada.orgFollow KJ & NuArt on Instagram at @lifeatnuartdental, you can also reach us via email: kj@nuartdental.comLearn more about the lab and request information via our website: https://www.nuartdental.com/new-dentist-contact-form/

What happens when a general dentist becomes passionate about aligner therapy and sleep medicine? In this inspiring and eye-opening episode, Dr. Meghna Dassani welcomes Dr. Meenal Patel—friend, colleague, and fellow dental sleep advocate—to the Healthy Sleep Revolution Podcast. Dr. Meenal shares her journey from dental school to building a thriving private practice in Cary, North Carolina, with a strong emphasis on total patient wellness. Learn how she's using advanced technology, aligner therapy, and sleep-disordered breathing screenings to uncover the hidden signs of airway issues—and change lives. From investing in an iTero scanner to implementing home sleep tests, Dr. Meenal walks us through how she seamlessly blends aesthetics and function while empowering patients with knowledge. Whether you're a provider or a patient, this conversation will open your eyes to how much your smile and your sleep are connected. In this episode, you'll learn: How Dr. Meenal Patel began integrating Invisalign and sleep apnea treatment into her general dental practice The role of technology (like the iTero scanner and CBCT) in uncovering airway issues How to recognize red flags for sleep-disordered breathing during routine dental exams What the patient journey looks like—from crooked teeth to improved sleep Why education and awareness are game-changers for both adults and children How Dr. Meenal is gently introducing airway conversations into everyday dentistry The importance of connecting the dots between oral health and whole-body health About Dr. Meenal Patel Dr. Meenal Patel graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Florida. She went on to earn her Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree at the University of Florida College of Dentistry. She completed her post-graduate training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency program. Highly regarded as a cosmetic clinician, she has advanced training in cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, endodontics, prosthodontics, adult and children's sleep apnea, and dental implantology with additional certifications in Invisalign and laser dentistry. She has been awarded the prestigious Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD) as well as Fellowship in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (FICOI), the International Congress of Dentists (ICD) and the American Academy of Clear Aligners (AACA). She has also been appointed for the Pierre Fauchard Academy - a very exclusive invitation. Dr. Patel also serves as an adjunct faculty member at UNC Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. She has served as Fourth District President for the North Carolina Dental Society, Raleigh Wake County Dental Society, Vice Chair for the Council on Membership with the American Dental Association, and Study Club Leader for NC with the American Academy of Clear Aligners, for which she also serves on the board. Dr. Patel was named Triangle Business Journal's Top 40 Under 40 just a couple years ago. She has been the owner and founder of her award-winning practice in Cary, NC for nearly a decade. Prior to this, Dr. Patel was an associate dentist for a group practice in Charlotte, NC. Dr. Patel has enjoyed owning and growing her practice, Preston Dental Loft, a premier family and cosmetic practice. She has a particular interest in helping people grow their confidence through their smile; offering Invisalign to her patients has helped her achieve this in a big way. She is one of the only general dentists in the area as a Platinum Plus Invisalign provider! Dr. Patel is committed to enhancing her patients' confidence through personalized care and innovative solutions; she believes that your oral health is directly related to your overall wellness as a human!   Connect with Dr. Meenal Patel Website: https://www.prestondentalloft.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prestondentalloft/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prestondentalloft About Meghna Dassani Dr. Meghna Dassani is passionate about promoting healthy sleep through dental practices. In following the ADA's 2017 guideline on sleep apnea screening and treatment, she has helped many children and adults improve their sleep, their breathing, and their lives. Her books and seminars help parents and practitioners understand the essential roles of the tongue, palate, and jaw in promoting healthy sleep.   Connect with Dr. Meghna Dassani Website: https://www.meghnadassani.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthysleeprevolution Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthysleeprevolution/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Lh_n7xmbhQVPGQrSjBIrw Get a copy of Airway is Life: https://www.airwayislife.com  

When I first started my dental practice, back in 1989, most dentists helped each other out. There existed a sense of community that was evident, even within our state dental association. They actually had a “new dentist” committee that was really helpful. The association leadership would assign someone as a mentor, which was also really helpful. Back then, it seemed like as long as a dentist was proficient at caring for his or her patients, stayed up-to-date on advancements in the industry, and was active in the community, one could be reasonably assured of making a good living. The problems and issues facing dentists were fewer. It wasn't uncommon for dental teams to work together for many years. Back then, the pace of change was very slow, comparatively speaking.Fast forward to today. The pace of change is difficult to keep up with. The problems we are facing in dentistry are larger, though maybe not completely different. Support the show

Utah has moved to ban fluoride in public drinking water, a move criticized by the American Dental Association. The AP's LIsa Adams Wagner has more.

We identify what the top ten concerns dentists face every day with running their dental practices, and where to find the answers to run their dental businesses profitably. Support the show

Imagine your dentist as a key player in preventing and managing chronic diseases, not just treating cavities. In this episode, Dr. Brett Kessler advocates for dental benefit reform to shift dentistry from a surgical model to one focused on chronic disease management and overall health, expanding Medicaid benefits and providing care to 300,000 underserved patients. He emphasizes the connection between oral and overall health, aiming to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs by integrating dentistry into broader healthcare systems. Tune in to learn how dentistry is evolving beyond the drill, tackling substance abuse, reshaping healthcare policies, and proving that oral health is the gateway to overall wellness! Watch the entire episode on YouTube and get more details at Think Oral Health Resources: Connect with and follow Dr. Brett Kessler on LinkedIn. Follow the American Dental Association on LinkedIn and explore their website! Watch the entire episode on YouTube and get more details at Think Oral Health. Mariya Filipova - https://filipova.health/ Systemic Health Investor - https://www.4100dx.com/ Care Convergence Thought Leader: Dental Economics Forbes Technology Council Member Jonathan Levine - www.drjonathanlevine.com Founder - JBL New York City www.jblnyc.com Founder - GLO Science LLC www.gloscience.com Co-Founder - GLO GOOD Foundation www.glogoodfoundation.org

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Sirisha Bhandaru to explore the fascinating connection between oral health and sleep-disordered breathing. From jaw structure to teeth grinding, the mouth holds valuable clues about sleep apnea—clues that could lead to life-changing diagnoses. Dr. Bhandaru shares her expertise on how dentists play a crucial role in identifying sleep issues, what warning signs patients should be aware of, and how early intervention can improve overall health. Whether you're a dental professional or someone struggling with sleep, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss! In This Episode, We Cover: ✅ The link between dental health and sleep apnea ✅ Signs in the mouth that could indicate a sleep disorder ✅ How dentists can help detect and address sleep apnea ✅ The impact of untreated sleep apnea on overall health ✅ Practical steps for better sleep and airway health

My Practice My Business and the UDA help Utah dentists score another big win with legislation. We cover what this bill means to dentists and the patients they serve, and our wish for all states to pass similar legislation. Support the show

It's no mystery with all who know me that I love what Walt Disney created, especially when it comes to customer service. I grew up watching the Wonderful World of Disney every Sunday at 6pm, eating dinner on a TV tray in front of an RCA 26-inch color television. I was so blessed…I am a Disney University Graduate, and we have incorporated their training in our dental practice, as well as our dental consulting company: My Practice My Business. We teach in our Clinical Business of Dentistry Training the importance of giving our patients, what we call, the Disney experience. No company does customer service better than Disney. Support the show

Listen to what Tracy and I are working on this year, and it's almost complete. Other states are copying what we are accomplishing here in Utah, and it's benefiting their dentist/association members, and the patients they serve. Go through our business trainings here at My Practice My Business and experience applications of state dental laws, and much more, for REAL practice profitability. Support the show

Join Elevated GP: www.theelevatedgp.com DOT - Use the Code DENTALDIGEST for 10% off Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Follow @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram Connect with Melissa on Linkedin Dr. Jason Smithson, DDS, is a distinguished dentist renowned for his innovative approach to patient care and commitment to advancing the field of modern dentistry. With over 20 years of clinical experience, he has established himself as an expert in restorative, cosmetic, and implant dentistry. Dr. Smithson earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from a prestigious institution, where he distinguished himself not only academically but also through his passion for integrating cutting-edge technology into dental practice. Following his graduation, he pursued advanced training in restorative techniques and digital dentistry, setting the stage for a career marked by precision, artistry, and patient-centered care.   Throughout his career, Dr. Smithson has been at the forefront of adopting and refining state-of-the-art dental technologies. His practice is known for its innovative treatments and minimally invasive techniques that prioritize preserving natural tooth structure while delivering exceptional aesthetic and functional outcomes. His meticulous approach to treatment planning and execution has earned him a reputation for transforming smiles and enhancing the overall quality of life for his patients. Dr. Smithson's commitment to excellence is reflected in his continuous pursuit of professional development and his active participation in national and international dental conferences, where he shares his insights and learns from peers around the globe.   Beyond his clinical expertise, Dr. Smithson is a passionate educator and mentor. He regularly lectures at dental schools and professional workshops, inspiring a new generation of dental professionals to embrace evidence-based practices and innovative treatment modalities. His published research in peer-reviewed journals has contributed significantly to the fields of digital dentistry and minimally invasive restorative techniques, influencing contemporary dental practices. Colleagues and students alike commend him for his clarity, dedication, and willingness to share knowledge, which has made him a highly respected figure in the dental community.   Dr. Smithson is also an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the International Association for Dental Research. His involvement in these organizations underscores his commitment to advancing dental standards and ensuring that his practice remains at the cutting edge of industry developments. Moreover, his leadership extends into community service, where he frequently volunteers at free dental clinics and participates in outreach programs aimed at improving oral health among underserved populations.   In every aspect of his career, Dr. Jason Smithson exemplifies the qualities of a modern dental leader—innovative, compassionate, and deeply dedicated to the art and science of dentistry. His ongoing contributions to clinical practice, education, and community service continue to shape the future of dental care, making him a trusted and influential voice in the profession.

Elevated GP - www.theelevatedgp.com Follow @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram Connect with Melissa on Linkedin Dr. Peter Milgrom is Professor of Oral Health Sciences and Pediatric Dentistry in the School of Dentistry and adjunct Professor of Health Services in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington. He directs the Northwest Center to Reduce Oral Health Disparities. He holds academic appointments at Case Western University, University of Rochester, and University of California, San Francisco. He maintains a dental practice limited to the care of fearful patients and served as Director of the UW Dental Fears Research Clinic. Dr. Milgrom's work includes research on xylitol, the effectiveness of fluoride varnish and iodine in preschoolers, clinical efficacy and safety of diammine silver fluoride, motivational strategies to increase perinatal and well child dental visits in rural communities, and studies of cognitive interventions in pediatric and adult dental fear. The NIH, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, HRSA, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation support his work. Dr. Milgrom is author of 5 books and over 300 scientific articles. His latest book, Treating Fearful Dental Patients, was published in 2009.   Dr. Milgrom was Distinguished Dental Behavioral Scientist of the International Association for Dental Research for 1999. In 1999, and again in 2000, his work was recognized by the Giddon Award for research in the behavioral sciences in Dentistry. He received the Barrows Milk Award from IADR in 2000, recognizing his work for public health including the development of the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program in Washington State. In 2003, Dr. Milgrom received a Special Commendation Award from the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association and the University of Washington Medical Center Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award. In 2010, he received the Aubrey Sheiham Research Award for his work on xylitol. He serves on scientific review committees for the NIDCR, NIMHHD, NINDS, Center for Scientific Review at NIH and as a consultant to the FDA. In 2005, Dr. Milgrom was appointed the SAAD Visiting Professor of Pain and Anxiety Control at the King's College Dental Institute, University of London, UK for a six-year term. In 2008 he was awarded the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Bergen, Norway in recognition of his work in social and behavioral dentistry. In 2012, he received the University of California, San Francisco Dental Alumni Gold Medal for his contributions to Dentistry. In 2012 he was also awarded the Norton Ross Award for Excellence in Clinical Research by the American Dental Association. In 2013, he was appointed to the Council of Scientific Affairs of the American Dental Association. In 2014, he received the Irwin M. Mandel Distinguished Mentor Award from the IADR. In 2015, he served as HMDP Expert in Dental Public Health for the Singapore Ministry of Health. Dr. Milgrom received his DDS from the University of California, San Francisco in 1972 and had a previous position at the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. In the last few years, Dr. Milgrom has spoken to dental associations in Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Philippines, and USA and at major universities in USA and abroad.

Ever since fluoridation became widespread in the 1950s, cavities in kids have fallen drastically. The effort is considered one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. But it's also one of the most controversial. At really high doses, fluoride is toxic – it can calcify your ligaments and joints and even fuse your spine. It also potentially has impacts on our brains. There's a small but growing body of research suggesting that fluoride can inhibit intelligence in children. This is still unsettled and hotly debated science but, as host Nate Hegyi finds out, in our polarized and increasingly digital world… unsettled science can quickly become doctrine. Featuring Rene Najera, Philippe Grandjean and Mark HartzlerFor a transcript and full list of credits, go to outsideinradio.org. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.LINKSThe CDC has a website that tells you how much fluoride is in your drinking water. Here's the reasoning behind the U.S. Public Health Service's recommended limit for artificially fluoridating water. The National Toxicology Program suggests that a child's IQ could be impacted if they or their pregnant mother ingests more than 1.5 ppm of fluoride in their water. Philippe Grandjean's peer-reviewed study suggests that the safe level of fluoride in water for pregnant women is much lower than what the U.S. Public Health Service recommends.The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association have cast doubt on the National Toxicology Program's conclusions and say that the fluoride levels in U.S. waters are safe. A U.S. district court judge ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to take a second look at its limits for fluoride in the water, citing the National Toxicology Program's monograph.