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Harvey is 71 years old, married to his wife, Sharon, for over 47 years. Five married children and 20 grandchildren. He has been in SA since January 7th, 2014, and gratefully sober since that day Which, by the way 12 years a couple of days ago. Harvey does not claim to live in Utopia, but he has learned to take things one day at a time. His hope is to retire from practicing Dentistry in the next while, and to move to a warmer climate, when he gets a sign from his Higher Power that it's time.Reco12 is an open-to-all addictions and afflictions organization, dedicated to exploring the common threads of the differing manifestations of alcoholism; sharing tools, and offering hope from those walking a similar path. We gather from diverse backgrounds, faiths, and locations to learn and support one another. Our speakers come from various fellowships and experiences, demonstrating the universal principles of recovery. Reco12 is not allied or affiliated with any specific 12 Step fellowship.Support Reco12's 12th Step Mission! Help provide powerful audio resources for addicts and their loved ones. Your contributions cover Zoom, podcasts, web hosting, and admin costs.Monthly Donations: Reco12 SupportOne-Time Donations: PayPal | Venmo: @Reco-Twelve | Patreon | WISEYour support makes a difference—thank you!Resources from this meeting:Sexaholics AnonymousAbide with My by Josh GrobanMy Cup Has Overflowed PoemOutro music is “Standing Still” by Cory Ellsworth and Randy Kartchner, performed by Mike Eldred and Elizabeth Wolfe. This song, and/or the entire soundtrack for the future Broadway musical, “Crosses: A Musical of Hope”, can be purchased here: https://amzn.to/3RIjKXs This song is used with the express permission of Cory Ellsworth.Information on Noodle It Out with Nikki M Big Book Roundtable Informational Seeking and educating on how to donate to Reco12.Support the showPrivate Facebook GroupInstagram PageBecome a Reco12 Spearhead (Monthly Supporter)PatreonPayPalVenmo: @Reco-TwelveYouTube ChannelReco12 WebsiteEmail: reco12pod@gmail.com to join WhatsApp GroupReco12 Shares PodcastReco12 Shares Record a Share LinkReco12 Noodle It Out with Nikki M PodcastReco12 Big Book Roundtable Podcast
The Bulletproof Dental Podcast Episode 422 HOSTS: Dr. Peter Boulden and Dr. Craig Spodak DESCRIPTION In this episode of the Bulletproof Dental Practice Podcast, Craig Spodak and Peter Boulden discuss the significance of the New Year as a time for reflection and goal setting. They emphasize the importance of strategic planning in dentistry, highlighting how the urgent often overshadows the important tasks that lead to growth. The conversation explores the allure of production over strategic thinking, the cost of never stepping back from clinical work, and the necessity of creating a sustainable practice. They also touch on the value of team consensus and the impact of the Bulletproof Summit as a transformative experience for dental professionals. TAKEAWAYS New Year's is a time for reflection and goal setting. Writing down goals provides a snapshot of past aspirations. The urgent often crowds out the important in dentistry. Dentists often prioritize being busy over being productive. Strategic time must be protected, not just found. The cost of never stepping back can be detrimental. Creating a sustainable practice requires strategic planning. Team consensus can drive motivation and ownership. The Bulletproof Summit offers transformative experiences for dental teams. If nothing changes, nothing changes. CHAPTERS 00:00 New Year Reflections and Goals 03:05 The Importance of Strategic Time 06:01 The Tyranny of the Urgent in Dentistry 09:04 The Allure of Production Over Strategy 12:03 The Cost of Not Stepping Back 14:55 Creating a Sustainable Dental Practice 18:08 The Role of Team Consensus 21:10 The Bulletproof Summit and Its Impact 24:03 Final Thoughts and Call to Action 29:32 Outro REFERENCES Bulletproof Summit Bulletproof Mastermind
On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes Eric Payne, founder and CEO of Tekagogo, a groundbreaking platform that's redefining how dental practices access equipment service. With 21 years at Henry Schein and deep roots in the dental industry, Eric saw firsthand the challenges of service delays, limited tech availability, and logistical headaches. That led to the creation of Tekagogo—an on-demand, Uber-style solution connecting dental offices directly with service technicians, cutting out unnecessary wait times and inefficiencies. The two dive into the evolving dental landscape, the growing shortage in skilled trades, and how practices can embrace technology to operate more efficiently. From controlling overhead to empowering reps to do more than take orders, this conversation is a powerful look at where dentistry is headed—and what's needed to keep up. Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast! EPISODE RESOURCES https://ww.henryschein.ca https://www.truedentalsuccess.com Dental Success Network
Ever feel like no matter what you change in the practice, you're “wrong”? Push too hard and the team melts down. Stand still and nothing improves. We break the cycle by showing how to make progress without chaos: one focused change at a time, packaged around a clear outcome, supported by micro check-ins, and closed with a real finish line your team can trust.If you're ready to roll out systems at the right pace and build a team that embraces improvement, subscribe, share this episode with a colleague, and leave a quick review. Want hands-on help and a custom plan? Book a free strategy call at dentalpracticeheroes.com/strategy. Get Free DPH Trainings, Download the App and Join our Community! CLICK HERETake Control of Your Practice and Your Life We help dentists take more time off while making more money through systematization, team empowerment, and creating leadership teams. Ready to build a practice that works for you? Visit www.DentalPracticeHeroes.com to learn more.
This episode of Little Teeth, BIG Smiles explores how co-locating pediatric dentistry and orthodontics under one roof advances dentistry's version of the Triple Aim: improving patient experience, enhancing population oral health, and reducing per-capita costs. Dr. Christina Carter joins our host Dr. Joel Berg for a discussion that reframes co-location not as a convenience model, but as a value-based, prevention-oriented system of care that is particularly impactful for children, families, and underserved communities. Guest Bio: Dr. Christina R. Carter is a graduate of Haverford College in Haverford, Penn. She earned her dental degree at UMDNJ-NJDS, now Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. She earned her Certificate in both Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics at New York University College of Dentistry. She completed a fellowship in Cleft, Craniofacial and Surgical Orthodontics at the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery- New York University Langone Medical Center. She earned her Certificate as a Holistic Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and American Board of Orthodontics. Dr. Carter is in private practice in Madison, NJ. She has been named multiple times as a “Top Doctor” by New Jersey Magazine and “Favorite Kid's Doc” by New Jersey Family Magazine. She has served on the AAO Council of Orthodontic Health Care and multiple AAO committees and is a past president of the Northeastern Society of Orthodontists (NESO) and served as their Delegate Chair to the ADA House of Delegates. She often appears on Sirius Radio “Doctor Radio”, AAPD Podcasts, and has been published in Scholastic and Kiwimagazines. In addition, she has appeared on “Inside Edition”, WPIX NYC News, and Today.com. She lectures nationally and internationally on pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, and treating patients with special needs. She is an Assistant Professor at New York University College of Dentistry in the Departments of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. Dr. Carter enjoys volunteering with Special Olympics and alongside her certified therapy dog, Callie, through Creature Comfort Pet Therapy in New Jersey. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
*** Set yourself up for financial success with Twinleaf Financial Advisors: https://www.twinleafadv.com/ or or text 321-521-3133 for a free consultation. What does a fulfilling dental career actually look like—especially when you want both professional growth and a life outside the office?
Dr. Eric Block is a practicing dentist, educator, speaker, and author focused on helping dental professionals reduce stress, prevent burnout, and build more fulfilling careers. He is the author of The Stress-Free Dentist and Stress-Free Dental Implants, with his work centered on wellness, leadership, and practice growth in dentistry.
This podcast was created using NotebookLM.This podcast discusses how modern dentistry is transitioning from basic symptom relief toward biologically driven regeneration, where the success of high-tech treatments depends on a patient's internal health.
Ben Greenfield Fitness: Read the notes at at podcastnotes.org. Don't forget to subscribe for free to our newsletter, the top 10 ideas of the week, every Monday --------- Full Show Notes: https://bengreenfieldlife.com/lnraw06/ Welcome to RAW—my unfiltered solo podcast (hosted on LIFE Network), where you get the real, behind-the-scenes version of my life: the biohacking experiments I’m running on myself, the protocols I’m building and breaking, the tools and tech I’m stress-testing before anyone hears about them, the ideas in physiology, performance, and longevity I’m diving into, the beliefs I’m questioning, the routines I’m refining, and the unconventional stuff I’m actually doing day to day—no gloss, no script, just a direct line into what I’m thinking, testing, discovering, and living in real time. In this episode, we go deep into the “RAW” terrain of jaw mechanics—think controversial, awkward, and a tad nerdy, but game-changing for health. It all starts at a cocktail party when a Sherlock Holmes-style dentist spots red flags just by looking at his mouth. Cue a year-plus journey into bioesthetic dentistry, mindfully chewing food, and mastering “mewing” (tongue and jaw posture that even changes your face shape). What’s the big actionable win? Stop ignoring your mouth! Rethink your mechanics, posture, and oral hygiene—ditch the fluoride, embrace hydroxyapatite toothpaste, train your tongue to suction to your palate, and breathe through your nose like a pro. Bonus: mouth taping is not just for sleep geeks. Episode Sponsors: Just Thrive: Take the Just Thrive FEEL BETTER challenge today, and save 20% on your first Gut Essentials Bundle. Just Thrive Probiotic is the only probiotic clinically proven to arrive 100% alive in your gut, wrestling in less bloat, better energy, and even clear skin. Digestive Bitters packs 12 science-backed herbs in one tasteless capsule that jumpstarts your digestion and supports GLP-1 production so cravings don’t control you. Visit justthrivehealth.com/BEN and save 20% with promo code BEN. See the difference for yourself or get a full product refund, no questions asked. Fatty15: Fatty15 is on a mission to optimize your C15:0 levels and help you live healthier, longer. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/BEN and using code BEN at checkout. BIOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough: The 7 essential forms of magnesium included in this full spectrum serving help you relax, unwind, and turn off your active brain after a long and stressful day so you can rest peacefully and wake up feeling refreshed, vibrant, and alert. Go to bioptimizers.com/ben and use code ben15 for 15% off any order. Muse: Muse S Athena combines clinical-grade EEG and fNIRS technology to train your brain in real time while tracking sleep with 86% expert-level accuracy. Get 15% off at choosemuse.com/BENGREENFIELD or use code BENGREENFIELD at checkout. Truvaga: Balance your nervous system naturally with Truvaga's vagus nerve stimulator. Visit Truvaga.com/Greenfield and use code GREENFIELD30 to save $30 off any Truvaga device. Calm your mind, focus better, and recover faster in just two minutes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Full Show Notes: https://bengreenfieldlife.com/lnraw06/ Welcome to RAW—my unfiltered solo podcast (hosted on LIFE Network), where you get the real, behind-the-scenes version of my life: the biohacking experiments I’m running on myself, the protocols I’m building and breaking, the tools and tech I’m stress-testing before anyone hears about them, the ideas in physiology, performance, and longevity I’m diving into, the beliefs I’m questioning, the routines I’m refining, and the unconventional stuff I’m actually doing day to day—no gloss, no script, just a direct line into what I’m thinking, testing, discovering, and living in real time. In this episode, we go deep into the “RAW” terrain of jaw mechanics—think controversial, awkward, and a tad nerdy, but game-changing for health. It all starts at a cocktail party when a Sherlock Holmes-style dentist spots red flags just by looking at his mouth. Cue a year-plus journey into bioesthetic dentistry, mindfully chewing food, and mastering “mewing” (tongue and jaw posture that even changes your face shape). What’s the big actionable win? Stop ignoring your mouth! Rethink your mechanics, posture, and oral hygiene—ditch the fluoride, embrace hydroxyapatite toothpaste, train your tongue to suction to your palate, and breathe through your nose like a pro. Bonus: mouth taping is not just for sleep geeks. Episode Sponsors: Just Thrive: Take the Just Thrive FEEL BETTER challenge today, and save 20% on your first Gut Essentials Bundle. Just Thrive Probiotic is the only probiotic clinically proven to arrive 100% alive in your gut, wrestling in less bloat, better energy, and even clear skin. Digestive Bitters packs 12 science-backed herbs in one tasteless capsule that jumpstarts your digestion and supports GLP-1 production so cravings don’t control you. Visit justthrivehealth.com/BEN and save 20% with promo code BEN. See the difference for yourself or get a full product refund, no questions asked. Fatty15: Fatty15 is on a mission to optimize your C15:0 levels and help you live healthier, longer. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/BEN and using code BEN at checkout. BIOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough: The 7 essential forms of magnesium included in this full spectrum serving help you relax, unwind, and turn off your active brain after a long and stressful day so you can rest peacefully and wake up feeling refreshed, vibrant, and alert. Go to bioptimizers.com/ben and use code ben15 for 15% off any order. Muse: Muse S Athena combines clinical-grade EEG and fNIRS technology to train your brain in real time while tracking sleep with 86% expert-level accuracy. Get 15% off at choosemuse.com/BENGREENFIELD or use code BENGREENFIELD at checkout. Truvaga: Balance your nervous system naturally with Truvaga's vagus nerve stimulator. Visit Truvaga.com/Greenfield and use code GREENFIELD30 to save $30 off any Truvaga device. Calm your mind, focus better, and recover faster in just two minutes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Bulletproof Dental Podcast Episode 421 HOSTS: Dr. Peter Boulden and Dr. Craig Spodak DESCRIPTION In this conversation, Peter Boulden and Craig discuss the evolution of dental marketing over the years, emphasizing the importance of creating joy and hope in marketing strategies. They explore the significance of understanding patient psychology, the value of existing patients, and the need to sell benefits rather than procedures. The discussion also touches on the role of AI in dentistry and the necessity of having a clear process for patient care. Ultimately, they highlight the psychological aspects of success and the importance of believing in one's worth to achieve business goals. TAKEAWAYS Marketing is often seen as the key to practice growth. Creating joy and hope in marketing can attract patients. Selling benefits rather than procedures is crucial for patient engagement. Understanding patient psychology can enhance treatment acceptance. Existing patients can be a valuable source of referrals. Underpriced attention in marketing can lead to better patient acquisition. AI is set to revolutionize the dental industry in the coming years. Having a clear process can improve patient experience and satisfaction. The psychology of success is essential for achieving business goals. Continuous improvement and adaptation are necessary for success in dentistry. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Role of Marketing in Dentistry 05:07 Creating Joy and Hope in Marketing 10:07 Selling Benefits Over Procedures 15:13 The Importance of Understanding Patient Needs 19:59 Seeking Underpriced Attention in Marketing 28:48 Maximizing Online Presence through Reviews and SEO 30:08 The Shift Towards Long-Form Content and Video Engagement 31:43 The Impact of AI on Business and Patient Care 33:10 Navigating the Future of Dentistry with AI 35:08 The Importance of Marketing Strategies and Underpriced Attention 39:16 Leveraging Existing Patients for Growth 41:46 The Power of Asking for Referrals and Retention 43:38 Communicating Services Effectively to Patients 44:18 Creating a Clear Process for Patient Care 46:58 The Role of Psychology in Business Success 55:32 Outro REFERENCES Bulletproof Summit Bulletproof Mastermind
What if case acceptance didn't feel like "selling" at all? In this first episode of 2026, Dr. Len Tau sits down with Dr. Camesia Matthews to explore a powerful new way to help patients truly understand—and say yes to—their treatment plans. Dr. Matthews introduces her Dental Fitness Method, a five-pillar framework that connects oral health to whole-body wellness. By reframing dentistry through prevention, posture, protection, presentation, and psychology, she shows how dentists can increase patient buy-in, reduce resistance, and empower patients to take ownership of their health—without feeling pushy or sales-driven. This conversation is a must-listen for any dentist looking to improve case acceptance through clarity, education, and trust. What You'll Learn Why patients reject treatment when they don't understand the why behind it How the Dental Fitness Method reframes dentistry as whole-body healthcare The five pillars that help patients make sense of complex treatment plans How education eliminates objections and builds long-term trust Why mindset and psychology are the foundation of case acceptance How wellness-based communication leads to more confident, informed "yes" decisions — Key Takeaways 00:43 Episode Introduction & Welcome to 2026 02:48 Meet Dr. Camesia Matthews 04:30 Education, Frameworks, and Patient Buy-In 05:35 The Five Pillars of the Dental Fitness Method 08:17 Why Patients Need a Unified Oral-Health Message 10:28 What Happens When Patients Don't Understand the "Why" 12:45 Sports Dentistry, Inflammation, and Whole-Body Health 14:58 Real Case Example: Transforming Confidence Through Dental Fitness 18:40 The Future of Dentistry as Healthcare 20:32 Removing the Pressure of "Selling" Dentistry 24:10 Handling the Informed "No" 26:44 Following Up Without Losing Patients 28:46 The Dental Fitness Advantage Book 29:40 Lightning Round Q&A 35:15 How to Connect with Dr. Camesia Matthews — Connect with Dr. Camesia Instagram: @drcamesiaamatthews Book: The Dental Fitness Advantage (available on Amazon & Shopify) Learn more & connect: DentalFitnessPillars.com/educate — Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at DrLenTau.com. This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more here. This podcast is sponsored by CallRail, call tracking & lead conversion software for dentists. Find out more here. Raving Patients Podcast is your go-to place for the latest and best dental marketing strategies that will help you skyrocket your practice. Follow us for more!
In this episode of the Less Insurance Dependence Podcast, host Lester De Alwis sits down with Dr. Vishal Sharma, Director of Clinical Education at Spear Education, to explore how hybrid clinical education is transforming continuing education for dentists. Dr. Sharma shares how blending in-person instruction with virtual tools and AI-powered feedback is making high-level training more accessible, objective, and efficient, without the traditional barriers of travel, time away from practice, or lost production. Together, they discuss how hybrid learning supports faster skill development, improves clinical quality, and empowers dentists to deliver higher-value care that aligns with a fee-for-service, insurance-independent model. If you're looking to future-proof your education, enhance efficiency, and strengthen your practice without burning out, this episode is a must-listen. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/ If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://thrivingdentist.com/csm
Most practices don't fail for lack of systems—they fail because accountability shows up late, tense, and inconsistent. We unpack a practical way to fix that with the CVI method—curiosity, validation, and invitation—so your team follows through without fear, defensiveness, or drama. You'll hear why “laminated” SOPs stall, how delayed feedback normalizes noncompliance, and how reframing protocols around patient outcomes and team fairness wins real buy-in.If this resonated, share it with a colleague, subscribe for more practical leadership tools, and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so others can find the show. Got questions or want support? Book a free strategy call at dentalpracticeheroes.com/strategy.Join us for Free Live Trainings and Community Discussion in the DPH Hero Collective on the DPH App. Click Here to Join! GRAB THE FREE PLAYBOOK HERE - Discover 30 proven strategies top-performing dentists use to increase profits, cut clinical days, and finally enjoy the freedom they originally built their practices for.https://www.dentalpracticeheroes.com/playbookTake Control of Your Practice and Your Life We help dentists take more time off while making more money through systematization, team empowerment, and creating leadership teams. Ready to build a practice that works for you? Visit www.DentalPracticeHeroes.com to learn more.
Tiff and Monica talk about the fundamental elements to include when onboarding a new team member, and some of them might surprise you. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:01) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. Welcome back. I am just so happy to have all of you. know there are so many people out there that support the Dental A Team in so many amazing ways. And you guys being here downloading these podcasts and having that little, I know Apple allows the like auto download. I always love that. Cause when I'm on flights, I can just, you know, podcast. But you guys being here. pushing those through for us, being here to just support who we are, what we do is so truly incredible, whether you're a client, a future client, or someone who's just here to listen and you're like, ⁓ you know, never gonna sign up, we don't really have a preference of how you get to us. We just love that you're here. We wanna deliver all of the most amazing information that we possibly can. You might notice we share a lot of information, a lot of tips and tricks, a lot of like, I don't know, feel like, Monica, I feel like they're like. secrets, trade secrets, right? And people are like, gosh, I'll just listen to your podcast. I'm like, fantastic, do that, do that. When you're ready for someone like Monica, who I have here with us today, you guys, to be like, I'm gonna push you a little bit further. She's here, we're here, and we're ready to help you get to that next level. And as I said, you guys, this is a truly, truly exciting day for us. I have Monica back on the podcast with me today. I am so excited to have you here, Monica. I know. Monica Gomez (00:57) ⁓ yeah. The Dental A Team (01:20) Previously, I've kind of given a good spiel of who you are and how we found you. And we got to record a podcast, if you haven't listened to it yet, about this really hiring tips and strategies. But there's so much to learn about Monica, her coaching style and who she is in that episode. So if you haven't listened to it yet, go do that. And as an introduction today, Monica, welcome. I'm so excited to have you here. And I just I'm excited to pick your brain. love I love watching. I feel like I get to watch the flow of how thoughts come to you and it's just really fun and I love our time together. Thank you for blocking out your morning and being here with me this morning and Monica, how are you? How was your weekend? How's life? How's Monica? Monica Gomez (02:04) is great and I'm starting off my week with podcasting with you ⁓ and this is so fun. This is my second podcast and I'm so excited to be here. Our first one was really, there was a flow to it, right? It was a ⁓ great little conversation, valuable. We dropped lots of gems, you guys, so go listen to that podcast and I'm excited to be sharing this space again with you, Tish. Thank you for having me. The Dental A Team (02:19) Yeah. Thank you, thank you. I do love this and it actually makes me think this is like a little off topic here, but just for a smidgen of time. love the podcast space with you consultant ladies ⁓ on our team because I love that this is a space where I get to, I think I get to share how much I love you guys. Like how much admiration I have, how much I look up to you guys and get to like extract so much. knowledge and input from you. And I think this is our space of like, truly having some connection time. And we have our one on ones, I mentioned that before, but those are so goal driven and work driven. It makes me think I love relationship and community. And I think that's something that humans are learning again, we're relearning that we need that. I think we lost that for a moment of time here recently and in the years and we're coming back to that. You kind of don't know what you have until you lose it sometimes and we lost that space. And I think this is our space of true community. We do have our weekly meetings, we have our one-on-ones, we have our data-driven, work-driven time together, but the podcasting space is actually really special to me because I do get to, I get to get to like, want, we get to put you guys out there and I get to just spend this time with you. And it makes me think you mentioned something on the last podcast that we had recorded together. You mentioned that intentional team time together and that like just clicked. As you're talking, like it clicked for me. This is our intentional time together and instilling that into, infusing that into the workplace. It's really special. And I want doctors and owners and leaders and anyone who's here, dental assistants, treatment coordinators, I don't care who you are. I want you to... know from the bottom of my heart, this is a really special place and you don't need to go start a podcast unless you want to. But having that intentional time, like coffee time, like go in the break room and have coffee together and talk about your weekend. Like me getting to hear about Monica's family life and Charlie, her puppy, getting to know those pieces of you personally, it changes and it shifts our dynamic. So I wanted to highlight that because as you were speaking, I was like, my gosh, this is Monica Gomez (04:42) Yeah. The Dental A Team (04:55) something we haven't had yet because this is only our second podcast together, but that I know I do have with the other consultants and it just totally clicked for me because we just, think, mentioned that in the last one. So Monica, thank you for being here. Thank you for letting me say all that and for giving me this intentional time today. Monica Gomez (05:12) Yeah, thanks, Tiff. Yeah, I think ⁓ this time together, we get to peek, a little peek behind the veil, right? And yeah, we do have a lot of connection time. It's structured time, right? But the value of unstructured time is just gold. is, ⁓ it builds trust, it builds ⁓ camaraderie, it builds affinity, it builds ⁓ an endearing, right? An endearing kind of sense of The Dental A Team (05:20) Yeah. Yeah. Monica Gomez (05:42) of viewing the other person in a different light. So yeah, I think this is a powerful, like meaningful time. I agree with you. I agree with everything that you said. This is definitely a special magical space. Yeah. The Dental A Team (05:51) Yeah. Yeah, thank you. Awesome. Well, thank you for being here. And again, if you didn't listen to the last podcast, I know this is the third or fourth time we're saying it. You should. This is kind of I think Monica actually helped me choose today's topics that she wanted to speak on. I think they actually naturally flow together. So I would maybe even listen to this one after the last one ⁓ or listen to this one. And then I don't care which order you do it in, but listen to both of them is my is my point here, because today we really we're going to talk about onboarding. Monica Gomez (06:05) You The Dental A Team (06:26) And you can onboard anyone, but I think maybe when we add in onboarding the right team member, because the last podcast we recorded was really how to hire the right team member and hiring with intentionality and meaning behind it. And the onboarding, Monica, I think has to flow off of that. If we're not continuously showing up as the person we wanted to hire, like we talked about in the last one. If we show up in the interview space and we're like, this is who I want you to be, but then we're onboarding and we're like, meh, meh. We're like, this is boring person and we want somebody who's dynamic and fun and engaging and speaking to the patients, but we're like, not that person. I think it makes a huge difference. So Monica, as you've trained people, as you've onboarded, you've trained practices to do this, what are some key highlights that you like to infuse into the onboarding process? Monica Gomez (07:15) Yeah, great topic. And I agree, this one goes hand in hand with our previous podcast. know, onboarding traditionally has been very much transactional, right? Here's your cubby, here's what you do, here's where you sit, here's how you answer the phones, right? We've got to move. Well, there's a part of it that has to be transactional because you have to learn, you know, what your job is and, you know, the daily to do's. But I think if we lead with that, it's a mistake. ⁓ As I mentioned before, and we talked about how the workforce has changed, ⁓ and we're leading with connection and engagement and authenticity and all those components that make us unique, I think we, I really feel that we need to move. from a transactional place to a transformational or transcendental. ⁓ It's gotta be more about behaviors, right? And how we wrap our arms around like this new person that's joining our little family, right? How would you like to be welcomed into a team that would make you feel welcome and received with open arms and warmth? That's how we have to welcome our new people. The Dental A Team (08:17) Yeah. Monica Gomez (08:36) You know, we've invested so much time and energy in interviewing our job post, our, you know, filtering our candidates, interviewing, that whole hiring process, offer letter, the whole nine yards. And then we just throw them in, sink or swim. We've got to add, we've got to be intentional and we've got to add more value to the onboarding piece because, you know, people sometimes are left thinking like, gosh, The Dental A Team (08:54) Yeah. Monica Gomez (09:05) this is not the place that I thought it was gonna be, right? Like make it the place that you post it on your job ad, right? Like create, you get to be the creator. You're the co-creator, right? This is your platform. Like what do you wanna create for your new people, right? And I think transaction. It's always part of our industry and in the workforce, right? There is a transactional piece to working. ⁓ But again, that humanist, right? And so one great tip, I'll start with one tip and I'll turn it over to you, Tiff. ⁓ One great tip is have a welcome packet for your team, right? A t-shirt, their name tag, little, you know, if you picked up little sprinkles of who they are and what they like in the interview, like, The Dental A Team (09:51) Mm. Monica Gomez (10:02) put together a nice little welcome basket for them, a pen post-it, a nice little saying. I think that's, wow, I mean, that's super impactful on their first day, right? Like, welcome to the team and have everybody go around at Morning Huddle and just give a little shout out as, you know, The Dental A Team (10:11) Yeah. I love that. Yeah. Monica Gomez (10:29) how valuable it is to have a new team member. I think that's super simple and important. The Dental A Team (10:36) Yeah, I love that. think you hit on something really important there. It's really that feeling of being welcomed, coming into a new space is, I mean, we don't even like going to a party unless we know, a dinner party, unless we know everybody who's gonna be there, right? We're like, I only know two people. Like, is that enough? Right? I got a text from a friend the other day that was, know, or not the other day, it's been a bit, but for, you know, Halloween. And then she's like, I gotta go to this thing with my husband. And like, I don't know anybody. And I was like, okay, like this is, we're all coming into this dinner party not knowing. anybody else, even if you've done working interviews, you still don't know them. So I love that really just toning in on the personal piece and the relationship, because if you can have a relationship with them, you can, you know, build that camaraderie just from the get go. I think they actually retain information and onboard quicker as well. So I love that. Yeah. Monica Gomez (11:25) It's hard being an adult, you know? It's hard being an adult. And I think in the practice, you know, just circling back to our topic on our previous podcast, fun is really important. We forget to have fun as adults, you know? And gosh, you know, think of it like you're in the sandbox again. See through young eyes, see through young eyes. Put those lenses on and just remember what it is to just play in the sandbox. with your friends, right? And have like that pureness of intention and that pureness of heart and spirit. I think it's just easier when you can kind of connect to that space to welcome others in. And they'll say, I love that you're here. Welcome to the team. How can I make your week and your integration easier? I think that's a gem right there. That's... The Dental A Team (11:54) Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Monica Gomez (12:21) super valuable for the person receiving and also for the person that's delivering. The Dental A Team (12:26) I agree. I was thinking, as you said, you said it's hard being an adult And I thought, yeah, I remember just being like, do you want to swing? Like, there's two, like, do you want to swing with me? Like, that's, we don't do that anymore. Yeah. It was easy. Now it's like, we go to, we're in the same Pilates class 10 times and I'm still like, do I talk to you? Do I not talk to you? And it's like, goodness gracious. So yeah, like just, do you want to swing? Like just, let's just have fun with it. I love that. ⁓ Monica Gomez (12:33) Yeah. It's easier to fix ones. The Dental A Team (12:51) And so Welcome Packet is beautiful. if you guys like put it together, it could even be like ⁓ a welcome note card. Like, hey, excited to have you. Like everybody, we write thank you cards to our patients or we write condolence cards or happy birthday or happy anniversary. Like, congrats on your wedding. We write these cards and I've seen them in multiple practices. So I know a lot of people do them. You pass them around to all the team members or the happy birthday for the team members, right? Everybody writes on the card and it's like this little message. You could do it as simply as that. Like, hey, Monica's starting on Monday, guys. Like, it's Thursday. Let's wrap this up. Let's get this like welcome card together and a candy bar or a little ⁓ bouquet of flowers, like four carnations. Like, it doesn't have to be difficult. It doesn't have to be robust or like over the top. Just speak to who you are and who they are. I love that. And Monica, something you said was we were kind of prepping for this was you don't have to have it all together. And I loved that because we've saw many podcasts on Monica Gomez (13:32) Yeah. The Dental A Team (13:48) operations manual and it's fantastic. And I agree with an operations manual and practices come to us and they're like, Monica, we need an operations manual, help us build it. It's like, okay, yes. And it's super cool. Also, it's not a requirement. You can onboard, you can train, you can have them help you build the operations manual while you're training. Don't hold yourself back from onboarding someone successfully. Monica Gomez (13:59) Yeah. The Dental A Team (14:15) because you feel like things are missing and I love that you said that. Now, on that same aspect, a job description, super simple, to put together a job description of who they are, how they show up and what their targets are per position and then build off of that to say like, hey, in the first week, two weeks, 30 days and then kind of go from there. Now, implementally, how do you build the action out for... for teams like that, because I'm an aggriance. I love an operations manual. I think it's great, but it's not end all be all. And just because we get through an operations manual and your consulting journey does not mean you're done. You're set for success and nothing's ever going to happen. I think there's a lot of, we could go on a tangent about operations manuals. We won't today. But how do you do that with your practices you're working with? Monica Gomez (15:05) Yeah, I mean, I think people ⁓ absorb information and they learn differently. And I think it's really important that we hit on all three things. It's auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. The operations manual or the training manual is valuable, Because it's a resource that you can go to to reference and get a refresher. ⁓ But that shouldn't be your onboarding technique, right? That's like, OK, here you go. Here's the written. ⁓ The Dental A Team (15:30) Yeah. Monica Gomez (15:34) proof or reference book of what you already learned, right? It is the outcome of your training. ⁓ I think, you know, onboarding can be simple and we make it complicated because everything has to be in writing nowadays and there's value to that. ⁓ But really your team, the biggest piece of ⁓ an employee staying within those 90 days is how we onboarded them. The Dental A Team (15:48) Yeah. Monica Gomez (16:03) Did we just give them manual or written instructions and say, okay, here it is, go do it? Or did we say, okay, this week, part of your onboarding is that you're gonna spend time with every single person in this practice in the various roles, including the doctor. You're gonna sit in and listen to the exams and the x-ray take and the hygienist. And you're really gonna understand all the makings of this practice. it's important that we understand everyone's role and how we contribute to the entire team. So I always recommend that you hire someone and the first three days, break it up. Three, by the way, is a magical number for me. I love everything in series of threes. So three is easy to remember, three things versus five or even four, right? So three days in each role. And have that person that's learning write down the most impact. What did you learn in these three days sitting with a hygienist? Or what do you want to know more about? This will spark their curiosity. Don't give them a script. Allow them to of grasp the topics and let their curiosity ⁓ be the lead. Take the lead on. Here's what I want to know more about, or I don't really understand this, or gosh, I didn't know that, right? ⁓ And that goes for experienced employees or people that are new to the industry, right? That's my recommendation. Allow them to spend three days in every single role, like the journey of onboarding, right? Like, I think it's super valuable. And then... ⁓ The Dental A Team (17:32) Yeah. Fisher. Monica Gomez (17:51) Again, they could be kind of co-creating your manual with you because what they bring back, the knowledge that they bring back, chances are somebody else is going to have that same curiosity or those same questions, right? Yeah, I think that's a really simple tip. And those also that feedback could be part of your 30, 60, 90 day growth plans. And here's what you're really great at, right? I always like to look at The Dental A Team (18:04) Yeah. Monica Gomez (18:22) Think about the growth plan like a sandwich, right? Like there's the beginning, the middle, and the end. And so here's where you are, right? ⁓ Here's where, ⁓ actually, here's your role. Here's where you currently are, and here's where we would like for you to be. And like, what are the steps to get there, right? That should be part of your growth plan, your 30, 60, 90 day growth plan, along with the job description. Yeah, I think, you know, using the job description like you mentioned as a tool, right, to guide people and also for us to understand like, what are they really great at? What are they really proud of, you know, in this job role? And what do they want to know more about? I think ⁓ I ⁓ one great way to kind of get familiar with someone's knowledge, experience and their desire to grow or learn more about is take the The Dental A Team (19:03) Thank Monica Gomez (19:20) the skills and ability portion of the job role and say, tell me three things that you're really great at, that you're really proud of, that you just are an expert in. And then three things that ⁓ you wanna know more about, not weak, right? Things that you don't, let's take that, negative verb out of it, just say three things that you're curious about or three things that you wanna sharpen your skills at. That tells you a lot about their qualifications. ⁓ And I'm really an advocate of ⁓ The Dental A Team (19:22) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yes. Monica Gomez (19:49) eliminating the over-educating and over-matching. This exercise is a great way to kind of level set who your person is, like what's in their brain, right? Like, are you curious about? So I think that's part of like the co-creation of the onboarding and the collaboration, right? This is a partnership, we're in this together. What can I do to help you help me? The Dental A Team (20:01) Yeah. Yeah. Monica Gomez (20:15) and stay. think it's intentional and it is ⁓ structured in a way that's unstructured. The Dental A Team (20:28) Yeah, for sure. And I think that what you're saying there that co-creation also makes me think of ⁓ like collaborating and co-creating with the people who are going to be doing the training. So if you're not the one who's going to be, if you're an office manager and you're not training this person hands on 100 % of the time, then enlist the team members too. So if this person's job is I don't know, front desk check-in and she or he has this laundry list of 20 different things that they've got to learn in the series of these 90 days or 30 days or however long you parcel that out for who's helping with those things and allow them to co-create too. And I think what you're saying, the three days, it's like, great, you're learning to answer the phones and confirm appointments. That's what you're doing for three days. You're answering the phone. So you're answering the phones and you're delivering that patient to whomever, right? You're transferring that patient to whomever they need and you're doing confirmation calls for three days. And then stack on top of that, anything, something you said there, the co-collaborating and the kind of doing it together, but also then enlisting outside perspectives to see what flows together. Because a lot of times our job doesn't necessarily start to end flow in this perfect, beautiful space. Sometimes it's like, well, I'm doing phones, but I'm doing emails, and I'm doing phones, but I'm checking patients out. And those are very like stark contrasting pieces. And so if we're like jumping them around or trying to do it in what a day might look like, that's very confusing. And it's overwhelming because your brain doesn't operate in that way. You can and you will and you will multitask and they will get it. But when you're learning, you've got to learn succinctly in a flow that makes sense. So you can't start with Monica Gomez (22:02) and overwhelming. The Dental A Team (22:17) checking a patient out if you also want them to be doing confirmation calls. Like you've got to find, like you said, your start, your middle and your end and making sure that those pieces flow together and having that outside perspective I think can definitely help. Something you mentioned was those like check-ins. So you're having those conversations with them. So that in itself right there, you guys, if you're not, I want you to pull these action items out too because that in itself, that's an action item. So make sure you've got job descriptions. make sure you've got some semblance of flow on the pieces that they're responsible for, and then you're checking in with them. And I think frequent check-ins are really smart. We do them in our company with onboarding and we continue them kind of as long as we possibly can forevermore. We do these check-ins because I wanna know where they're at. don't, not necessarily like, did you do this thing? I wanna know like Monica, where are you at today? ⁓ Personally, who are you and where are you at today? Like are we still in alignment because that's the space I think Especially being new to a team. I'm not gonna say I'm not always gonna say hey, I Didn't get this or hey, I need help or hey I'm falling behind or I feel overwhelmed or this is a lot because I don't want to look like I can't do it But if my manager or my lead is like, hey check in how are things going? And I'm like, I think I'm getting it. I think I need more time on this That's way better than being like, I'm overwhelmed. Like that feels better to me to be like, cool, there's space to have a conversation about this. I'm not complaining or feeling weak or looking as though I can't accomplish something. You are giving the space as a check-in to just be like, hey, tell me where you're at. Okay, great, take the space, take the time, go learn it. Or if I need to show you again, I can. Monica Gomez (24:06) Yeah, I love that. I love everything that you said. think, ⁓ you know, words create our story, right? And so if we're asking, like, how's it going? ⁓ Are you struggling with anything? ⁓ Our minds automatically go to that negative place, right? So you get to be the creator of the script. Right. And so if we're saying, Hey, by the way, I heard you answering the phone start, like, listen for the good stuff, right? The good behaviors. Gosh, you were amazing. Greeting that patient. my gosh. I am so proud of you. You are totally getting this and you know, how's everything else going? Right. If you start with that excitement and something positive, that person's already in that positive mindset and it's all about mindset. Right. And if we're concerned that they're not getting it, they're not going to get it. assume that they are, assume that they are getting it. So gosh, you are, I know you're doing amazing. Tell me all the good stuff. Start. The Dental A Team (25:08) Yeah, assume good intent, right? Always. We see that constantly. Assume good intent. I think, Monica, you saying this right here makes me think. Relationships are relationships, I say that all the time. They just look a little bit different. Like my relationship with Erin is a little bit different than my relationship with you, but my communication skills are gonna be super, they're gonna be the same with the right words, right? So I'm not gonna, communication is communication. And so what we do is we say, okay, this is how you sell a treatment plan. This is how you project to your patients to get them to schedule. And you always start with a positive. You don't ask for a review by saying, how did everything go today? You say like, oh my gosh, that seemed, you how amazing was your appointment today? Like you're infusing these words in there to get the mindset, but then we don't copy and paste that always into everything that we do. And I think how you show up for anything is how you show up for everything. So show up for your team the same as you're expecting your team to show up for your patients because that's going to translate. And if you're like, oh, it seemed like a, Gosh, today was a chaotic day, how did you do? It's always chaos, we're in dentistry. Dentistry is chaotic, your days are gonna be crazy. Life is chaotic, you're right, it's always going to be crazy. So saying that, gosh, was, woo, that was a rough day. How are you feeling? Well, I'm feeling really overwhelmed and I'm feeling like I made a really bad decision coming here. I think you're spot on is my point there. So that was beautiful, thank you. Monica Gomez (26:21) Yeah. And life is chaotic. Period, right? Life is chaotic. Yeah. And, you know, I when employees share difficult, like a difficult day, you know, like, ⁓ I had a ⁓ client last week share that their new hire said, ⁓ gosh, maybe we shouldn't, you know, ⁓ schedule two crowns back to back because that was really hard. And, you know, my back was hurting. And so, ⁓ you know, the doctor was like, she's already complaining. I'm like, well, okay. Well, how did you respond? Right. Because The Dental A Team (27:11) Yeah, yeah. Monica Gomez (27:12) Because, I mean, she's delivering something that's important. She's sharing and she feels comfortable enough to say, hey, that was really hard. That's really what she's saying. That was really hard, right? And so, you know, again, one of my favorite sayings is, you know, get curious, not furious, right? Don't look at it with the negative lens. It's a great way for you to validate, like, how important it is to be seen, and valued, right? The Dental A Team (27:41) I agree. Monica Gomez (27:42) And she was opening up because she wanted to be seen, heard, and valued. Like she wanted to be seen. Gosh, I like did those two crowns back to back. My back is hurting me. Are you even valuing that I sat there in fact, right? Even though they could have swapped off with another assistant, but she, you know, she followed him. And so, you know, and my advice was like, you should number one acknowledge that she's sharing, right? The Dental A Team (27:54) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Monica Gomez (28:11) Thank you so much for sharing that. You're right, that was kind of hard. Let's talk about it as a team tomorrow. Let's find ways to alleviate that when this does happen, right? I mean, the patients wanted to start, like they're ready. Let's do it, right? But where were your other team members? Like, let's talk about this. And so seen, and valued. If you can make anyone new, ⁓ a new employee, an existing employee, your legacy employees, if you can make them feel and create a space where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued, that's huge. That's like you, you will, your team will love you, your patients will love you because again, it's that invisible kind of energy that's flowing through your practice, right? That creates that great space for employees to wanna stay. The Dental A Team (29:02) I agree. I totally agree. Thank you, Monica. I think this was ⁓ a really, this is just full of so many gems and ⁓ I love the actual pieces of job description, kind of the, I love your three days, spend three days on it and really just making sure you go through that job description. Look at the to-dos of that position. Enlist the team to help you. Whoever's gonna be helping to train. I had people specific on my team that were like, these are the things you just, you're stellar at and it's gonna be easy for you to train these things. They trained those. So it doesn't have to be one person. It can be whatever you want it to look like. Just make sure it's built out. You have a plan. Preschedule check-ins. I always make sure we preschedule check-ins and you guys check in with yourself too. think Monica, you gave some really wonderful tips on really making sure that we're showing up the way that we should be. or the way we want people to show up and really just gut checking and making sure that those things are there. And I loved this. Thank you, Monica. Thank you for your words of wisdom. Thank you for flowing off of it. This was perfect. This was divine. Thank you for helping set up this flow of podcasting today and for just bringing your insight and your wisdom and your years of experience of things that you've seen work and ideas. So thank you, Monica. Monica Gomez (30:16) Thanks, thanks, Tiff. This is definitely a gem for me. I have so much to share and so much, I love sharing, I love brainstorming, I love sharing what works ⁓ and all the knowledge that we, all of us have, right? This is a beautiful space for us to, you know, share that. And this was so fun. Thanks for inviting me and everyone. The Dental A Team (30:22) Yeah. Monica Gomez (30:42) Go out and be fabulous and don't forget to have fun. Have fun. The Dental A Team (30:47) Yes, I love that. Thank you. Yes. Go be fabulous. That is like Trish's famous words. I love that she says that. always, I know it always makes it just like, yep, I will. Okay. No, questions. So I love it. Go be fabulous. I agree. Drop us a five star review. Let us know what you thought about this. Let us know what onboarding tips you guys have. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com is an easy place to find us and. Monica Gomez (30:53) So these are the things. The Dental A Team (31:10) get recommendations or share your tips and tricks. We really do love that. And also we're on Instagram and Facebook, all of those places. So watch us there. Watch out for us there. Thursdays, once a third Thursday, we have webinars. You guys, we're everywhere. So if you're only following the podcast, check us out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com, TheDentalATeam.com. We've got all of it listed there as well. Go find us, follow us and listen for more amazing tips from Monica and the rest of the consulting team. Thank you guys and go be fabulous. Monica Gomez (31:39) you
Dr. Glenn Vo sits down with Dr. Brett Kessler, Past President of the American Dental Association, for a candid conversation about what really happens inside the ADA advocacy, budgets, member value, and why unified dentistry matters right now. They unpack: ⦁ How Dr. Kessler's leadership journey started (and why “getting involved” isn't a secret club) ⦁ What the ADA tackled this past year: wellness, advocacy, fluoride legislation, and organizational restructuring ⦁ Why member dues matter and what happens when dentists “check out” ⦁ How the ADA approaches DSOs, insurance, and professional autonomy ⦁ What's next: Oral Health 2050 and the future of oral health delivery
Send us a textDr. Horowitz got to the bottom of the most pressing dental takeaways with Dr. Brian Novy at this year's Chicago Midwinter Meeting. Tune in for a rundown on everything you need to know about everything from disease management, and (drumroll) Dr. Novy's true thoughts on water fluoridization
In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Dom to talk about the side of dentistry most people never hear about: how your oral microbiome, airway, tongue posture, and old dental work may connect to things like sleep quality, posture, inflammation, and performance.Follow Dr. Dom:Instagram: @dr.dom1 / @dr.domofficial (as mentioned in the episode)Special perks for our listeners below!
In this candid episode, Alan announces he is taking a hiatus from recording new content for the Very Dental Podcast Network. Feeling momentarily "tapped out" after nearly 12 years of podcasting, Alan reflects on the evolution of the medium and his desire to avoid becoming repetitive. Starting in January, the show will move to a weekly Friday release schedule featuring remastered "Greatest Hits" episodes, beginning with a classic 2015 interview with Dr. Rella Christensen. While he plans to step back from the microphone for a bit, he will continue to produce episodes for hosts Kevin and Zach and intends to record at the upcoming Voice of Dentistry and Chicago Midwinter meetings. Alan concludes by asking the audience for feedback on future formats, including potential co-hosts or narrative storytelling. Message me on Facebook or email me if you've got thoughts. Some links from the show: Voices of Dentistry Go check out Bioclear from courses to gear to matrices, you can get 15% off your order with code: VeryDental8TON Crazy Dental: Get free shipping with code: VeryDentalShip Net32: Check out great pricing at net32.com/verydental Relevance Online Marketing: Mention "Very Dental" to get your setup fee waived. Join the Very Dental Facebook Group using one of these passwords: Timmerman, Bioclear, Hornbrook, Gary, McWethy, Papa Randy, or Lipscomb! The Very Dental Podcast Network is and will remain free; please support the people who support us! Crazy Dental has everything you need—from cotton rolls to equipment—at the best prices! Get an free shipping on your order by visiting verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and using coupon code VERYSHIP. Save money and support the show. The Wonderist Agency is your one-stop shop for marketing your dental practice and brand. They cover everything from logo redesign to a full-service marketing plan. Check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes. They also distribute loupe-mounted cameras and Zumax microscopes! Boost your magnification/headlight game and support the podcast at verydentalpodcast.com/enova. CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills, and their own browser-based design software, Clinux. See the brand new scanner from Shining 3D, the Elf! Get the best service on all things digital dentistry at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!
Struggling to hit production goals despite a packed schedule? In this episode, we get into the root issue of why your production is falling short and the mistakes you probably don't know you're making. Learn which appointments are practice killers, when block scheduling doesn't work, and how to design a schedule that can hit $1,200 per hour!Topics discussed:Why you're busy but underproducingHow to implement block schedulingWho shouldn't use block scheduling and what to do insteadThe bottlenecks in your day that keep production lowHow to train your team to schedule patientsSmall changes that improve the flow of your dayProcedure time benchmarksThis episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.comJoin us for Free Live Trainings and Community Discussion in the DPH Hero Collective on the DPH App. Click Here to Join! Get Free DPH Trainings, Download the App and Join our Community! CLICK HERE GRAB THE FREE PLAYBOOK HERE - Discover 30 proven strategies top-performing dentists use to increase profits, cut clinical days, and finally enjoy the freedom they originally built their practices for.https://www.dentalpracticeheroes.com/playbookTake Control of Your Practice and Your Life We help dentists take more time off while making more money through systematization, team empowerment, and creating leadership teams. Ready to build a practice that works for you? Visit www.DentalPracticeHeroes.com to learn more.
High-income dentists are some of the best producers on the planet… but many are still financially fragile. One injury, one unexpected life event, one production dip—and the whole system starts to wobble. In this episode of Dentistry on Fire, I sit down with my friend Michael G. Isom (founder of Vault A.S. and co-author of What Would the Rockefellers Do?) to unpack the biggest money mistakes high earners make—and the systems that create real certainty. We talk about why “more income” doesn't automatically equal financial freedom, how your identity can get dangerously tied to production, and why that creates stress at home and in the practice. Then we break down the concept of being your own bank—a strategy focused on liquidity, protection, and control using cash value mechanics—so you're not dependent on a traditional bank when life happens. If you're a dentist who wants peace of mind, better decision-making, and a path to legacy, this episode will change how you see money. Why high-income earners can still be one setback away from crisisThe “money lie” that keeps dentists trapped in stress and overworkHow production swings can create an emotional roller coaster at homeWhat “be your own bank” actually means in simple termsCash value basics (explained in plain English) and why liquidity mattersHow policy loans work (and how they differ from bank loans)The protection/asset-defense angle most dentists never considerHow to build certainty so you can lead better—and live better 00:00 Intro: High-income dentists, fragile finances00:02 The biggest money lie high earners believe00:03 Michael's rock-bottom story + turning point00:13 Money pressure, identity, and leadership00:23 Shiny-object spending + boredom in practice00:30 Vision, purpose, and staying focused00:35 Production swings → stress at home00:41 What “Be Your Own Bank” means00:48 Cash value explained simply00:49 How policy loans work (vs banks)00:56 Real examples: using liquidity strategically01:01 One action to take this week + resources01:03 Best way to contact Michael01:04 Closing + legacy mindset #Dentistry #DentalPractice #FinancialFreedom #InfiniteBanking #WealthStrategy
In this episode, host Shawn Terrell discusses the SALT deduction within the One Big Beautiful Bill. Listen for insights into how the OBBBA impacts dentists planning their financial future post-clinical practice.---------------------------------Episode Resource:https://tr.ee/zIM4M4 --------------------------------Meet with Dentist Exit Planning Advisor:Schedule Discovery Meeting---------------------------------About Dentist Exit Planning:Website: dentistexit.comFacebook Group for DentistsYouTubeInstagramLinkedInSign-Up for Dentist Exit Email NewsletterEmail Shawn at: shawn@dentistexit.com
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In this episode, Hallie Bulkin breaks down one of the biggest shifts in pediatric feeding therapy over the past year: the growing recognition that feeding and airway are inseparable.In 2025, feeding therapy evolved beyond skills at the table. Clinicians are now expected to screen breathing patterns, observe resting mouth posture, and consider sleep symptoms as part of a comprehensive feeding evaluation. These changes reflect a deeper understanding of how airway, function, and feeding intersect and why early identification matters more than ever.Hallie unpacks what changed, why it matters for your clinical decision-making, and how this evolution positions feeding therapists as key collaborators in early airway intervention as we move into 2026.In this episode, you'll learn:✔️ Why airway can no longer be separated from feeding assessment ✔️ What's newly expected in modern feeding evaluations ✔️ How breathing, posture, and sleep inform feeding outcomes ✔️ Where feeding therapists fit in early airway identification ✔️ Why collaboration across disciplines is now essentialRelated Episodes You Might LoveEpisode 311: The Future of Dentistry and Rethinking Dental Health with Dr. Hilary Fritsch, DMDEpisode 319: Elevate Your Practice with the Pediatric Feeding Hub, Hallie Bulkin, MA CCC-SLP, CMT®, CPFT™OTHER WAYS TO CONNECT & LEARN
In this video we cover Gastric Cancer / Stomach Cancer, looking at risk factors for it as well as what are the signs and symptoms of Gastric Cancer (with Troisier's sign!). Also includes the most common locations of gastric cancer, how gastric cancer is diagnosed (including staging), and how is gastric cancer treated. PDFs available at: https://rhesusmedicine.com/pages/gastroenterologyFor more medicine videos consider subscribing (if you found any of the info useful!): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRks8wB6vgz0E7buP0L_5RQ?sub_confirmation=1Buy Us A Coffee!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/rhesusmedicineVideo Timestamps:0:00 How common is Gastric Cancer0:10 Risk Factors for Gastric Cancer1:07 Where is Gastric Cancer most common? 1:19 Types of Gastric Cancer1:35 Most Common Site of Gastric Cancer (Which part of the stomach is most commonly affected)1:49 Signs and Symptoms of Gastric Cancer (Gastric Cancer Symptoms) 2:39 What is Troisier's Sign? (Virchows Node)2:51 Gastric Cancer Diagnosis3:10 Gastric Cancer Staging4:03 Gastric Cancer Prognosis4:35 Gastric Cancer TreatmentLINK TO SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.instagram.com/rhesusmedicine/ReferencesWorld Journal of Gastroenterology, 2008. Role of symptoms in diagnosis and outcome of gastric cancer. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 14(8), pp.1149–1155. [online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2690660/. PMCMachlowska, J., Baj, J., Sitarz, M., Maciejewski, R. & Sitarz, R., 2020. Gastric Cancer: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Classification, Genomic Characteristics and Treatment Strategies. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(11):4012. [online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7312039/. PubMedWikipedia, 2025. Stomach carcinoma / Gastric cancer. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stomach_carcinoma.ScienceDirect Topics, 2025. Stomach carcinoma – Medicine and Dentistry. [online] Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/stomach-carcinoma. ScienceDirectWorld Health Organization (WHO), 2025. Cancer fact sheet. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer.Disclaimer: Please remember this podcast and all content from Rhesus Medicine is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not a guide to diagnose or to treat any form of condition. The content is not to be used to guide clinical practice and is not medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
The guest on this episode of The Back of the Range is Matt Vogt, a dentist and accomplished mid-amateur golfer who earned one of the most memorable stories in 2025: qualifying for and competing in the U.S. Open at Oakmont. The conversation covers Vogt’s journey from a modest upbringing in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, to his college golf days at Butler University, and his later-life resurgence into competitive amateur golf. He recounts his U.S. Open Qualifying experience, the emotional significance of his late father during that run, and the whirlwind aftermath of suddenly finding himself part of golf’s biggest stage. Vogt offers candid reflections on balancing a demanding professional career in dentistry with elite-level amateur competition, sharing how he relies on supportive colleagues and flexible scheduling to make it work. He opens up about nerves, lessons learned, and the surreal experience of teeing off at Oakmont in front of thousands—a moment where adrenaline met disbelief. The discussion also touches on broader themes in amateur golf: the evolution of college recruiting, the rising standard of competition, the mid-amateur “fraternity,” and the ongoing debate about reinstated former professionals competing in mid-am events. The conversation ends lightheartedly, with banter about future tournaments like the Gasparilla Invitational and the Jones Cup, showing Vogt’s grounded personality and enthusiasm for competing with his peers. Matt Vogt - InstagramThe Back of the Range - All Access Subscribe to The Back of the Range Subscribe in Apple Podcasts and SPOTIFY!Also Subscribe in YouTube, Google Play , Overcast, Stitcher Follow on Social Media! Email us: ben@thebackoftherange.comWebsite: www.thebackoftherange.com Voice Work by Mitch Phillips
Dr. Michael Allen returns with fresh knowledge on veneers, dental technology on the horizon, his processes, labs, and how he practices an abundance mindset as a dentist. 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. Allen on instagram at @doctormichaelallen and email him at mallendmd@gmail.comFollow KJ & NuArt on Instagram at @lifeatnuartdental.com, you can also reach us via email: kj@nuartdental.comLearn more about the lab and request information via our website: https://nuartdental.com/contact
Dr. John Liu joins Newly Erupted to share what he's learned from making the transition from private practitioner to academician, including how his residents help him learn daily. Dr. Liu and good friend and host Dr. Joel Berg discuss what factors impacted Dr. Liu's shift to teaching, including desire for a new work/life structure and a readiness to give back to the profession, and how impressed he is with the future of pediatric dentistry. Guest Bio: Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Dr. John Liu spent his childhood in Southern California. He graduated from Loma Linda University in La Sierra, California, with a BS degree in Biology. Dr. Liu went on to also receive his DDS degree from Loma Linda University's School of Dentistry and was accepted into the pediatric dental residency program at Children's Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. After 30 years of private practice in Issaquah, WA, Dr. Liu recently returned to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center as an assistant professor with a faculty appointment through the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine within the Division of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics at CCHMC. While training future pediatric dentists, a primary focus of his work will be providing support to residents transitioning into the world of private practice and all it entails. Within AAPD, Dr. Liu has held a range of positions over the past decade, including as Board of Trustees Secretary/Treasurer, President-Elect, and 2010-2011 President. He is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, served as president of the Washington State Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, chaired the Washington State Oral Health Coalition, and served on the boards of the Seattle Children's Museum and the Washington Dental Service Foundation. Nominated by his peers, Dr. Liu was inducted into the American College of Dentists in 1999, the Pierre Fauchard Academy in 2007, and the International College of Dentists in 2009. In 2013, Dr. Liu was honored as the AAPD Pediatric Dentist of the Year.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode, Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah share a practical plan for dentists who want to move toward a 4-day workweek without sacrificing income. They explain the numbers behind cutting a day, how to raise production per day with smarter dental scheduling, stronger delegation, and a better procedure mix, and how hygiene production can drive steady practice growth—plus when adding an associate dentist actually fits. You'll also hear a quick clinical note from Dr. Omar Montaser on cleaning the isthmus in root canals using activated irrigation.
Jon Harris from Fortune Management is back on the Growth in Dentistry podcast to discuss practice valuations, market trends, and strategies for building valuable dental practices. Jon shares his expertise on what makes practices valuable, how to structure acquisitions, and the importance of operational efficiency in today's changing market.Listen in to hear more about:Market Trends & Valuations: How rising interest rates, inflation, and market volatility have impacted practice valuations and deal structuresUnderstanding Practice Value: Why cash flow matters more than revenue, and how two practices collecting the same amount can have vastly different valuationsDeal Structures: Five ways to bridge valuation gapsMulti-Location Strategy: Why DSOs and private practices are pursuing multiple locations to spread margins and increase profitabilityCash Flow Drivers: The five key areas that drive cash flow in a dental practice Hygiene Optimization: How to calculate the impact of adding hygiene columns and prioritizing patients with unscheduled treatmentBuilding Value: Three main strategies to increase practice value: optimize capacity, expand clinical suite, and create a workplace culture that attracts talent...and so much more!Connect with Jon: (423) 579-3775 or jonharris@fortunemgmt.com. See a demo of DI and get a $50 gift card: https://get.dentalintel.net/podcast.
What a time to be alive. Today we discuss the lackluster Epstein photo release and the harbinger of economic ruin that is the AI bubble. Email us at happyfoolspodcast@gmail.comOrder Shroud-Pilled!Buy my book God's Eye View with this link: https://a.co/d/7CI89rvBuy the Audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Gods-Eye-View-Audiobook/B0F55K2GT1?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdpWant to publish a book? Check out my publisher https://hemisphericpress.com/Check out our ad free substack: https://hemisphericpress.substack.com/
In this episode of the GrowDental podcast, Luke dives into the r/Dentistry subreddit to answer real questions from practice owners struggling with marketing and growth. What emerged from those conversations is a framework that challenges everything most dentists believe about their biggest constraint. Get your copy of the Practice Paradox and the Personality Assessment: https://ion.agency/practice-paradox-book A dentist buys a South Florida practice. Previous spend: $5,000 monthly on ads. New plan: hire a strategist, reorganize, cut costs. Result: phones go silent, patient flow crashes. The owner’s instinct? Panic. The real question: Was $5k the problem? Here’s what actually happened. Spend less, get less. That part is simple math. The complicated part lives downstream. What happens after someone calls or fills out a form? Because in most practices, the enemy isn’t your marketing budget. It’s operational leakage. Missed calls. Weak follow-up. Zero visibility into what your website produces. If that’s your reality, more ad spend won’t solve growth. It will scale your waste. This framework is for owners who want to grow the right way. Plug the leaks first. Scale what works second. The Trap — Treating Marketing Like the Problem When It’s Just the Amplifier Most budget arguments skip the only question that matters. Are you stewarding the opportunities you already pay for? Marketing is not magic. Marketing is volume. Turn it up and you get more attention, more inquiries, more exposure of whatever’s broken underneath. In the South Florida case, the most predictable outcome occurred. They cut spend and lead flow dropped. That doesn’t prove the original budget was right or efficient. It proves it was producing volume. But the real insight is this: ad spend is relative. Consider the context. Where exactly are you? Miami versus a suburban market are different games. How competitive is your local area? How big is the practice now, and how fast do you want to grow? A flat number like $5,000 monthly means nothing without those answers. In some markets it’s average. In others it’s conservative. In others it’s reckless. But even if your spend level fits your market, your biggest constraint may still be operational, not marketing. Free Growth Session The Silent ROI Killer — Missed Calls and Abandoned Calls Want one metric that exposes the truth fast? How many calls are you missing right now? Not what your team thinks. Not what feels right. The hard number. Here’s the reality most owners avoid. The average abandoned call rate sits between 20 percent and 40 percent of calls going unanswered. Pause on that. If you miss one out of four calls, you don’t have a lead generation problem. You have a conversion capture problem. And if a meaningful chunk of those missed calls are new patients, you’re bleeding revenue daily without knowing it. Why This Matters More Than Your Ad Budget The compounding effect looks like this. Your missed call rate is 25 percent today. You crank marketing spend up. You push your team beyond capacity and that missed call rate climbs to 40 percent or higher. So you spend more. You get more inquiries. You lose more opportunities because your systems can’t absorb the volume. This is how practices convince themselves marketing doesn’t work, when the truth is they never fixed the bucket. Where to Find the Truth (Not Opinions) Most practices already have the data. Owners just don’t look. You likely use a VoIP system. Those platforms show call stats, including abandoned call rate and missed calls. The next step isn’t just the percentage. It’s segmentation. What percentage of missed calls are new patient calls? That one metric tells you whether your next dollar goes to ads or operations. The Other Black Hole — “How Many New Patients Did Your Website Bring You?” One strategist asks a question almost nobody can answer. “In 2025, how many new patients did your website bring you?” Common response: silence. This isn’t a minor gap. It’s a fundamental business blind spot. If you can’t measure what the website produces, you can’t evaluate whether your site does its job, whether your online scheduling gets used, whether your forms get answered, or whether you’re losing patients quietly while telling yourself the website is decent. The Website Isn’t Just Branding Sure, a website informs people. But in the context of practice growth, it has a job. Turn interest into action. If you don’t know whether it’s doing that, you’re operating on vibes. The Practical Audit Most Practices Never Do If your lead flow feels low, take a hard look at where you’re bleeding. Start with two questions. What are the form submissions and appointment requests like? Where are those requests being routed, and who owns follow-up? Because “we don’t get website leads” is sometimes code for something else. Requests go into an inbox nobody monitors. Notifications go to the wrong person. Patients get a slow response and ghost. The follow-up experience feels cold and transactional. In other words, the website might be working. Your process might not. Free Growth Session Google vs. Meta Isn’t a Preference Debate. It’s an Intent and Workflow Debate. A lot of dentists talk about Google versus Facebook like it’s personal preference. It’s not. It’s about patient intent and what your practice can handle. Here’s the breakdown. Google is more bottom-of-funnel because you capture existing search intent. People actively looking. But it’s also more competitive, and demand is limited by how many people search in your area. Meta (Facebook and Instagram) is more top-of-funnel. You reach people who could become patients, but you often need workflows and automations to warm them up and convert them. Here’s the operational reality most practices miss. If your follow-up is weak, top-of-funnel leads die. If your phones aren’t answered consistently, bottom-of-funnel leads die too. The platform won’t save you from poor stewardship. This is why fixing leaks first is so powerful. It makes every channel work better. The “Plug the Leaks” Growth Framework — What to Fix Before You Spend More If your schedule isn’t where you want it, your instinct may be to throw money at marketing. Sometimes that’s right, but only after you validate the fundamentals. Here’s a practical sequence. Step One — Pull Your Phone Data Today Log into your VoIP system. Find your abandoned call rate and missed calls. Identify what percentage of missed calls are likely new patients. If you’re missing a big chunk of calls, that’s not a marketing problem. That’s an operations problem that marketing will only magnify. Step Two — Review the Follow-Up Experience (Not the Theory) A simple but revealing approach: listen to phone calls and evaluate customer service like a real consumer would. If you want to remove self-deception, do what one doctor did. Call your own practice pretending to be a patient to screen the phone experience. This isn’t about being sneaky. It’s about being honest. Owners often assume the experience is good because the team is nice. But nice doesn’t always mean confident, efficient, or conversion-minded. Step Three — Audit Your Website Conversion Path End-to-End Don’t argue about whether the site looks good. Ask how many appointment requests come in. Are submissions truly zero, or just disappearing? Who is responsible for responding, and how fast? If you discover leads are coming in but not getting handled well, the fix might be far cheaper than increasing ad spend. Step Four — Only After the Leaks Are Plugged, Decide Whether to Scale Spend At that point, scaling marketing becomes rational because you’re scaling a machine that can actually capture demand. A practical benchmark: marketing spend often falls around 5 percent to 12 percent of collections. Don’t treat that as a rule. Treat it as a reality check and tie your decision back to your market competitiveness, your growth goals, and your operational readiness to handle more volume. One more sharp point: if you truly want to grow aggressively, you may need to think in terms of the percentage of where you want to be, not just where you are. That can work, but only if you’ve already fixed the conversion bottlenecks. Free Growth Session When the Answer Really Is “Spend More” (And How to Do It Without Getting Burned) Sometimes, after you do the audits above, you’ll confirm something important. Call volume is genuinely low. Website requests are genuinely low. You’re not leaking opportunities. You simply don’t have enough opportunities. In that case, the advice is direct. You just need to spend more. But even then, don’t blindly hire anyone who sells ads. Use a vetting process that protects you from expensive mistakes. Find a reputable marketing company with case studies and testimonials from doctors you’d actually want to emulate. Ask to speak with three to five of those doctors. Do real research, then make an educated decision. That last part matters. Dentists often buy marketing like they buy equipment, based on features. But marketing is closer to hiring. You’re paying for execution quality, strategy alignment, and consistency. The Bottom Line — Marketing Isn’t Your Growth Strategy. Stewardship Is. If you remember one thing from this entire framework, make it this. Marketing doesn’t fix a leaky practice. Marketing exposes it. If your phones go unanswered, if your follow-up is inconsistent, if you don’t know what your website produces, then scaling marketing is like pouring water into a bucket with holes. You’ll feel busy, spend more, and still wonder why the finances don’t add up. But if you plug those holes, if you maximize stewardship, then marketing becomes what it’s supposed to be. A predictable lever you can pull to grow. The owner in the South Florida story didn’t discover that marketing is bad. They discovered something more useful: their spend was driving demand, and the moment they removed it, demand dropped. The correct response isn’t to argue about whether $5k is too much. The correct response is to build a system that can reliably convert whatever demand you create, then scale with confidence. Free Growth Session The post Your Dental Practice Is Bleeding Patients (And Marketing Isn’t the Problem) appeared first on HIP Creative.
Send us a text“Utah Leads the Nation: Why the ADA Isn't Talking About It — and Why We Are”Support the show
Dr. Mark Sivers, Partner of Aligned Dental, Callie Elmore, the Executive Director of the AADGP, and Dan Redifer, CEO of Lavender Dental Group discuss: The February 4-6 AADGP event in Austin, TX Lavender Dental Group's story Doubling down on collaboration & networking Use code gdnow26 save 25% at https://www.aadgp.org/aadgp2026/ Learn more about the AADGP here - https://www.aadgp.org/ Learn about Lavender Dental Group here - https://www.lavenderdental.com/
This week we plumb current events to discuss microbe art, VAERS data and alleged covid vaccine deaths, the "sanpaku eyes" of a killer, AI kidnapping scams, and Tara Reid. Then our guest, Grant Ritchey (@SkepticalDDS) breaks down fluoride for us. How does it work, when did we start using it for dental care, and what makes it one of the most significant public health efforts of the modern era? What's the best way to dispell someone's fears about fluoride? He illuminates the holes in those studies RFK Jr. and others have pointed to as linking fluoride to lowering IQ in children, and we hit on some interesting parallels between fluoride, vaccines, and Chinese traditional medicine. And, a longstanding mystery: does anyone actually floss?
Dr. Elliot Humiston had what some may consider a "late start" to dentistry, even though he is still only in his early 30s. He talks about finding his path, taking on big cases, putting his face on a billboard, taking care of his team, dental labs, 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. Humiston on instagram at @dr.elliothumiston and email him at dr.elliot@taylordrivedental.comFollow KJ & NuArt on Instagram at @lifeatnuartdental.com, you can also reach us via email: kj@nuartdental.comLearn more about the lab and request information via our website: https://nuartdental.com/contact
Bobby and Alex discuss Mike Francesa's groundbreaking scoop that Brandon Nimmo was traded from the Mets because of wokeness. Then, they discuss the Mets allowing Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso walk now that the dust has settled a bit. Finally, they dig into some extremely on brand topics: the Twins selling a stake in the team to service their $500 million debt and MLB stepping in to regulate the use of player development technology at the minor league level.Links:Join the Tipping Pitches Patreon (use code GRIEF to get your first month for $1)Tipping Pitches merchandise Call the Tipping Pitches voicemail: 785-422-5881Tipping Pitches features original music from Steve Sladkowski of PUP.
Every time a team member asks for a raise, the pressure is instant — but it doesn't have to be. In this episode, find out how to talk money with your team, set clear expectations, and lead raise conversations without it getting awkward. We explore inflation, bonuses, and systems that give your team a clear path for growth without blowing up your payroll. Listen now to take the stress out of every raise decision!Topics discussed:The trap of throwing money at problemsMistakes owners make when asked for a raiseHenry's dental assistant ladder and pay scaleHow to avoid losing team members when you say “no”How bonuses impact pay decisionsHow to handle the inflation and market pay argumentHow to stay competitive and keep team members happyThis episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.comeamsGet Free DPH Trainings, Download the App and Join our Community! CLICK HERE GRAB THE FREE PLAYBOOK HERE - Discover 30 proven strategies top-performing dentists use to increase profits, cut clinical days, and finally enjoy the freedom they originally built their practices for.https://www.dentalpracticeheroes.com/playbook Check out www.relevanceonlinemarketing.com if you want to get the same great marketing results as Dr. Etch. Mention DPH and get your first month FREE!Take Control of Your Practice and Your Life We help dentists take more time off while making more money through systematization, team empowerment, and creating leadership teams. Ready to build a practice that works for you? Visit www.DentalPracticeHeroes.com to learn more.
Episode #1684 of Dentistry Uncensored with Howard Farran explores Finding Your Niche in Dentistry with Dr. Priya Mistry — aka The TMJ Doc. Dr. Mistry shares how focusing on TMJ/TMD, head & neck pain, and dental sleep medicine transformed her practice, and how social media can help dentists clarify their niche, attract the right patients, and grow with purpose. From what to film and post, to why specialization matters more than ever, this episode is packed with practical insight.
Near the end of the year, many practice owners scramble to buy new equipment just to lower their tax bill. But is that "last-minute" purchase actually hurting your bank account? In this episode, we break down why rushing into year-end spending can cripple your cash flow and how to navigate the complex rules of Section 179 deductions without getting flagged by the IRS.We also dive into the administrative "must-dos" that keep your practice compliant. We'll discuss the current 1099 reporting requirements (and the upcoming relief in 2026), how to unlock tax-free reimbursements for home rentals and mileage, and the critical deadlines you cannot afford to miss this January.Upcoming Tour Dates: Go to our EVENTS page for infoFacebook: Four Quadrants AdvisoryInstagram: @fourquadrantsadvisoryLinkedIn: Four Quadrants Advisory
Braxton Keith, honky tonk country singer and rising star, joins us to talk life on the road, music, and finding balance in a crazy schedule. He shares what it's been like performing 150 shows a year, how his band became like family, and the story behind his hit song “Cozy.” Braxton also opens up about embracing traditional country, navigating the modern music world, including his thoughts on AI in music, and creating his character Kick Stanley and the “Tonk News” brand. Plus, he clears up the Toby Keith question, talks about his family of dentists, and shares how he avoids burnout while staying busy offstage.WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. Underage sale prohibited. This episode is presented by Nicokick.Use code WHISKEYRIFF for 20% off logged-in orders at Nicokick.com.Download the podcast on iTunes by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff."We're also available on Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, and wherever else you can find us.https://www.whiskeyriff.comhttps://shop.whiskeyriff.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Key Topics Covered: Why most healthcare professionals struggle with the idea of “luxury” The difference between treating disease vs creating value How NHS-style dentistry limits patient experience and growth “People buy emotionally and justify financially” — why this matters The psychology behind smiles and perceived success How branding turns a regular clinic into a high-end experience The role of environment, storytelling, and trust in premium services Why investing in your brand is not greed — it's clarity Social media's influence on confidence, perception, and self-worth What healthcare professionals get wrong about money and image Who This Episode Is For: Healthcare professionals Entrepreneurs building personal brands Anyone transitioning from service-based work to premium positioning People stuck in underpaid systems who want more control Listeners interested in psychology, branding, and value creation Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Send us a textWELCOME TO 10 WEEKS OF LEGISLATION HERE IN UTAH!But Rob and Tracy, I'm not in Utah, how does this apply to me? It's simple, if you're in another state, take this information to your state dental association and get them to pass legislation like we have here in Utah.If you've been following dental policy this year, you probably noticed that Utah passed more meaningful reforms than any other state… but you wouldn't know that from reading the American Dental Association's updates. And that's the problem. We worked for years to protect patient choice, fair reimbursement, and provider rights — and somehow, those wins didn't even make the ADA's 2025 legislative recap. And why do we care? Not for recognition, but to help guide and motivate other states to serve their association members, and the patients they serve.” Support the show
Join Elevated GP: www.theelevatedgp.com Register for the live meeting: https://www.theelevatedgp.com/ElevationSummit Download the Injection Molding Guide: https://www.theelevatedgp.com/IMpdf n Part 1 of this two-part series, Dr. Melissa Seibert sits down with cosmetic dentist and AACD residency preceptor Dr. David Eshom for a powerful conversation that reframes how dentists think about photography, diagnosis, communication, and case acceptance. Drawing from more than 20 years of comprehensive cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Eshom reveals why extraoral photography—not intraoral cameras, not radiographs—is the single most effective tool for building trust and helping patients clearly see the value of comprehensive care. Together, they break down a step-by-step new patient workflow that seamlessly blends diagnostics with psychology, showing how simple point-and-shoot photography placed at the beginning of the exam can elevate patient engagement, differentiate your practice, and eliminate the pressure-based communication styles that leave patients feeling skeptical or overwhelmed. Dr. Eshom explains how co-diagnosis—rooted in permission-based dialogue and visual storytelling—helps patients recognize their own conditions, understand consequences, and ask for solutions rather than being sold to. This episode dives into: The most overlooked use of photography in dentistry: real-time conversation with the patient How to structure a new patient visit that fosters trust, clarity, and long-term case acceptance Why facially generated treatment planning is so effective—especially for patients who "never knew" what their smile looked like Communication strategies that shift patients from an "insurance model" to a value-driven mindset How simplifying photography (yes, even with an iPhone or point-and-shoot) makes comprehensive exams dramatically more effective What to say—and not say—when presenting conditions to avoid making patients feel judged or pressured How this method empowered Dr. Eshom to build a fully fee-for-service practice and drop every insurance plan This conversation is practical, strategic, and deeply grounded in human psychology. If you want a proven communication system that elevates your new patient experience, improves case acceptance, and builds lifelong patient trust—all without feeling salesy—this episode will reshape how you practice.
In this episode, host Shawn Terrell delves into the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its implications for those over 65. It highlights the $6,000 tax deduction available via OBBBA to individuals 65 and older, the implications for Social Security taxation, and the potential for strategic tax planning.--------------------------------Chapters00:00:00 Introduction to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act00:01:42 Exploring the Tax Deduction for Seniors00:03:16 Understanding the $6,000 Deduction00:04:41 Phasing Out and Expiry of the Deduction00:06:15 Strategic Tax Planning and Conclusion---------------------------------Episode Resource:https://tr.ee/zIM4M4 ----------------------------------Meet with Dentist Exit Planning Advisor:Schedule Discovery Meeting-----------------------------------About Dentist Exit Planning:Website: dentistexit.comFacebook Group for DentistsYouTubeInstagramLinkedInSign-Up for Dentist Exit Email NewsletterEmail Shawn at: shawn@dentistexit.com
This podcast is brought to you by Outcomes Rocket, your exclusive healthcare marketing agency. Learn how to accelerate your growth by going to outcomesrocket.com What happens when clinicians have groundbreaking ideas, but no roadmap to bring them to life? In this episode, Dr. Arlen Meyers, Professor Emeritus of Otolaryngology, Dentistry, and Engineering at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the Colorado School of Public Health, and President and CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, discusses how SOPE helps clinicians transform ideas into innovations that reach patients. He explains why most healthcare professionals lack formal entrepreneurship training and how that gap leaves them unsure of what to do with their ideas. He explores the rising challenges of burnout and moral injury in medicine, and how fear, ego, and identity keep many clinicians from pursuing new paths. He also shares how SOPE uses “radical candor,” idea euthanasia, and practical entrepreneurial frameworks to help innovators pivot, persevere, or let go. Tune in to hear how physician innovators can finally connect the dots! Resources Connect with and follow Dr. Arlen Meyers on LinkedIn. Follow the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs on LinkedIn and discover their website!
Dr. Pia Lieb returns for a second part on the podcast. In this episode, she talks about being obsessed with your craft, and why that extra 10% for patients will take you miles. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:10) I love that you, ⁓ I think this is probably what's made you really great. I don't know. I've heard a lot about you. But I think what you do is you make sure that the patients are obsessed with the results and not that Dr. Pia is obsessed. Like you're obsessed with the craftsmanship of what you've done. You're really talented at that. But like hearing that you let people walk out and go try these on and what is it going to be like before you do it? That to me says that you are so obsessed about the outcome and the result for the patient. And then your job is to make sure you have the most excellent craftsmanship, the best product, the best techniques, the best method to get them the outcome they want. And I think hearing that, I'm just so proud of you. And I'm so grateful to hear that there are clinicians in our industry that are obsessed about that rather than the reverse. Because I think some people are obsessed about maybe the dollar, maybe about doing these types of cases, but they're not the best at it, or this is what I think that they should look like. You really want to make sure that that patient is like a walking raving fan of you before you even do the work on them. And that I think is very special about you. Dr Pia (01:17) Thanks, but you know, I like to say that, you know, like, the thing that people don't understand is I'm technically the Hermes of dentistry because I, it takes a long time to make a Birkin, right? It's all made by hand. So are the veneers, hence why it's so hard to get one. But look, I Kiera Dent (01:39) Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (01:42) 22 years old and it still looks brand new because it's the quality of the craftsmanship you know and I tell all my patients you should get anywhere between 20 and 25 years out of the mirror okay this whole nonsense of five years and ten years that's because they want to redo the case and for you to pay them again if you're doing good quality work the only reason they should be replaced is because you have recession due to old age Kiera Dent (01:55) Wow. Mm-hmm. Wow. And you don't have any issues with these super, super thin ones popping off. Dr Pia (02:17) No, because okay, let me let me explain to you. Let me explain to you physics. Okay. Okay, do you know why they pop off? Kiera Dent (02:19) Let's talk about this. I'm so, cause a lot of people haven't popped off and it's so scary. So I'm like, let's talk about this. You know, this is why I'm asking you. Cause I don't like, feel my guess is that they were not bonded on correctly. And that's my guess. Okay. I'm ready. Dr Pia (02:28) Okay. No, it's, two things. There's two things. That's one, but that's the second one. Right. But let me explain to you. Do you remember when you were in high school and we went to, ⁓ Kiera Dent (02:37) Okay. Dr Pia (02:43) ⁓ chemistry and we had the microscope with the two glass slabs and we were looking for amoebas and all that stuff. Okay, remember how we were all a painting that you know what and we all tried to pry those two glass slabs apart and it never worked? Well that's the same principle with veneers. The thinner they are the stronger they are. Kiera Dent (02:51) Yep. Yeah Fascinating. Dr Pia (03:06) Okay and I'll tell you why because teeth you know because you're in the business so teeth we all have ligaments right the teeth are hard it's a hard structure the bone is a hard structure so we have the dental ligaments right they're horizontal they're transversal so those are like the shock absorbers that hold the tooth inside the bone socket. Now Kiera Dent (03:12) Mm-hmm. Right. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (03:30) when you're speaking and when you're eating those teeth move microns not visible to the eye but your teeth have mobility just like trees have mobility in the wind right we don't see the trees move unless it's a hundred mile an hour winds but if you have a five mile an hour wind you don't see that tree moving right but it does move Kiera Dent (03:44) Mm-hmm. Right. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (03:56) So when you're doing these 3D print and you're filing like the turkey teeth where you have the little pegs left and the ratio of tooth to porcelain is 50-50 or you're having 60-40 or 70-30 that 3D printed porcelain does not flex. Kiera Dent (04:05) Yep. Makes sense. Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (04:23) but your tooth does. So that's the number one issue why they pop off. The thicker they are, the easier they'll pop off. And the number two reason is the dentist has no idea about occlusion. Because if you have a premature contact or you have lateral excursions or a protrusive, you're going to pop those off like there's no tomorrow. Kiera Dent (04:23) True. Interesting. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yes. Totally. Yeah. Dr Pia (04:51) So these are the basic principles. If you don't know occlusion, you shouldn't be doing dentistry. I'm talking about GPs or it's the holy grail of this profession. Occlusion, occlusion, occlusion. Kiera Dent (05:03) And I will tell you as a patient who has the most obnoxious bite, ⁓ there are dentists who do no occlusion and there are dentists who don't because my bite you adjust one teeny tiny little micron and the whole bite gets thrown off and they're like, no care, it should be fine. And I'm like, I can always tell if you're just doing blue paper and you're having me bite chew all around, I know you don't understand occlusion because I'm like, you're never going to get it. I'm going to be, you're dancing all the way around. Like from the patient who has sat there, four hours upon hours and had to find other dentists because the dentist who thought they could do it truly can't do it. And this isn't me being a jerk. This is me being the patient who has to suffer through a dentist who doesn't understand occlusion. Like what you just said as a patient, ⁓ and like there's some, know, you can have it like completely off and like, yeah, it feels great. And then you have patients like myself that teeny, teeny, teeny tiny. I can feel it. You can't even find it. And I'm like, no, it's off. My bite is not, my teeth are not coming together. Dr Pia (05:59) You always know, the patient always knows. They're always right. Kiera Dent (06:02) always. And please don't have me laying back. Please don't have me lay back. Let me sit up. Let me lay back. Let me tell you on both of them, because it's always different. And they're like, no, it's good. And I'm like, it's not. You're not sitting in my mouth. Dr Pia (06:09) Yeah! Because you most probably have long centric, right? So you have one occlusion when your head is back and you have a different occlusion when your head is forward. Now, if that's the case, you need to check both. Kiera Dent (06:18) Mm-hmm. Absolutely. Correct. Thank you. Preach, please, for the patients like myself. These are the pieces. And I don't disagree because when I have seen dentists and they're not checking that and the patients are constantly popping off, I'm like, just maybe check to see how those teeth are hitting in all directions because they will pop. Dr Pia (06:43) ⁓ but let me interrupt you for one thing. The other thing that's an issue, okay, if they do it and you're anesthetized, you're not going to get a good read. You always have to call the patient back the next day and check the occlusion again in all the positions when they're not anesthetized because I will guarantee you on my career that it will be off. Kiera Dent (06:53) ⁓ no, never. Yep. Yep. Always. And they're like, no, you can bite when you're numb. And I'm like, I don't even know how I'm biting. I have no clue. I know I'm biting differently. Preach. These are the things and the conversations that I've said. And having somebody like yourself who's so good at this. I mean, you guys, has a referral-based practice. Like people are flying in to see her. I can see why, because how you speak about this is so different. And I think today, one, I hope people are inspired of things to do, things to not do. different ways to do this. I also love the risk that you took. I love the growth. I love the determination of self of I will be the best. You have the passion. You've got the grit. You've got the tenacity. I have doctors who are great surgeons that are truly incredible at this. I've got doctors that are amazing at occlusion. I've got doctors that are amazing at fillings. There's a doctor and one of his patients said like, have the smoothest fillings in all the land. And he's like, that's really weird. I had him fix a filling that chipped. And I'm not going to lie, he has the smoothest fillings in all the land. Like I've never felt a feeling as smooth as this man did for me. Dr Pia (08:12) That's because he polished it afterwards. 99% don't polish them. You know, I had a colleague, checked, he did a, we put a crown in and I'm like, Joe, can we polish it? He goes, no, you're good to go. I'm like, no, I'm not. He's like, but I polished it. I'm like, okay, there is a porcelain polishing kit that you've got to go red, blue, white. Kiera Dent (08:18) I was shocked. Hahaha Dr Pia (08:40) and the white has to be on low rpms and you have to make sure that it's shiny and polished and he's like i don't have the patience for that go do it yourself in the office and i did Kiera Dent (08:52) But I think like that even I feel like dentistry you It to me what I'm hearing is a lot of dentists. It sounds like go 90 % of the way But it's like that extra 10 % is what really in my opinion makes a lot of difference for patients It's doing the polishing. It's doing the small finesse like you you're working in such a small space anyway Why not make it absolutely perfect and dr. P? think you really inspired me to even look at myself in my life of where's that extra 10 % that I could really just make a dazzle Where could I really make it shine? It's not, it doesn't take a lot of time, but it does take intentionality. So as we wrap today, this has been such a fascinating podcast and I've absolutely loved it. And I just appreciate your time. I want you to wrap with, you can do do's, don'ts or a mix of the in between. What should people who are doing cosmetic dentistry from your perspective as truly one of the most expert people I've ever met do in cosmetic dentistry or don't or you're welcome to do a mixture as just a quick wrap rattle of things that you've seen in your career. Dr Pia (09:48) Before we do that, want to talk to you, I think that we should do this again because I want to talk to you about DSOs and private practice. Kiera Dent (09:56) Mm, yeah. That is very fascinating. This is heavy on my mind of all different topics currently in the landscape, which I don't disagree with you. Dr Pia (10:08) Yeah, that's things are things are changing and not for the better. Kiera Dent (10:12) They are. Yeah, absolutely. That will be it. Dr Pia (10:17) Because I'm a dinosaur now. I mean, there's very few of us that do handmade work anymore. So getting back to your question. Look, I Kiera Dent (10:22) I don't disagree. Dr Pia (10:30) cosmetic dentistry you have to be very very very passionate about it and and the key is to leave your ego at the door and try to be the best version of yourself and that means take every course if you're a young dentist or still in dental school take every course that you can take you know look on Instagram and find the people that do the handmade work like myself and you know there's a handful of that do it and ceramist as well and find the good beautiful work and reach out to everyone like you know everybody can reach out to me you know and ask me like hi how do I do this or how you know how should I go about doing that the thing is you have to be passionate if you're do and what I've told every student of mine in 18 years you're not doing this for the money the money will come you have to do this because you love doing it Kiera Dent (11:31) I don't disagree. think, on that note, Dr. Pia, what is the best way for people to follow you? Because I love that you said this and I tell people all the time, the world has shifted. We are in 2025. I'm going to choose a plastic surgeon, a cosmetic dentist, a surgeon based on their Instagram. I'm gonna go look at their photos. I'm gonna go look at their work. We don't live in a world where we are isolated just to our own state anymore. Like people fly across the country to go get the best work done. So. Dr Pia (11:56) yeah, mean Instagram, I get internationals from Instagram. I've gotten Kazakhstan, I've gotten the UK, I've gotten the French, I've gotten so many and they're all Instagram. And I'm like, okay. I'm just Dr. P, I spelled out the D-O-C-T-O-R. P-I-A, my first name. Kiera Dent (12:06) How cool is that? So what is your Instagram handle? So people can follow and kind of see what you do. Dr. Pia, and I think if you want to see someone, I know you said you're a dinosaur in this, but as we've been chatting, I'm like, this is the doctor that I would fly across the country to go to. This is the one that I would go see. She knows what she's talking about. She's got the finesse, she's got the passion. She's willing to do one veneer. She's the person I'm going to trust to do work on my mouth. And it's how does she get seen? How does she get known? How does she do this? Guys, these are the legends. These are the people. These are people that have just like done what you're wanting to do. Follow her and also, I don't know if you have heard at the beginning of the podcast, it sounds like Dr. Pia, you're passionate about helping any person who this is their dream become the best in the industry. And that to me is why she... Dr Pia (12:51) for sure. For sure. Just DM me if you have any questions. That's the whole like Instagram is the new portal of learning. Kiera Dent (13:01) Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (13:04) Just ask questions. mean, it's none of us were born knowing how to do veneers. We all had to learn it at some point. And as long as your ego is at the door and you're willing to learn and be the best version of yourself, then you're great. You're great. But if you think you know it all, I'm still learning. And I've been doing this for decades. I'm still learning. I want to be up to date and things are changing. Materials are changing. There's so many things. Kiera Dent (13:13) Right. Dr Pia (13:34) Styles are changing. Thank God the Hollywood smile is dying. Finally. This took about 16 years, but thank God it's dying now. It's going back to natural Kiera Dent (13:34) Yeah. No. Right. which Dr. Pia, people didn't get to hear this. I heard this pre-show. You came on, we were just chatting and you said, I love my career. I love what I do. And to hear that you've been doing it this long and can still say that you love that. That's what my hope and wishes for so many doctors out there is that, and like, yes, we will get you back on the podcast to talk about DSO private practice because I think so many people are like get in, get out real quick. And I think that you are just such a great example of loving your craft, loving what you do. committing to be the expert and look, you've had this long of a career and you're still obsessed with what you do. And I just want to honor you and say thank you and thank you for inspiring dentists today on the podcast. Dr Pia (14:24) Well, thanks for having me. And look, the young generation, the new graduates that are out there, I think we need to tell them the do's and don'ts of DSO. Kiera Dent (14:36) Absolutely. So that's a wrap for today with Dr. Pia. We'll have her back on talking about DSOs and new grads and the, I think the perspectives, because right now it's a world of a lot of noise and to find wisdom through that noise is paramount. So Dr. Pia, thanks for being on. Thanks for sharing your cosmetic knowledge. Yeah, I did too. And for all of you listening, I hope you commit to being the best at your craft, to getting hungry. There's a great quote. I'm a BYU football fan ⁓ and their coach says, be hungry. Dr Pia (14:51) It was a pleasure, I loved it! Kiera Dent (15:05) Stay hungry, stay humble. And I think that that's what Dr. Pia has done. And I hope all of you commit to that. And as always, thanks for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team podcast.
The Bulletproof Dental Podcast Episode 418 HOSTS: Dr. Peter Boulden and Dr. Craig Spodak DESCRIPTION In this episode of the Bulletproof Dental Practice Podcast, Dr. Craig Spodak and Peter Boulden discuss the evolving landscape of dentistry, including the implications of AI, the financial realities of dental school, and the rising importance of dental hygiene. They explore the skills necessary for success in dental business ownership, the significance of mentorship, and the challenges faced by new dentists. The conversation emphasizes the need for future dentists to understand the business side of their profession and the importance of leadership and influence in achieving success. TAKEAWAYS Dentistry is an AI-resistant profession. The financial implications of dental school are significant. Dental hygiene is becoming a more lucrative career path. Many dentists are being commoditized in the industry. Future dentists need to be prepared for business ownership. Mentorship is crucial for success in dentistry. Understanding financials is key for dental business owners. Influence and leadership are essential skills for dentists. The narrative around dentistry needs to change for new graduates. It's important to know yourself and your career aspirations. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and Midlife Crisis Humor 02:38 The Future of Dentistry: A Personal Perspective 06:10 Financial Implications of Dental School 09:52 The Rise of Dental Hygiene 12:23 The Business of Dentistry: A Necessary Skill 17:46 Mentorship and Transitioning Roles in Dentistry 22:09 The Freedom Dilemma in Dentistry 23:48 Architecting Your Life and Career 24:13 The Associate vs. Business Owner Debate 25:39 Essential Skills for Dental Business Owners 29:07 The Importance of Influence and Leadership 33:05 Identifying Your Entrepreneurial Spirit 38:18 Advice for Future Dentists 39:33 The Reality of Dental Business Ownership REFERENCES Bulletproof Summit Bulletproof Mastermind
The difference between good care and unforgettable care often comes down to one thing: personal touch.In this episode, Michael brings on Dr. Kris Bano to unpack the revolutionary strategies behind his standout fee-for-service practice in southwest Michigan. Dr. Bano reveals how his team works in harmony, crafting a seamless, “high-touch” patient experience that starts with the initial phone call and extends well beyond the treatment room.Dr. Bano's journey is deeply personal, rooted in his passion for art and transforming smiles through cosmetic dentistry. Here, he shares the bold decision to eliminate all insurance contracts, putting personalized care above volume, and dives into the systems his practice uses to set itself apart: from detailed communication workflows and an innovative “triangle” approach to patient care, to smart tech adoption for marketing and call tracking. Hear Dr. Bano's candid reflections on building a team based on empathy and continuous learning through coaching and how he balances being a leader, entrepreneur, and family man. He proves it's possible to design a practice that is financially robust, patient-focused, and personally fulfilling.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How a team of dentists with varied specialties collaborates for comprehensive careWhy dropping insurance contracts can elevate patient relationships and practice visionThe secret behind Dr. Bano's “triangle” approach to personalized patient careBest practices for high-touch communication and efficient patient intakeThe key personality traits to look for when hiring exceptional team membersHow data-driven tools like CallRail enhance marketing and monitor patient callsInsights into choosing the right coaching or marketing agency for your practiceStrategies for maintaining work-life balance as a dental practice ownerThe role of consistent vision and trust in building patient loyaltyActionable steps to becoming a high-performing, fee-for-service dental practiceTune in now to discover how you can create a patient-focused dental practice (and a more balanced life) straight from Dr. Bano's playbook!Sponsors:CallRail: Call tracking + AI that turns calls into campaigns that convert, quality patients, and cost savings. Click our link to start a free trial today! https://www.callrail.com/dentalmarketerClick here for a special offer!Guest: Dr. Kris BanoPractice Name: Centreville Family DentistryCheck out Kris's Media:Website: https://www.smilecentreville.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kbdentistry/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClinicalClimbTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drkrisbanoHost: Michael AriasJoin my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer SocietyLove the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!
Kiera is joined by renowned cosmetic dentist Dr. Pia Lieb to talk about Dr. Lieb's journey in her field, as well as her insights into what the rich and famous ask for (and pay for) when it comes to their teeth. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera. And today I am so excited. I have an incredible doctor on our podcast. Dr. Pia is coming to from New York, Manhattan. And this woman is incredible. She has been able to build and sustain a high-end cosmetic practice. She's figured out how to be, you guys are gonna love this, a referral only destination for patients seeking discretion, innovation, and ultra-personalized care. This woman has been named the Michelangelo of dentistry and I am so excited to welcome her on the podcast. Welcome Dr. Pia, how are you today? Dr Pia (00:32) Thanks for having me, Kiera. Kiera Dent (00:34) Of course. Well, I have been so excited about this podcast. I don't often get to bring clinical guests onto the podcast. And so to just kind of hear of how you do your cosmetic dentistry, how did you become this practice of being so sought after? ⁓ How did you become the Michelangelo of dentistry? So kind of just walk the listeners through how did Dr. Pia go from where she was to where she is today? Kind of just give us a background on, on who you are and what your story has been. Dr Pia (01:04) Well, I'm gonna start with, it all started in dental school. There was a lecturer by the name of Dr. Gallup Evans who has passed away since. And he was giving a PG, which is obviously post-doctoral course on cosmetic dentistry. And his reputation was he was the one who did. the supermodel Polina Povaskova's veneers back in the early 90s. And I went up to him after the lecture and I basically said, I'm a sponge, teach me, tell me what to do so I can do the same thing that you're doing. I've completely fell in love and cut out a class to go to that course. And after the course, he turned around to me and said, well, sweetheart. You're either born with it or you're not. So I went home and I cried for five days. and he completely tore me to shreds and that really got me upset and ⁓ I was a great student. was the youngest in NYU as a student. I graduated high school at 16. I was the nerd, right? And basically what I did is I was asked to start teaching after residency and that was my... Kiera Dent (02:03) Absolutely. Dr Pia (02:26) way to make sure that I would never allow anyone to speak to a student like that. And my whole point was, I want to empower the dental students. I don't want anyone to feel the way I did by this particular person. And basically I had nowhere to start. So I started taking all of these courses, these PG program courses, and I met up. Kiera Dent (02:37) Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (02:53) When I was actually in dental school, I went and I met the holy grail ceramist who invented veneers in America. And I went up to him and I said the same thing, I'm a sponge, please teach me. And he was like, great. Okay. You have a car. And I'm like, yes, I do. He goes, all right, come to the lab every Friday after school and every Saturday, let me teach you how to prep and how to do veneers. And this man who also passed away has taught me everything. Kiera Dent (03:12) I'm Dr Pia (03:23) that I know because the doctors were not doing it and there was only two guys in New York that were doing veneers in the 80s and in the 90s and those were older men in their 40s and they were not going to take a young 20 year old female and teach her what to do because they were you know insecure that we were going to take over the business from them. So that's how it all started. And obviously, I taught for 18 years and I did do that what I set my mind to do. I wanted to give every one of my students the best experience that they can have with dentistry and with cosmetic dentistry. And we're still friends after all these years. So I must have done something right, that they still love me to invite me for dinners into their houses. Kiera Dent (04:10) Thank ⁓ I think that you're speaking to my own heart. mean, having that love being in the dental colleges, of to give back, like that's the whole reason Dental A Team exists was because of those students that you just fall in love with. And kudos to you because I got really lucky and I worked at Midwestern University's Dental College in Arizona. And I have been told that the culture there and the experience there is not like most dental schools. It was a very empowering, very enriching. There was no smashing of models. There was no... ⁓ destroying people's dreams, but I know that that's not everywhere. so kudos to you for ⁓ making a stance and also not giving up on your dream. And I think something I took from that is how often are we maybe told something that's not true and we believe it. We take that on as an identity and yes, crying for five days. I don't blame you, I would have done the same thing, but ⁓ it is. Dr Pia (05:03) No, it's demoralizing, you know, like it's just here you are, you're this young bright-eyed and bushy-tailed eager beaver who wants to be the best at her profession and then you get some 50 year old man telling you, ⁓ honey, you can't do this, you gotta be born with it. I'm like, really? Kiera Dent (05:20) Hmm. Maybe I am born with it and have you seen it. ⁓ Dr Pia (05:25) And you know what I was and that's that's the thing and it's just but it's the way he said it but we'll get back to karma because 18 years go by and he was lecturing again and karma if it's a small I don't want to say the b word on a podcast but Kiera Dent (05:42) Mmm. Hahaha Dr Pia (05:51) it is. So he's got the lecture, same thing, same before and afters. And this time I'm wearing a white lab coat and scrubs underneath and I had you know, and at this point, I was clinical assistant professor and there were like 350 doctors in the audience. And he's like, Does anyone have anything to say? And I'm at the back wall, I wasn't sitting down, I was standing up and I raised my hand and I was like, He goes, and he goes, I know that name. You're in press and you're my competition. And he was like, and you know, what is it that I said? said, you know what? Thanks to you, I am who I am today. I want to say thank you. If you didn't say this to me and make me go home and cry for five days, I wouldn't have. done everything humanly possible to be your competition and here I am I didn't know if he was gonna slap me or kick me out or just whatever it was but it was not what I and he said you know come on down and just tell us more about it he goes you've got so much pressure all over the place and it was funny because at that point Kiera Dent (06:52) Ha! Dr Pia (07:08) That was like maybe 10 months after I did 10 episodes on TLC of 10 years younger. And I was all over the place. Like everybody knew me from TV and from press and ⁓ the New York Times wrote that I'm the Michelangelo in Smile Boutique. And it just got to that point. I got the recognition that I worked so hard for. he was like, all right, give me a hug. I was like, thank God. to get a slap. But I was ready to get like thrown out or to. So that's kind of what I wanted to do is I just want to empower every single person out there. And you have to understand, when I went to school, we there were no women, it was 97 % men, we had Kiera Dent (07:43) You Dr Pia (08:02) maybe seven girls in the graduating class. I mean, not that we had a lot. We have much smaller classes back then and we were 97, but seven out of 97 is a low percentage. Kiera Dent (08:14) That is, yeah. Wow, that's such a fun, ⁓ I think kudos to you. And one of my favorite lines through life has been, life is not happening to us, it's happening for us. And I'm sure in that moment, you felt like life was happening to you. Like, who is this jerk? And they destroyed my dreams. And yet, ⁓ again, not to say that that's ever the right route to go. But I just want to highlight and compliment of you took something that people could have said would be sour grapes and you actually turned it into beautiful wine. and you turned it into something beautiful and it was fuel to your fire to make you into this incredible woman that the world needed. And so I'm very curious, how did you then go from, okay, here we are, how'd you become this renowned cosmetic dentist, getting on TLC, getting all the press, like what was kind of the way to get into that? Because I'm sure there's a lot of dentists who want to live your dream. How did you do it? Dr Pia (09:04) I think the way in was truly like in 1998 or 99, I don't remember what year it was, but it was the first gen art fashion show for Fashion Week in New York where they took up and coming young designers and they had a private fashion show with about 10 of small up and coming, which we don't have anymore. mean, New York Fashion Week is no longer what used to be. But I go there and I had a patient from Belgium who had a really good friend who was an up and coming crazy French designer and he was showing the runway and I just basically went with her and I remember that we were after the fashion show there was a VIP with champagne and we got these wristbands and so forth and my my patient was, you know, late 30s, single and ready to mingle. And there was this really cute male model that did the runway for ⁓ another designer that wasn't as big. And she was like, my God, he's so cute. And here I was, I had no makeup on, right? Kiera Dent (10:07) Yeah. Dr Pia (10:23) this long Margiela dress and I have like Doc Marten boots, my hair up in a ponytail, just like mascara and red lips on. And I went up to this guy and I said, hi, I'm Dr. Pia. You know, my friend Jacqueline wants to meet you. And he had this woman who was next to him and she was like, you gotta talk to me. I'm his booker. I didn't know what a booker was. So I'm like, what's a booker? I thought it was like the, you know, betting on horses, know, like booking, you know, that's what I thought. Kiera Dent (10:47) Yeah. Yeah. Dr Pia (10:53) And basically, ⁓ I was like, No, no, no, I'm just, you know, we're going behind if you guys want to come and join us at the after party behind and he was like, great, she goes, No, no, no, we can't go anywhere. You got to go through me. And I'm like, Okay, I said, Look, I'm a cosmetic dentist. And back then we had cards, right? So I was like, Here's my card. She goes, I want one, too. And I and Yeah, that was it. had some drinks afterwards. And she was like, Yeah, I want to come in as a patient. I have to come in first before he comes in. Because he said he needed his teeth done. I was like, okay, so the next morning, I'm like, live it at like nine o'clock. I call Wilhelmina who was like back then the number one modeling agency for men. And I call and I'm like, Can I speak to Jennifer and Kiera Dent (11:32) Yeah. Dr Pia (11:47) She picks up the phone. I'm like, hi, it's dr. P again. I'm like, I just want to make it really clear I'm married. I do not I am NOT picking up on on your male model It was my friend who was interested just making putting it out there and being totally transparent. So she's like fine I Want an appointment so I booked her and the moment that I booked her She introduced me to the modeling industry. So then I started getting all the models Kiera Dent (11:57) Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (12:13) the supermodels, I got everybody in and I think that's how it all started with the press and everything because they've seen my work with the modeling industry and that's how kind of it all started and the thing with me it's always been privacy it's I've never named names I will never name names because it's like plastic surgery if you're going to go in and get a facelift do want it to be plastered all over the press I don't think so so it's the same thing with veneers I mean I do very natural handmade porcelain and the whole secret that I think to my success is I've never gone into that chicklity white Hollywood smile the toilet bowl teeth or the turkey teeth as now they all go to Turkey to have them done well I've never done that so for me I've always followed what I believe in and did the best that I can and I think that that is as long as you love what you do Kiera Dent (12:55) Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Yeah. Dr Pia (13:12) and try to be the best that you can be. think the universe, no matter what God you believe in, you know, I think the universe gives it back to you. Kiera Dent (13:23) I think, well, and also what I heard from that is kudos to you for just going and meeting people and for being out there. Like, I don't think people realize the power of connections, the power of human interaction, the power of who you know. I think we're in such a society where it's all online and we just think, which you can still connect online, but like, don't be afraid to say hi to people. Don't be afraid to introduce yourselves and... Like I said at the beginning, Dr. Pia, it's very rare that I bring on clinical guests to the podcast. So I'm curious, you work on supermodels, you work on really incredible people. I have a doctor, which we will not name names either, who works on movie stars in LA. so I have a couple of questions and if you don't want to answer by all, you probably do. We will chat post show and see, exactly off call. ⁓ But. Dr Pia (14:07) I probably know him. If it's it, we'll do it all off, off. Kiera Dent (14:15) I'm curious, Dr. Pia, just for listeners to know, what is like, I'm gonna ask a few questions and like I said, privacy and respect are my number one. So if there's something that you're like, I'm not gonna answer by all means, audience just know Dr. Pia is so kind to come onto the podcast for us and I did not prep her because I never know what I'm gonna ask. It's just a genuine curious host over here wanting to know, what are the average cases like dollar wise, our low end to our high end of cases that you're doing? I just want people to know, because I think people do not believe that this is real life dentistry and it can be. Dr Pia (14:51) You're talking about veneers or you're talking about all the procedures. Veneers. Veneers are from three to 45, 100 or two. It depends. mean, if someone is a massive grinder and I've got issues with them. Kiera Dent (14:54) I would say let's do veneers and then let's do other procedures. Dr Pia (15:12) having, you know, doing the grinding at night, felspathic, I'm a little bit weary of doing that and I'll do the 3D printed. ⁓ As much as I'm not the greatest fan of doing that, I would rather keep them in a night guard and let them have the beautiful teeth. But it basically is... ⁓ Kiera Dent (15:19) Totally. Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (15:35) You know, for the handmade porcelain, I mean, there are some people out there that are charging over five. And I think that's just a little bit exaggerated because I know how much it costs me to make. think, you know, 4500 is a fair price. You don't have to go above five. I think that's just the ingredient. Kiera Dent (15:42) Totally. Sure. Mm-hmm. Which I appreciate that you say that, especially with the press and with the people that you worked on. You have an opportunity to charge more, but you're also being ethical and fair, which I think ties to the passion, the love, the reason people can trust you. So how many veneers, this is like, now I'm gonna just be like a nerdy patient. How many, because I feel like a lot of people just want like the four veneers and then the six and then. Dr Pia (16:15) Alright, come on, bring it on! Kiera Dent (16:20) Do you just do all of them? there a space where clinically you recommend like we stop here for smile lines? What's kind of your, what's your, what's your clinical excellence on this? What do you recommend? Dr Pia (16:25) No! I think you should have either one or as many as you need. think the biggest problem and the... Okay, now you got me. So my competition in New York will only do 10. And he's my former student. Kiera Dent (16:37) I'm ready. She got fired up everybody. Juicy like sits up. Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (16:51) which is even more infuriating to me. Like I so disagree because I think if you have a beautiful smile and let's say you fell and you've had a root canal and the tooth is starting to change color. I think if you're a good clinician and a good clinician is a cosmetic dentist, I don't believe a GP could do this. Okay. And men, we have the issue with 40 % are colorblind. So that's another issue altogether. Kiera Dent (16:52) That's I do remember there was a girl in dental school who couldn't like really see and I was like, how do you like she couldn't see colors and I'm like, how do you, how do you, how do you get over that as a dentist? I'm just curious. I can't check the color, right? Okay, so making sure you think that you can do one if you're a good clinician, which is, love this. Cause people tell me all the time, you can't do one. Dr Pia (17:29) Well, they get the dental assistant to choose the color. I do one. do one. So I do one. I do one. I'll do two. If you're if you ground I do four. I'll do six, I'll do 10, I'll do 12. If the person has a really big smile and it's a color correction like a tetracycline case, then I have to do 12, you know, like, because it depends if you're someone that has this uber large mouth, then and you when you smile, you go back to the second molars, you have to do it. But I feel that this whole entire ⁓ doing 10 or nothing. think that is so unfair to the patients. And I think it's such bad karma as well, because it's going to come back and bite you later on, because I don't feel that everyone has to have that many done. And the other thing that I'm actually known for is the fact that I don't believe that you have to necessarily file the tooth down. If the teeth are in the correct position, okay let's back it up. If the teeth are not in the correct position do Invisalign first and then do the handcrafted veneers because the way I do them they're as thin as a contact lens so there is no drilling needed. Anytime why I wouldn't want anyone to drill my teeth to put veneers on why are you taking away to add on it's an Kiera Dent (18:42) Love. Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (19:08) moron right so if you are a true cosmetic dentist and know how to do this and have the right support of the right ceramist they should be see-through Kiera Dent (19:09) Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Yeah. Dr Pia (19:24) So if that's the case, there's no drilling involved. And if you need only one, just do one. There's no reason to spend that money on doing more if you don't need them. Kiera Dent (19:32) It's incredible. which I'm so grateful to hear this. This is why I was so excited. I'm like, I have so many questions about this and I'm just curious of how you do it and to hear that being really talented at this, you don't need to do more than that because I hear all the time like, well, if you only do four, then you're gonna see it, but I don't disagree with you. think if you're good at what you, and this isn't just dentists. I also think dentists, well, I'm gonna go out on a limb. Now I'm fired up to be, like, here we go. Dr Pia (20:02) No, no, they want the money. It's clear as day. They're doing it for the money. Kiera Dent (20:06) Right. Well, and also I'm like, if you're not good enough to be able to do one without it looking like a chicklet, I might question, you good enough to be doing this in general? And that I know is a very bold statement, but I might get really good at this. I don't disagree. Dr Pia (20:18) No, they should not be doing them. I'm sorry, they should not be doing it. And with felspathic, with the handmade porcelain, it... I can't say it enough. One is not a problem. Kiera Dent (20:35) Okay, let's talk about different labs and how do you choose a good lab for ceramic, for cosmetic cases? Like what's the difference? I mean, I've heard some people that are printing ⁓ Emax crowns for the front and I wanna like cringe and I'm like, ⁓ that feels really bad. So let's talk about like, how do you pick a good lab? What's the difference of a good lab? How is it handmade versus not? Like what are some of those nuances within the cosmetic world that really make a difference on being able to do one versus having to do eight to 10? Dr Pia (20:48) No, no, no, no, I didn't write. Kiera Dent (21:03) because you're gonna see lines and it's gonna look different. Dr Pia (21:06) Okay, so I'm a nerd. I'm going to give you the whole entire background. Okay. ⁓ So basically the handmade porcelain is felspathic and it can be as thin as 0.16 of a millimeter, which is technically a contact lens. Okay. It's thinner than your natural fingernail, not with gel on it or powder, you know, polish. I'm talking about a natural fingernail. So having said that, Kiera Dent (21:08) I love it. I want this. Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (21:33) Now in the way that those are made they're done on platinum foil so you take the model of the teeth they put platinum foil which is also like super super thin microns it's you know anywhere between 10 microns 20 microns okay and then on that porcelain on that platinum foil the porcelain multiple colors multiple translucencies get added on and that's the veneer is made. Okay so that's how we're able to have them super thin. The 3D printing, different story altogether. So 3D printing needs to have minimum Kiera Dent (22:05) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Dr Pia (22:17) between 1.5 to 2 millimeters of thickness. So those right there are thick. Okay, so that's why you need to file. Otherwise, everything is gonna be out. That's why they need to do 10 because they can't match the flatness of a natural tooth. So those are done by a computer. So what you do is you scan with the feldspathic. You still have to take good old fashioned impressions because the model has to be poured in Kiera Dent (22:22) Right. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (22:47) it cannot be on plastic to do the platinum foil. With the 3D printing, with 3D printing veneers and crowns, you basically just scan the tooth, send it via, you know, the cloud. It gets to the lab, they print out the model, and then they start designing the shape and the size of what they want the veneer or the crown to look like. Kiera Dent (22:51) Interesting. Dr Pia (23:14) and then they have this block which is like about this big and it's like a disc it's like an oversized hockey puck okay and out of those they usually get out of those hockey pucks usually they get 25 crowns and veneers like either or okay ⁓ Kiera Dent (23:22) Mm-hmm. Okay. Sure, okay. Dr Pia (23:35) Now those blocks you have to understand they come in one solid color and very opaque hence why they look like toilet bowls like you can see like ⁓ Simon from What is it the the show with America's Got Talent right now his teeth walk in before him Kiera Dent (23:55) Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (23:58) They're so white and chalky. He had them done and they're too big, personal. I mean, I think they're too, he's too horsey. He should have stayed with the veneers he had before because they looked more natural and. Kiera Dent (23:58) It's true. Dr Pia (24:12) But that's the problem. If you have them very, if you have the 3D printed, the opacity is one solid, you know, base that the computer then drills that hockey puck to form the crowns and the veneers. So you're never going to get the aesthetics of having incisal translucency or having a halo or having them nice and flat. You're not, because the computer is going to make them the thickness that Kiera Dent (24:33) right? Dr Pia (24:41) They cannot drill those any thinner than that because they're going to break. Kiera Dent (24:46) So this is fascinating and I love this because now I have more quite like being an assistant, also having worked in this, also having gone to labs, also having like things done for family and friends that I know. Are you a fan of custom shading where you send your patients to the lab or how, okay, so how do you get it to where it's like a perfect shade match, like consistently, any tips that you have to make it to where it is really that absolutely perfect, making your smiles. Dr Pia (25:04) Hell no. Kiera Dent (25:15) beyond perfect without sending them to a lab. Because I think a lot of people hold back and they're like, I've got to send it. But I've seen a lot of dentists where they'll try to put the shading in, they try to put the translucency in. This is no knock on dentists. This is like, hey, we've got an expert here. Let's ask how she does it so we can all rise up. Dr Pia (25:30) Okay, honestly, I take the patient to the window. My whole main thing is every single office that I've built, I need to have windows that are five feet tall. and sunlight. So I'm able just to move the patient to the window. And that's where the talent comes in. I'm able to take shade without a shade guide. I mean, I'm at that point, but I've been doing this for decades now. So it's like at the beginning, I wasn't so I would do the shade guide and I would write it on a piece of paper and just be like, okay, the neck is an A two and then we have an A one body and then we have translucency of two millimeters and a halo and I just draw it. Kiera Dent (25:41) Fascinating. Dr Pia (26:10) and then they would make every single veneer with the same recipe. It's almost like cooking. But the window and natural sunlight is the key. Because all these computers that you put up against your tooth, all due respect. Kiera Dent (26:15) I see. Mm-hmm. Yep. Mm-hmm. That's great. they shade it differently. Dr Pia (26:29) it's not only that you have to understand everybody's tooth is a different length okay like your centrals are fairly long for the average person right that particular shade guide is not going to read color on your tooth that you probably have 12 millimeter long centrals and i'm diagnosing you over the video right so that particular Kiera Dent (26:35) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Hey, thank you. Yeah. Dr Pia (26:58) light source is not going to be able to read 12 millimeters perfectly from the gum line to the incisal. It's just not going to happen. You're going to need and if you're not good at taking shade, go do endo or oral surgery or ortho. Kiera Dent (27:07) Right. It's true cosmetic is about I feel it's about the precision. It's about the aesthetics and like there I mean I hire designer to do my house. I'm not going to do it. I know that that is not my forte. I'm really good at other things, but I'm not good at color matching and what goes well together and how to put this together. It's just not my strength and skill set and I really do believe like this is what I think going back to your original professor speaker lecturer who completely dash your dreams. I think maybe possibly what he meant was, I think there's some people who have a natural eye for cosmetic and aesthetics and there's other people who maybe don't. And I think you can adapt it and evolve it and become, and you have clearly proven that. But my guess is, I mean, hearing that you're even on fashion week, my hunch is you already by default had a very strong fashion aesthetic. Maybe you didn't, but I would guess that that kind of has been a part of you. Dr Pia (28:07) No, I did. did. And you know, I do like my own makeup and I know my colors and things like that. And so that helped. I have to say that really did help me quite a bit. Kiera Dent (28:11) Mm-hmm. which is why you were drawn to this. You had the passion, fire, because you already knew that. Dr Pia (28:21) And I loved it and I was like, how can I? And then what the other thing is like, you may not know you have it. So the other thing what I say is buy some art books. That's what I did. Buy some art books. Get to learn the difference between the chroma and the hue and just take a couple of art classes and see if you have it. And if not, what can you pick up and learn from those art classes if you really want to do it? And I'm not trying to be sexist by any means, but I do think that women are better at it because of color. And I think we're a lot more patient because the way I do it is I do diagnostic wax ups on every case, whether it's one tooth, unless it's even with the prepless veneers where I don't touch the tooth. Kiera Dent (28:52) Yeah. Dr Pia (29:16) I still do the wax ups to see I've had all let me backtrack a little bit but I've had every single 2d program in the last what 16 years that they've been out more than 16 years okay and it's not the same when you see yourself in a photo with the size and shape and color that you might want okay it's like using it's like using the apps to change your hair color i'm Kiera Dent (29:32) Wow. I agree. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (29:50) the strongest belief that if you do want to change your hair color, I think you should try on a wig and wear it for a couple of days. So that that whole entire ⁓ Kiera Dent (29:58) Yeah, I don't disagree. Dr Pia (30:03) philosophy that I have what I do is I do the diagnostic wax-ups I do the indexes and without drilling the teeth the patients come in and I pop it over their teeth, you know with the Luxe attempt, know the temporary material that sets over it and I tell them to walk out with it and You know, it's not bonded on or anything. They can just take their fingernail and just pop it all off But go out let your family see it. Let your partner see it. See how you feel. Is it too long? Kiera Dent (30:22) Mm-hmm. Dr Pia (30:33) Is it too square? Is it too round? I'm allowed to have my opinion, but you're paying me and if your opinion is different than mine You have you should have the right as a patient to get what you want. Not what I want We have to come somewhere in between sometimes like I'll put my foot down and I'll be like you really don't want them that way Kiera Dent (30:49) Mm-hmm. And I'm glad... You're right. We don't want them to make a statement before you walk in the room. That's what we're going to just highlight here. But hey, if you want white white, like at the end of the day, that's what they're going to have. I love that you, ⁓ I think this is probably what's made you really great. I don't know. I've heard a lot about you. But I think what you do is you make sure that the patients are obsessed with the results and not that Dr. Pia is obsessed. Like you're obsessed with the craftsmanship of what you've done. You're really talented at that. But like hearing that you let people walk out and go try these on and what is it going to be like before you do it? That to me says that you are so obsessed about the outcome and the result for the patient. And then your job is to make sure you have the most excellent craftsmanship, the best product, the best techniques, the best method to get them the outcome they want. And I think hearing that, I'm just so proud of you. And I'm so grateful to hear that there are clinicians in our industry that are obsessed about that rather than the reverse. Because I think some people are obsessed about maybe the dollar, maybe about doing these types of cases, but they're not the best at it, or this is what I think that they should look like. You really want to make sure that that patient is like a walking raving fan of you before you even do the work on them. And that I think is very special about you.