The Millennial Dentist

Sully, Peyray, and Dr. Rick Sullivan are joined today by Dr. David Wong. Dr. Wong is a periodontist from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has his own practice, and he speaks and teaches about perio. We talk about Dr. Wong and how he got started, and he shares his own unique perspective on periodontics and running his specialized practice. We also talk about his use of social media and his Instagram accounts. His personal account features a lot of shots of Dr. Wong working out. He shares his fitness routine with us, and we get him to answer some listener questions that mostly revolve around his Instagram accounts, but we also dive into the world of perio. You can find Dr. David Wong here: Route 66 Dental Implants David Wong DDS on Instagram Plaque Chyna on Instagram Show Notes: [02:54] Dr. David Wong is a periodontist who practices in Tulsa, Oklahoma. [04:31] Dr. Wong thought dental school was tough, but he liked perio. [12:35] He planned on joining a big group practice, but he changed his mind. He started a practice from scratch, and it worked out. [15:04] The hardest part was getting over fear and self-doubt. [17:02] His wife was super supportive. She was a dental , but she doesn't have to work anymore. [20:21] He loves what he does. Teaching was born out of necessity. He started photographing everything and joined a small study club. He also started writing articles. [22:58] He also mentioned products in case-reports and was scouted by vendors. He also put on his own courses. [25:03] He prefers working on soft tissue. It is probably under diagnosed. [28:27] Technology is helping to fix human errors. [32:13] He finds value on meeting other dentists and hanging out and social media is great for being himself and having fun. [34:32] Dr. Rick Sullivan has always been interested in perio. He enjoys going from perio to all the way up. [35:23] Should GPs do perio? Dr. Wong would do it again. He would even be more inclined. [36:50] Dental students could be a restorative dentist and catch the best of both worlds. [38:24] Specialists used to not encroach on GP territory. Now they frequently do a little of everything. [40:07] Patient management can be more difficult than the clinical issues. [44:27] Dr. Wong likes having friends and, but not keeping score with patient referrals. [46:36] Dentists need to know what they are and aren't capable of doing. [47:44] Dr. Wong's least favorite procedure is osteo surgery. [49:03] He benches 315. [52:14] Perio maintenance is about efficiency. Dr. Wong is fine with the patient just going to their own dentist. [56:03] Dr. Wong goes to the gym every day that he can to lift weights. He also does a bit of cardio and eats a ton of food. Dr. Wong is going to speak about gingival recession and root coverage. The talk is called, Just Say No to the Palate. As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Links and Resources: [email protected] The Millennial Dentist Website @Millennialdentist on Facebook @MillennialDDS on Twitter On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist on Instagram

We are so excited to have the one and only amazing Dr. Frank Spear on the show today. We kick off the show with an amazing story by Frank that changed his life, and the course of dentistry. It’s all thanks to a special teacher that Frank tries to emulate each and every time he steps on stage. Dr. Frank Spear also shares the lean times when he first started practicing, and how he was invited to mentor in study clubs. We also get to learn some highlights from his book, his practice, his teaching, his mentoring, and we talk about the Spear Education Center. This is an interview that you won’t want to miss as Sully and Peyray have a candid conversation with Dr. Frank Spear. You can find Dr. Frank Spear here: Dr. Frank Spear Spear Education Spear Education Facebook Page Case Acceptance in the Modern Dental Practice: Break Down Barriers, Increase Referrals and Boost Patient Satisfaction Show Notes: [02:21] Frank grew up in a small farming community. He had no interest in dentistry. [03:38] In the 1970s, his parents said he needed to pick a college. Chico State was ranked the number one party school in America on the cover of Playboy Magazine. [04:40] He didn't get accepted to Chico State. He went to Pacific Lutheran University. [05:46] He had to pick a major. He decided to take anatomy and physiology to get them over with. He ended up liking the courses. [06:39] His teacher was passionate about anatomy and asked him to meet with her. She suggested he go into a medical field. She setup a meeting with the pre-med adviser who was a dentist. This is how he ended up in dentistry. [08:54] He applied to twelve dental schools and graduated in 1979. [09:45] While he was in his periodontics and prosthodontics class, a faculty member named Gerry Schultz who had been running study clubs saw Dr. Spear give a presentation. [10:27] He invited Dr. Spear to give a presentation. He was then invited to speak again. He was a month out of his grad program. [11:31] At the end of this meeting, he was invited to speak by other people. [13:02] Dr. Spear was lucky to be inspired by amazing people and great faculty. His instructors were influential about what was possible. [17:03] Whoever the clinician is, they need to be able to recognize what is outside of their comfort zone. [20:03] Sending more work out can open up room in your schedule to do what you want to do. [20:44] Finding what you enjoy and are the most competent at. Doing what you like the most is more fun. [21:21] At Spears they want dentists to have more fun, be more profitable, have more free time, and to grow clinical in competence and confidence. [25:47] Young dentists need to take some time and examine what they do and don't like before opening up a practice. [26:41] In June of 1982, interests rates were 19% and 20%. He worked six days a week. On Mondays, he rented a space from a periodontist. [28:19] On Fridays and Saturdays, he rented other space from periodontists, and he was seeing a lot of military families. He learned a lot about phasing treatment. [29:35] The rest of the week, he was an associate for the family dentist in the town he grew up in. He covered all of the emergencies and did the work the established dentist didn't want. [30:51] At that time, he was asked to mentor a study club on aesthetics. By 1984, he was mentoring four study clubs. [32:11] There was a powerful reputation from his graduat...

We are excited to have Dr. Jeff Trembley on the show today. Jeff recently opened his own practice in November of 2017. Jeff is committed to giving his patients amazing results with carefully crafted restorations. Even though he is committed clinically, there were and still are many hurdles for Jeff to over overcome. He understands the importance of customer referrals and treating patients in a way that makes them feel appreciated. It’s often the experience that will get the patient to come back and to refer family and friends. Jeff talks about the importance of photography and the success that he has had with his Instagram account. We also talk about how important it is to understand your numbers and check your reports on a regular basis. Jeff benefited from having a consultant come into the practice and offer help and guidance. He is also committed to going all digital with his lab work. There are so many aspects to running your own practice that new and experienced dentists will get something out of this conversation. You can find Dr. Jeff Trembley here: Smile On Nashville Dr. Jeff Trembley on Instagram Show Notes: [02:26] Dr. Jeff Trembley opened a practice in November of 2017. Prior to that he was an associate. [03:16] Peyray rented Jeff a room prior to Jeff opening his practice. [04:27] At some point, every dentist comes to the point where they want to go out on their own. [06:41] Even though, he found a great space Jeff really had to fight to get the financing and all of the paperwork in order. [07:41] One of his first purchases was an electric handpiece. He equipped the hygienist, and got TVs to look at images. [08:35] Jeff's opinion of modern dentistry is the most minimally biologically to get as close to what as what you want. [09:15] Jeff is a biological dentist who wants to fit the materials to help the patient. [11:38] Jeff had a best friend/mentor that helped him see the importance of photography. [13:13] Jeff would take a retracted view and put it on the screen and start looking at it. He started sharing online. His greatest source of referrals is through Instagram. [14:44] He put a photo studio in one of his op rooms. [15:45] Dentistry is hard and starting a new is hard. [16:09] Jeff learned the importance of data. [16:45] Jeff isn't in network, so phone conversions are important. [18:05] He doubled down on the philosophy. He lowered his fees and explained the fee process. [19:16] He also hired a consultant to help go through the system and find out how many hygienist reschedule. [20:02] Jeff is willing to take ownership of everything. [20:52] You have to understand what reports to pull and what they are telling you. Then make adjustments to that. [21:54] You have to create the behavior in the office. It's also important to see how reports change. Find out where your new patients come from. [23:16] Patients are your best referrals so thank patients for coming in and show your gratitude. [25:35] We have to make sure that our experience equals the quality of our dentistry. [27:11] It helps to be direct with everything even treatment plans. [30:18] One of the hardest things that Jeff has struggled with is his website and his marketing. [31:40] It's hard to be on top of so many things and to keep in mind that if you're not on top of things it won't get done. [32:32] One of Peyray's biggest challenges was the front office. He expected people to read his mind. [34:26] Using clipboards was one of the best things that Jeff has done. It not only keeps records straight, but there's some satisfaction in crossing things off the list, and it enables the sharing...

Dr. Michael DiTolla is here today to talk about the evolution of materials for crowns and veneers that he has seen over his career. He started out working in private practice, and by a fluke was asked to do some work at Glidewell Labs. He realized that he loved experimenting with new materials and finding ways to create better looking restorative dentistry. He moved on to education and lecturing. He was a pioneer in making movies and DVDs to help train other dentists and lab technicians. He is now working with Six Month Smiles and is excited about a new hybrid program they have coming up that combines brackets and aligners for fast and affect aesthetic results. He is also thinking about starting up his practice again. This is a great discussion for dentists and technicians who really care about positive patient results.. You can find Dr. Michael DiTolla here: Dr. Michael DiTolla Show Notes: [04:20] Dr. Michael DiTolla graduated in 1998. He was in private practice for 10 or 11 years in Southern California. He is from Downy, CA. [05:09] He had a patient from Glidewell who asked him to do some crowns. [06:20] It was exciting for him doing dentistry with the technicians. They were recording the process and sending them out on DVDs. [06:46] When he saw his dentistry on the big screen, he was forced to become better. [07:16] He learned new ways to prep teeth. [08:07] Glidewell started trying to build their own materials. Dr. DiTolla sold his practice and started to be part of Glidewell. He went to a party at Jim Glidewell's house. [10:51] This was in pre social media days, and Dr. DiTolla loved doing the cases. [11:52] Glidewell does 6% to 7% of American labs. Their market share might be 5%, but they'll do a couple of a million crowns a year. [13:29] In 2001, they built a huge operatory. Glidewell had a full-time video crew. [17:43] They started experimenting with BruxZir crowns and veneers made out of zirconia. [19:09] It is so important to understand what materials you are putting in people's mouths. [20:04] It would be nice if every dentist spent three months in a laboratory. [25:15] The importance of quality labs cannot be emphasized enough. [27:19] Glidewell has $99 crowns. Most dentists don't want to pay more for an Emax crown. [28:55] Students should witness the crowns being made. A better quality crown is better in the long run. You get what you pay for with labs. Don't commoditize and go for the cheapest. You want to find the best technician. [31:33] If you are getting a crown made please send in a picture. Before and after. [32:57] Digital fabrication made things really clear for Glidewell. It's very easy to see reduction digitally. [37:33] Give the lab permission to give you feedback and let you know how the prep is. [38:16] Try to bring the technician in as part of the team. [39:55] You can use desktop sharing software to communicate with your lab technicians and the dentist. [40:40] Dr. Michael DiTolla is now working with AEGIS Communication. He works on Product Talk. You actually get to hear about people's experiences. [41:31] He is also working with Six Month Smiles. [42:40] He started leaning towards short term smiles. [43:52] He likes the control of Six Month Smiles. [45:46] These are adult aesthetic cases. They use software and plan cases. [47:17] In June, Six Month Smiles will do mixed therapy with aligners and brackets. [50:48] Digital treatment planning will rank the case on terms of difficulty. [54:37] Mike does a lot of training and videos. He is also getting back into working with patients and finding interesting cases. As alway...

Tiger Safarov has developed Zen Supplies, a cloud-based ordering platform to have all your distributors and suppliers in one place in order for you to be able to price compare your supplies to get the best deal. Manage and track your inventory online and save money and time in the process. Sales agents and distributors charge a larger margin, hoping you don’t research a better price online for the same products. Inventory tracking provides savings to your office through purchasing only what you need in supplies. Eighty percent of your savings comes from quantity, and inventory tracking gives you the insight on how to spend less on your supplies which are excessive purchases for your office. Zen Supplies runs a cost analysis on your supply purchase savings, so you can see how much money your office is saving. Tiger believes in saving time for his clients because time is the one item “you can’t trade back for”. Zen Supplies is an innovative product which saves the dental practice owner time and money, which is reflected in their slogan “Let’s Get Organized”. Show Notes: [03:15] Tiger’s background and history [04:50] What does Tiger’s company do? [07:01] How Tiger found out about price differences for dental supplies. [08:32] Most offices do not manage supply orders or track orders. [10:07] Dental assistants may not be looking at price differentiation or looking for the best purchase price for supplies. [13:44] Why Tiger’s goal is to avoid distributors and sales reps for purchasing supplies. [19:08] Other options which are available for emergency situations at your dental office. [21:30] Dollar savings Tiger’s client experienced with one of his clients from Texas. [25:35] Distribution of money according to the margins sales people are charging dentists. [26:40] How are big companies viewing Tiger’s company. [30:13] Politics of buying and selling dental supplies and how Tiger gets his pricing for supplies through manufacturers and distributors. [37:30] How many supplies we threw out because they were expired BEFORE we used Zen Supplies! [40:19] Shipping costs revisited with Zen Supplies. [41:30] What’s coming up next with Zen Supplies? As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Links and Resources: [email protected] The Millennial Dentist Website @Millennialdentist on Facebook @MillennialDDS on Twitter On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist on InstagramDr. Peyman…@drpeyray on Instagram Dr. Sully’s website and blog Voices of Dentistry Interview With Sully Sullivan and Peyman Raissi - Dental Profits The Dental Profits Academy Course Bulletproof Dental Podcast What Got You Here Won't Get You There Zen Supplies Company

We have recorded on planes and exotic locations. Today, we are recording on the rooftop of the Westin overlooking Nashville. This is a catch up episode where Sully and Payrey share their recent travels with you. Sully was able to attend the IDS dental business summit in Cologne, German. If this is something that you haven't done, put it on your list for 2021. Sully shares a little bit about his trip to Germany and some of the great technology that was at the IDS. We also talk about the importance of quality CE and building the practice you would want to have. We cover everything we’ve been up to including challenges with building an amazing practice, finding your speciality, and balancing everything. Show Notes: [01:54] The IDS dental summit was a city filled with dentists. Sully met Brian Baliwas the SF Dental Nerd. [02:19] Downtown Cologne is a 5 minute walk from the IDS International Dental Symposium. It's also a trade show and a lot of products debut there. [04:31] You can get great deals at some of the pavilions if you want knock offs or generic things. [05:58] It was also a really great experience to get to touch and tryout the different products. It was like a Disneyland for dentists. [07:04] There is a ton of new software coming out for smile design. There are companies putting cool cameras into their lights. [08:09] Sully went to the GC party. It was epic over the top. [09:12] Payrey has been busy buying things. He wants easier access to labs. Stay tuned to what he has been up to. [11:04] He also bought a house recently. He is now closer to his office. [12:01] He is also looking into offering profit sharing or a 401(k) for his office. [13:07] He also consulted with The Crabtree Group. They are helping to develop systems into his office. [14:42] It's a lot of headaches being the only one running the show. [15:44] If the economy tanks, it would really affect business. People can afford things, because the economy is good. [16:41] Payrey is trying to build his general dentist practice with his hygienist and having two dentists two days a week. [18:02] Payrey finished a Kois course. He now loves general dentistry. [22:22] Build a base, you can always do implants or full mouth later down the line. [25:06] Don't let money stop you from taking CE from places like Kois Center. [26:30] Restorative dentistry makes people love their smile. Overlays can save money, and make patients happy. [29:43] Everybody pushes each other up when you surround yourself with people who are trying to do better. [32:00] Marketing has been shifting. We used to market as the family dental dentist. Niche marketing for procedures is catching on. Patients are looking things up to learn about specific procedures. Dentists are blogging and sharing information. [34:56] First step is to build you and your personality and then share you and your knowledge. [38:26] Being social is huge for building a general practice. [39:23] Let us know what your pain points are and what you would like us to talk about? [40:52] Sully is in a mastermind group, taking courses, and trying to balance work and family. [42:15] Life is too short. Build the practice you would like to have. As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Links and Resources: [email protected] The Millennial Dentist Website @Millennialdentist on Facebook @MillennialDDS on Twitter...

We have been on a roll lately with our podcast episodes. Today, we are excited to talk with Daniel Owen about everything from when is the best time for a new dentist to start taking CE courses to best practices in dentistry management. Daniel is the Alabama & Tennessee Territory Manager at Neodent USA. Neodent is a maker of quality implant products. We talk about implants and using quality products with years of science and R&D behind them. We talk about the importance of having a good rep that you know, like and trust. We also talk about obstacles when switching products. Then we talk about pressing issues of knowing what you want as a dentist, dealing with team members, billing issues, and creating expectations that empower everyone in the process. You can find our Daniel here: Daniel Owen on LinkedIn Neodent USA [email protected] Show Notes: [03:01] It might be a good idea to wait a couple of years after dental school before going to Kois or Spear because of the advanced mentality taught in these courses. [03:21] These advanced education courses focus on the big picture. After going, Payrey sees things differently. [04:52] Your first year after dental school needs to be a survival year while you get your feet wet. It takes some time to learn what you want to do and how you want to work. [06:42] Spend your first year focusing on you are, where you are, and what you want. [08:58] Daniel Owen is the Alabama & Tennessee Territory Manager at Neodent USA a global dental brand specializing in implants. Prior to that he worked at Patterson Dental. [10:07] They have a veteran program where they pay for everything. [12:57] Sometimes it's less about the implant brand and more about the rep. Sully is pumped about using Neodent. All of the units are on the same platform and it's a deep connection. [15:09] Daniel likes to approach his job as a rep by helping dentists grow. [18:34] At the end of the day, you should buy a name brand implant. [19:47] They have 16 years of R&D in their implants. It comes down to support and the clinical result. [22:41] Dentists need to ask the questions of what type of dentistry they want to do. Especially in the first couple of years out of school. [26:33] Having the same mentality about the doctor you work for after dental school as you did about your school would be rational. What are you going to learn in the beginning of you dental career? It's not just about being paid. [29:14] Sully only has so much bandwidth. The more he puts into one thing, the less goes into something else. You have to prioritize. [30:32] Look for where you can create time for education. [33:06] The business management side of dentistry is one of the biggest hurdles that dentists face. [34:10] Make enough deposits with people or team members to compensate for the withdrawals. [38:33] Compensation comes with responsibility. Have a system or procedure when the patient comes in. Lay out clear expectations or cornerstone workflows. [41:18] Give people a clear picture before you set expectations. [42:11] Create synergy with your staff and other people who have great roles. [45:42] Outline the three most important things. The owner does it and the team members do it. Create clear expectations. [47:33] Create the Ritz-Carlton experience. [49:22] I would like a nice clean office. How can we make it happen? Define expectations through team members. Don't be a dictator. [51:09] Everybody needs to have a clear expectation of how they are going to pay. [54:39] Incentive your person who is responsible...

We are recording live from the Voices of Dentistry Day 1. Sully talks with Dr. Vinh Nguyen from the Nifty Thrifty podcast, Dr. Erin Elliott, and Dr. Ashley Joves from California. Some of the things we discuss are the pros and cons of being an associate versus being an owner. We also talk about how to separate being a leader and being a friend in a practice. We share four unique perspectives on balancing running a practice and running our lives. We talk about technology, risk, debt, survival mode, mindset, solutions and so much more in this episode. You can find our guests here: Dr. Vinh Nguyen the Nifty Thrifty Podcast Dr. Erin Elliott Dr. Ashley Joves Show Notes: [00:52] Dr. Vinh Nguyen from the Nifty Thrifty podcast. [00:59] Dr. Erin Elliott #smokeshow. [01:29] Dr. Ashley Joves from California. [02:48] Vinh is an associate right now. Someday, he will move on to being an owner. [03:25] Ashley has her own office. When she was an associate, she never had to take work home. As an owner, she pays herself less and takes home more stress. She is always thinking about the practice. [05:12] Never compare your journey with someone else's especially on social media. People portray their highlight reel on social media. [05:44] Ashley talks about challenges of running a practice that include juggling family and mom duties, leading a team of young females, and still wanting everyone to like her. [06:08] Erin has evolved over time. She does try to keep some separation with her team. [07:11] Erin always brings everything back to the patient. She also asks her team for their solutions when they come to her for problems. [08:54] Ashley knows where she wants to take her office. She struggles with investing in technology and taking on debt. [12:05] Sully delegates everything. He jumps in and figures it out. [13:27] Erin thinks dentists need to work on their mindset and empower their teams. Find each team member's strengths and empower them. [14:28] Break down what you need to do to get to the next step. [15:30] Erin is about to speak on stage, so she is going to leave the show. [16:30] Vinh's timeline is to buy into a practice in the next few years. Benefits of working with other dentist owners is that you aren't alone. He wants to have equity in multiple offices. [18:29] Sully's dad still practices. [21:38] Ashley can expand her offerings or bring other people on. She could calculate her annual patient value. Then focus on increasing that amount. [24:18] At Vinh's practice, they keep most everything in house. [26:07] They also offer payment plans or cash discounts. [28:30] Ashley was booked doing fillings all day. She is working on investing in her business. [32:41] The Cone beam is better for diagnosis. [33:50] Give people who pay up front a 10% discount. You can also do 3 payments over the timeline. [39:42] Ashley was losing on opportunity by pushing new patients weeks away. She has two full-time hygienists. Now she is struggling with giving them hours. [41:11] It's important to be honest with the team members and give them extra duties if they are flexible. [45:22] Eventually Ashley will build out her other rooms as she builds and expands her practice. [46:37] You have to have everything dialed in before you add people and rooms. [47:26] It's important to share your vision with your team. As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Links an...

Sean Crabtree and Cameron Bailey from the Crabtree group are here today with Sully and Peyray. The Crabtree Group goes beyond dental practice management and creates dental business strategies to help dentists build and grow their practices. They share individualized methods with dentists to help them decide what type of practice they want to have and then help develop a strategy to get there. They are also the hosts of the Dental Profits Podcast that we were on last year. In this episode, we talk about knowing yourself, how communication is key, and getting your team on board with your goals. We also talk about intake phone calls and the importance of asking open ended questions and pre-qualifying patients before they walk in your door. We talk about the three big issues most offices have. Sean and Cameron share insights into treatment plan presentation, the importance of having a coach, and more. You can find Sean and Cameron here: The Crabtree Group Sean Crabtree on LinkedIn Cameron Bailey on LinkedIn Dental Profits Podcast Show Notes: [03:03] Voices of Dentistry is a podcast convention for dental podcasters. [03:58] Sully and Peyray were a guest on the Dental Profits Podcast. [04:44] The Crabtree Group grows dental practices. They are dental strategists. [05:50] They ask questions to identify opportunities for growth. They try to find the systems and strategies that need to be put in place to grow the business. [06:40] Find where you are and develop strategies to get to where you want to be. [07:52] They help find the strategies and implement the system. [09:16] It all starts with what the dentist actually wants. [10:45] You can't create until you go there in your mind. The Crabtree Group can help support the vision. [12:07] Peyray realized that to improve his practice he needed to be aware of what he wanted. He also wanted an in-house coach. [16:33] Cameron has been doing this for almost 10 years. [16:59] Sean started about 22 years ago. He worked in a telecommunications business. He had a client who was a consultant. He wanted an opportunity to make an impact and started working with this consultant. [19:45] Sean discovered that people in healthcare didn't understand value creation or sales. He created the Crabtree Group about 12 years ago. Cameron joined 10 years ago. They both had a background in sales and marketing. [23:16] Two big challenges are getting the phone to ring and what you do after the phone rings. [24:08] Prepare the patient on the intake call. Qualify the patient. [25:50] Ask open ended questions and bring the patient along on the journey. [29:40] People in healthcare want to help. Instead, take control of the call. Answer the question with a question. [31:48] Sully and Sean do a mock phone call walk through. [34:06] It's helpful to record the calls or have them transcribed. [41:31] It's too much for the doctor to have to sell every single case. [42:18] Create a culture where the people on your team are trying to get better and record the calls and send them to the Crabtree Group. [43:20] Look at ways to better handle cancellation calls. [45:36] Communication is everything. You have to learn to communicate to address challenges. [50:12] Use the gifts of your team members and help them understand how roles support other roles. [51:32] Treatment acceptance, collections, and hygiene are the three first things that stand out to Sean and Cameron in a new practice. [54...

Sully meets up with Michael Arias and Joshua Scott to talk about dental marketing. Michael Arias is a dental marketer who focuses on ground marketing. This is literally hitting the ground and going to nearby businesses and building relationships. Michael shares why this method works and how to do it with an objective in mind. Joshua Scott is the owner of Studio 8E8 dental marketing. His approach is building a brand through story and having an interactive website that is an experience. We talk about the importance of building trust and educating a patient before they ever walk in the practice door. We also talk about the ever changing world of digital and dental marketing and how generational differences play a role. You can find our Michael and Scott here: The Dental Marketer The Dental Marketer Podcast MIchael Arias The Dental Marketer YouTube Studio Eighty Eight S8E8 @JoshuaScott Instagram Joshua Scott The 8E8 Show Show Notes: [01:12] Michael Arias is the developer and founder of Ground Marketing which is an unconventional way of attracting the attention of potential customers or patients. [01:38] Joshua Scott is the owner of the Studio 8E8 dental marketing company. [01:50] Scott and Michael are good friends. [02:30] How marketing is shifting towards storytelling and finding ways for people to relate to you. [03:16] Michael used to be a nutritionist, and he had a client who was a dental consultant. [03:40] In the past, Michael helped My Fit Foods build up their client base. The methods that he would use was ground marketing. [03:58] His dental consultant friend offered him $1,000 if he could find him to 2-5 new patients. He decided to refine a strategy for dental marketing. [05:03] You have to go in and ask for business cards for the dentist down the street. You also offer them cards and an employee sign up sheet. [06:13] Joshua calls what Michael does hustle marketing. Marketing needs energy behind it. You have to put energy behind it to put things in motion. [09:12] Why spend thousands on SEO instead of going next door and talking to people? [10:20] If a dentist doesn't want to do it, they need someone on their team to do the ground marketing. If you go in, come out with a result. [12:43] Every YMCA has a health fair. Call to speak to the director or receptionist. Have someone go in and set up a booth and give out floss. Know how to talk to people on the spot. [14:54] Dentistry is human service. We need to keep the human part in dentistry. [15:27] Joshua's approach is allowing clients to tell their story in a way that is exclusive to them. [15:41] For Joshua, dentistry is an inspiring, innovative, beautiful type of business. It's his job to make the websites reflect this. [16:36] The website needs to be an experience and help dentists tell their story in a way that connects. [17:35] How a website is an opportunity to tell ourselves before a patient or customer even walks in the door. [18:37] We should track patients we get to our website. [19:12] Just looking at the new patient metric can be a short-sighted method. [20:09] Before making a purchase, people need eight or nine touches before buying. [20:47] Patients are ready to buy when they come in because of all the previous touches. [21:21] Sully is into video and telling his story. [24:48] Why let other people control your practice and deal with pat...

Sully and Peyray are on a flight to attend the 3rd annual Voices of Dentistry Summit in Scottsdale, AZ. They are excited to visit the booths of other dental podcasters. Last year, they had their own booth and didn't have time for anything other than recording. Peyray will also be speaking this weekend about dental photography. He has a lot of ideas about how useful photography is for treatment planning. We hope you enjoy the conversation! Show Notes: [03:47] Peyray has a lot of powerpoints with great information for his presentation. [04:07] You can see some of his work on his Instagram account. When you take great pictures, you can sell a lot of dentistry. [04:33] You can learn so much by looking at the pictures of your cases. You can also go back and find any mistakes that you may have made in order to not repeat them in the future. [04:55] Photography has made Peyray a better clinician. [05:19] After dental school, he bought a camera and started taking Udemy courses and watching YouTube. [06:19] He also learned from Eduardo Aguilar. [07:26] Photography is a lot about the lighting and anyone can benefit from having a softbox. [07:52] Tomorrow Peyray is going to share the settings he uses, the tools that he uses, and encourage people to go practice. [08:34] Invest in your future and get a Nikon or Canon DSLR camera. He has the D810 full frame. The D7500 is also a great choice. [10:36] Photography helps with documentation, and documentation is the key. [11:39] His full arch patients and aesthetic patients get photography. [12:46] Sully takes five or six shots of every patient. Patients can diagnose their own dentistry when they see the pictures. [13:58] They block off some time for new hygiene patients to get photos. To Sully, hygiene is a loss leader. [15:27] That would be four or five new hygiene patients a day. [16:36] If a hygienist recognizes that the patient needs more than $2,000 worth of work, they make an appointment to bring them back. [17:32] Always address the patient's chief complaint. [21:00] It's important to take the time to communicate with the patient. Having a good team also helps. [21:51] Sully shares the new patient experience at his office. [26:24] Sully also does in office payment plans. They are at the point, because they are selling cases not individual procedures. [28:54] There are a lot of missed opportunities with dentists who don't do sedation dentistry. [30:51] Peyray goes to ADA sedation meetings. You can do so much more if you learn how to use it. IV brings a level of predictability. [32:41] Peyray gives people something to relax the night before surgery, then nitrous, and then an IV. As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Links and Resources: [email protected] The Millennial Dentist Website @Millennialdentist on Facebook @MillennialDDS on Twitter On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist on InstagramDr. Peyman…@drpeyray on Instagram Dr. Sully’s website and blog Voices of Dentistry Podcast Summit Udemy ...

We are recording this episode live in a plane flying from Nashville to Raleigh. Sully is joined by Dr. Will Jones and Dr. Ford Gatgens. We talk about AEGD, AGD and CE courses and whether they are worth it. We also talk about insurance issues from dropping some types of insurance to going entirely fee for service. We discuss the fears around losing patients and possible problems if the economy changes. We also talk about buying a practice, hiring and building a team, turnover, and the anxiety it can cause. We talk about discovering what type of boss you want to be, establishing a vision for your practice, using technology to help patients, and more. Join us on our hour long in-flight conversation. You can find our guests here: Will Jones Dentistry Accent Smile Center Show Notes: [01:56] Dr. Ford graduated in 2006. He did a residency in 2007. He filled in for a doctor in East Tennessee. He bought his existing practice in 2009. His practice is Accent Smile center in Dickson, TN. [02:54] He worked over the years to add additional services and create the practice according to his own philosophy. [03:09] He uses technology to help patient outcomes. He also does digital dentistry, laser dentistry, and implants. [03:47] Doctor Jones graduated in 2014. He focuses on surgery and sedation dentistry. He bought his dad's practice, and he is 100% owner, but his father is an associate 2 days a week. [04:24] They are currently struggling with when to add an associate and with hiring the right team members. They are also moving into a new office. [06:19] For Dr. Jones, taking a year long program allowed him to better implement what he earned. [09:04] The benefit for Dr. Ford was placing a lot of implants and the opportunity to hear professors from all around the United States. It also gave him the confidence to go out in private practice and tackle some of those bigger cases. [13:50] Sully thinks a good associateship is the gold standard of what you can do post practice. [16:05] Being reliant on a PPO makes it hard to be reimbursed for advanced dentistry. Maybe there is a middle ground to become less insurance dependent. [19:32] You can't just drop your insurance patients, you also have to have enough new patients to cover that gap. [20:36] The plan is to gradually drop one or two insurance providers first. Patients that value higher level service are what we want. [21:53] Sully believes that the insurance will get them in the door, but he still has an opportunity to do work beyond what the insurance covers. He doesn't want to lose his initial patients in the door. [24:01] Dropping some services, you can look at your adjustments and put that money towards marketing and be ahead of the game. [25:22] Dr. Ford is at the point where he's going to make some decisions about his insurance providers that he accepts. [28:37] Another option is continuing a discount with some patients even if you drop their insurance. [29:20] Dr. Jones shares his struggles with buying his father's practice. He also struggles with discovering what type of boss he wants to be. [31:16] He decided to find a way to be nice, yet let people know that it's his money on the line, and things need to be done a certain way. [32:00] They've hired three new people in the past two months, and it has been great. [33:46] In Dr. Jones's practice the staff turnover has led him to discover what type of boss he wants to be. [35:16] After about six months, Dr. Ford started doing an upgrade on his practice. Not all team members have the same vision. [36:21] Once you get clear on what type of boss you want to be and what your vision is, there are some things that aren't negotiable. [37:52] There are challenges when...

This is part two of Sully’s chat with Dr. Tarun “T-Bone” Agarwal. In the last episode, we talked about how to take your practice further faster. Today, we kick things off with the difference between a dental practice and a dental business. T-Bone stresses the importance of having a business that allows you to do the procedures you want and work the hours you want. He also talks about bringing in associates and how to sell your practice for 4X instead of 1X. We discuss how a partnership is like a marriage and how true leadership comes from having skin in the game. We also discuss the possibility of unlimited earning potential and how the dental business mindset is about sustainability and creating a great lifestyle for yourself and everyone else around you. You can find T-Bone here: T-Bone Speaks T-Bone Speaks Dentistry Podcast 3D-Dentists Tarun Agarwal on LinkedIn Tarun Agarwal on Instagram Raleigh Dental Arts Show Notes: [02:16] The difference between running your practice and running your practice as a business or the difference between a dental practice and a dental business. [03:49] With a dental practice you are the clinician and the dental practice leader. T-bone wants to see people move towards owning a dental business. [05:25] It's better to own one practice as opposed to two. [09:25] Growing from 1 million to 2 million has an overhead of about 45%. [12:17] There is no point in growing a business if it loses the culture of you. [12:42] A dental business gives the owner the ability to take almost unlimited vacations and can operate without you. It's all about flexibility. [14:04] By bringing in someone else, you create a passive income stream. [14:51] You can also sell 25% four times. [18:47] A dental practice will have an earning ceiling, but a dental business has unlimited earning potential. [20:13] Owners can afford to take time off. They need another practitioner to keep the rest of the team working. [21:46] We go through seasons of life. The dental business mindset is about sustainability and creating a great lifestyle for yourself and everyone else around you. [28:19] T-Bone is convinced that we will see nurse practitioners and PAs in the dental office during his lifetime. [29:54] You need a dental business so that if there's a family emergency you will be able to go deal with it without closing down your practice or business. [31:22] Flexibility gives us choices to do what we want to do. [32:39] What are the steps for young dentists to take to get over that first hump having a business mindset. Have financial flexibility and control your spending. [35:12] Early on, it's more of a spending problem than an earning problem. [35:57] Don't get into the mindset of if you earn more you need to spend more. [36:20] You need to live underneath your means and create financial margin. [37:00] Treat your business like a business by paying yourself as an associate. [37:33] Associate pay is usually 30%. Pay yourself 30% of what you collect. This will allow you to create the mentality of what your business actually does. [40:14] Once you have a mortgage you're tied to it. Renting can allow you to save money and have flexibility. [41:55] When you treat your pay mentally like a business, you can then start making good decisions. [43:19] The T-Bone Speaks podcast is going to have a 3 part series on associates. [43:45] The time to get serious about bringing in an associate is when you're earning around a million. [44:20] A go...

Dr. Tarun “T-Bone” Agarwal is here today. T-Bone is a dentist, a podcast host, and passionate about helping other dentists turn their practice into a business. In this episode, we talk about the importance of planning ahead of time for the following year and writing down your goals and aspirations. T-Bone shares his wisdom from over 20 years experience and building a practice from scratch. We talk about the importance of clarity, and T-Bone shares the three key focus areas of patients, team, and clinical skills to go further faster. He shares tips on helping your team grow and you scale by learning to replace yourself. This episode is packed with so much knowledge that we had to split it up in two parts. Enjoy! You can find T-Bone here: T-Bone Speaks T-Bone Speaks Dentistry Podcast 3D-Dentists Tarun Agarwal on LinkedIn Tarun Agarwal on Instagram Raleigh Dental Arts Show Notes: [02:51] T-Bone lost his father-in-law last year and it put a damper on the year. They still grew, but it wasn't his best year. [03:22] The first step to moving forward is reflecting on the past. [03:39] T-Bone didn't set goals or plan out his 2018. He feels that this lack of planning showed. [03:55] He's actually a big believer in sitting down and writing out goals. This year he went to a seminar about planning out your goals for the year. [04:35] T-Bone was here in town for the seminar and decided to stop by the office for the podcast. [04:57] It's not only important to write out your goals. It's important to share your goals and have accountability. [05:14] Last week Sully and his office took half a day to recap what has happened in the past year of 2018. [05:50] It's important for the owner of the business to recap before he recaps with the team. [07:53] It's a good idea to map out what you are going to say before you discuss it with your team. [09:14] For T-Bone, 2018 was a non clarity year. If you don't have clarity you're going to be in trouble. [10:33] T-Bone makes the same resolution every year. That is to eat healthy and lose weight. [10:58] He feels that the best time to plan for the following year is in September and October, so that you really have time to set the stage. [14:10] To get further faster, you have to focus on your patients. You have to focus on your team. You have to focus on your clinical skills. [14:42] With patients you have to address their time, their fears, and their money. [15:12] Do more in one visit, make your dentistry last longer, and make appointments more convenient. [15:42] T-Bone's office is going to go to a 7:00 to 7:00 schedule. [18:26] Do something different to be there for the patients. [19:13] The easiest way to address fear is to offer sedation in your practice. Nitrous Oxide, oral sedation, or more advanced sedation. [22:47] Good old-fashioned TLC also helps address fear. [23:05] Money boils down to price vs affordability. [25:02] Affordability is about offering payment plans versus the price of the procedures. [25:48] Step two is addressing your team and how you lead your team. [26:17] Teach your team to learn how to replace themselves. Teach your team to know the score. Teach your team to own the space. [26:38] Replacing yourself is about personal growth. If you train a replacement, you are able to move up. [32:19] When you understand what's going on in your team members lives, then you can formulate a plan with those person. [33:18] Just listen and avoid the advice monster....

We are excited to be back. Our special guest today is Jeff Gladnick the founder and CEO of Great Dental Websites a company that focuses on creating and marketing dental websites using their proprietary software platform. Sully also happens to be a client. We talk to Jeff about what makes a good website and how Google actually looks at a website and ranking factors. We also talk about call tracking, social media, advertising, domain names, the importance of video, and what dentists need to know to have a website that gets views and attracts patient calls. You can find Jeff here: Great Dental Websites Great Dental Websites on Facebook @GreatDentalWeb on Twitter [email protected] Show Notes: [03:42] Having a great website is important for dentists today. Many dentists struggle with SEO and all the aspects of creating a great website. [05:19] Jeff has a background in software. His Dad was a dentist and Jeff ended up creating a website for his dad. He has eight dentists in his family and word got out and he started creating more sites. [07:18] Jeff has been an entrepreneur his whole life and creating dental websites seemed like a great business. Things took off, and he now has a staff of 50 or so. [10:02] What Google cares about is the content. They don't want the same answer on every single website. [12:12] The age of a domain matters, and it could also take three to six months to start ranking. [12:26] A lot of SEO has to do with building links that are connected to the original website. [13:33] The marketing strategy that Jeff uses is creating websites that are useful. The problem with social media is you have to be tuned in all the time and the information just comes and goes. [16:04] If you want your website to actually rank and be a resource for patients, there are few things you need to do. These include schema.org, landing pages that are about a specific topic, have a page for each service you offer, have video, and reviews. [20:55] Use call tracking numbers. [21:43] Jeff's company has special built software that they use for call tracking. [22:59] Jeff shares a method to tell which advertisements are actually effective by using different domains to see which one gets the referrals. [26:56] You want to have a landing page with the information that people are looking for. Pictures in bios move the needle. Bounce rate is how long it takes for people to leave a website. [30:31] People want to socially connect with people. If you are willing to share some personal information people will connect with it. [33:15] Websites can get people to know you before they actually see you. They are more ready to buy when they first come in. [34:33] Dentistry is very personal and video is a great way to help introduce yourself to potential patients. [34:50] Creating an emotional connection will set you further down the path. [37:16] It's powerful to have a video on your website telling your story to your patients. [40:52] It's getting more difficult for private practices to stay competitive against large group practices. [42:39] With SEO you want to get into the sweet spot of popular keywords against less popular keywords. [45:58] You could use keywords to get people to your website and get calls. You need to use tracking in order to see where the calls are coming from. Look for small wins in a lot of different ways. If you can optimize individual services that's great. [47:02] You should focus on the services that make you the most money or that you want to emphasize. [49:28] You don't have to build websites from scratch. T...

Dr. Paul Bass the co-founder and Director of Fortune Management is here today. Fortune Management is a medical coaching practice that helps doctors and owners find out what they want and then achieve that. Dr. Bass is a dentist who practiced for 21 years, before founding Fortune Management with Tony Robbins and two other founders. Today it is one of the biggest practice management resources available. Dr. Bass shares his story of how he got involved with Tony Robbins and the importance of asking the right questions. In this episode, he shares smart strategies for dental practices and getting your team to share your vision. He also shares knowledge for how to live a better life by having a vision and creating a life plan and working backwards. This episode is packed with knowledge that you won’t want to miss. You can find our guest here: Fortune Management Dr. Paul Bass on LinkedIn Dr. Paul Bass on Facebook Fortune Management Practice Mastery Podcast Show Notes: [02:30] Dr. Paul Bass, Tony Robbins and two other people founded Fortune Management in 1990. [02:46] Dr. Bass practiced for 21 years in Tullahoma, TN. [02:54] In 1988, Dr. Bass's room mate gave him a copy of Unlimited Power. It took him about four months to get started reading the book, but once he started he finished it in about four days. [03:36] Make a point to meet your heroes. [04:23] Dr. bass reached out to Robbins International to see if he could take a seminar. [05:15] He ended up asking Tony Robbins to come do a seminar where he was at. The fee was $50,000, so he got 50 of his doctor friends to attend the seminar and pay a $1,000 fee. [06:45] Dr. Bass ended up asking Tony if he wanted to have a branch in healthcare. Maybe it was divine intervention, but a partnership was formed. [08:56] One of the goals was to preserve private practice fee dentistry. [09:19] Wants and needs always exceed available cash flow. [12:27] When your staff has ownership in your vision, it is way different than just the doctor having a vision. [13:32] Look to the future and take care of your end game and take your team with you. [14:06] 80% of getting anything done in life Is knowing why to do it. [14:53] To get your team to buy into the vision, you need to let them help create the vision. [16:09] When talking about transformation use emotion evoking words. [16:33] To create a team mission statement have everyone write down emotion evoking words that express their calling in dentistry. [25:08] The four cornerstones of building unstoppable team include shared vision. Begin your staff meeting by reading the vision and sharing. [27:22] It's also helpful to acknowledge people. [28:25] A set of operating principles that we call agreements. These provide certainty. Have the team decide how they are going to be together. [31:05] Communication is the third cornerstone. It needs to be open positive communication. [33:41] A reality check is a communication tool that is a series of questions that allows you to stop and reassess the situation no matter how upset you are. [35:57] The fourth piece is relationships. Having a shared vision, agreements, and communication leads to a positive team relationship. [37:55] Coaching is taking on someone else's commitment as if it was your own. Then interacting with them in such a way that they get the desired result. [43:26] If you want to find out what people value, ask questions. [45:48] Being on a cohesive team is what keeps quality people around. [48:08] It's not about making money now, it's about cre...

We have two amazing guests today. Dr. Michael Pikos of the Pikos Symposium took time out of his busy schedule to talk about the importance of always learning, the future of dental learning, new materials being introduced, why he believes in humility, and more. Sully’s dad Dr. Rick Sullivan is also here to talk about the importance of learning and share his perspective on the recent symposium. Dr. Michael Pikos started out as pre med and in a roundabout way became an oral surgeon. He did his first implant in 1983 and is the founder of the Pikos Implant Institute. He has a private practice that is limited to implant surgery. He is a well published author and loves learning, teaching, and dentistry. Dr. Rick Sullivan is a fourth generation dentists and practices at Sullivan Dental Partners where he is joined by Sully. He is heavily involved in continuing education to ensure the latest and best possible patient care. You can find our guests here: Pikos Institute Coastal Jaw Surgery Pikos Symposium Sullivan Dental Partners Show Notes: [02:00] This is the fourth year of the Pikos Symposium. This one was the most fun and had a great lineup of speakers. [03:26] They received excellent feedback. Everything needed to be clinically relevant and evidence based. [04:44] Sully's dad Dr. Rick Sullivan is also here. [05:24] Dr. Rick Sullivan thought the symposium was impactful and one of the best CEs that he has ever had. [08:11] Dr. Pikos was interested in biosciences and studied premed. Then he tried door to door sales. He wanted to go back to school and dentistry was a natural choice for him. [13:35] He then went into oral surgery and it was a perfect fit for him. [15:57] It's so important to look at the process as opposed to the results when choosing to become a surgeon or implant surgeon. [17:21] Restorative dentists drive everything. It's imperative for a surgical dentist to have a handle on the restorative aspects. [18:34] A hybrid dentist has equal skills in bone and soft tissue. With these skills, the sky's the limit. [19:21] It's important to know your limitations whether you are a generalist or a specialist. [19:52] Learning from Dr. Pikos and seeing how he works is an amazing form of mentorship for young dentists. [22:35] Dentists today have access to anything they want to learn. Technology has changed everything. [23:09] If you don't implement what you learn at the course, nothing happens. [23:40] Do what you are comfortable doing and build on the fundamentals. [25:01] Dr. Pikos sat in for a friend who needed someone to teach an implant class, and he got hooked on the process. [28:03] He did his first implant in 1983, and it's been a great ride. [31:00] Even though there is new technology, dental schools sometimes teach the same old things. Your career really begins to unfold as you start taking more CEs. [33:29] Dr. Rick Sullivan has used all of the advanced information that he has learned from Dr. Pikos. [34:30] The Pikos Institute opened in 1991. Dr. Pikos has spent a lot of time trying to instill what needs to be done day to day and applied immediately. [35:41] There is a live surgery, hands on, questions, and everything done in a sequential order. Dr. Pikos whole family gets involved. [37:37] Dr. Pikos thinks of teaching dentistry as play. He enjoys what he is doing and respects what dentists have to learn. He packages things so that they will be understandable. [39:50] You need to enjoy the journey because dentistry is constantly changing and evolving. [41:04] There are a lot of International speakers. [...

One of our favorite people Dr. Tarun Agarwal is herewith me today to talk about the Millennial Mastermind event we will be hosting together in January. Dr. Agarwal is known as T-Bone and the host of the T-Bone Speaks podcast. He also the founder of Raleigh Dental Arts. He is excited about sharing his experience and mistakes with younger dentists to help them move forward faster. He has been a mentor of mine and had a huge impact on my life and practice. Having accountability and access to a group of like minded individuals makes progressing so much faster and easier. There will be weekends, monthly coaching calls, individual sessions, and the ability to have office meetings and watch clinical dentistry. All aspects of dentistry will be covered from clinical, business, and mindset including short-term, medium-term, and long-term thinking. You can find our Dr. Tarun Agarwal here: T-Bone Speaks Podcast T-Bone Speaks Facebook @Tbonespeaks on Twitter Tarun Agarwal on Instagram [email protected] Raleigh Dental Arts Show Notes: [01:40] Dr. Agarwal feels that a millennial mastermind will allow him to make the most impact while also having a positive impact on himself. [01:56] He wants to disrupt and help people figure out how to get on the right track. [02:48] Dr. Agarwal has had a ton of success and a millennial mastermind and giving back is really his sweet spot. [03:22] Dr. Agarwal is only 42 years old. He has been in the business for almost 20 years. [03:53] He started a practice from scratch and had to deal with insurance issues. [04:29] Great things happen when you put together a small group of motivated individuals who want to achieve great things for themselves and others. [04:48] Dr. Agarwal calls himself experienced not an expert. He pivoted from a fee-for-service practice to an insurance based practice to focusing on cosmetics and adding services. [05:36] The mastermind is about helping people and assisting young dentists to getting where they want to be faster. [06:05] The first two years of your practice are the most important of your profession. [06:35] This is great for other people who want to be part of a group and associated with those who are trying to push the envelope. [07:00] Dr. Agarwal feels that people spend too much time consuming information and not enough time doing and practicing. [07:52] Another important thing is to actually define what you want and what your values are, so you know that the things you are trying are in alignment with what you want. [08:20] Short-term thinking is about survival. Medium-term thinking is about creating the procedures and practices that you actually want to do. Long-term thinking is about generating personal balance. [09:50] They'll also cover clinical aspects in the mastermind group. Dr. Agarwal wants people to gain from his experience and mistakes. His wife will also talk about the mental attitude. [11:34] There will be weekends, monthly coaching calls, individual sessions, and the ability to have office meetings and watch clinical dentistry. [12:16] Accountability is a huge part of the mastermind. [13:53] Dr. Agarwal has been a great mentor for Sully. [14:59] If you want to participate get in touch with Dr. Agarwal or Sully. [15:43] The first weekend is in January. [16:02] Dr. Agarwal promises that it will be worth it, or he will personally write you a check. As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well...

We are Live today with Dr. Israel Puterman and Dr. Matthew Fien. Dr. Israel is a periodontist in Washington D.C. and Dr. Matthew Fien is a periodontist in Florida. They are both really excited about modern advancements in perio treatment and teach the course Hands on Guided Bone Regeneration. Both doctors take treatment and treatment planning very seriously and understand the importance of predictability, explaining all options to patients, and keeping teeth when possible. We talk about how they ended up being periodontists. What they think is important in patient care, treatment planning, continuing education, photography, and of course Instagram. You can find our Dr. Puterman and Dr. Fien here: Israel Puterman Matthew J. Fien Show Notes: [02:24] Dr Israel decided to become a dentist after shadowing his wife's dentist. He almost fainted, but ended up doing periodontics. [03:45] He went to Dental school in Boston. He didn't want to be a periodontist. [05:34] He did an implant residency in Loma Linda and discovered he did want to be a periodontist. [06:44] Dr. Fien was planning on become a physician, then he hung out with a periodontist and learned what dentists do. [08:09] He went into periodontics right after graduating. [10:35] There is a huge overlap between periodontists and oral surgeons. [14:26] After dental school is when the education really starts. Real learning is done on the job. [16:10] Periodontists are trained in school to treatment plan bigger cases. [16:44] Looking at the full scope of the patient instead of planning one tooth at a time. [17:04] Dr. Fien helps patients by giving them road maps and giving alternatives to actually save teeth. [18:23] Periodontist are trained to see the big picture. [18:38] Now the pendulum is swinging back into saving teeth rather than taking the teeth out. [18:53] Taking out a tooth is always a choice, but there are alternatives. [22:15] Labeling patients and what they can afford is a big mistake. Give the patient the information they need to make a decision about their treatment plan. [23:12] Demographics aside, all patients should be given all options. [25:07] LANAP laser treatment for periodontists is very popular and there is some good data on it. The data is best for single teeth. [32:30] Dr. Israel did his three years of implant residency in Loma Linda and then an extra two years of perio. He was planning on going to Manhattan, but then ended up in Washington DC. [34:38] He now has his own practice in DC that he opened up 8 years ago. [35:21] Dr. Israel has a lot of patients that are politicians. They have unique needs. [36:32] Matt graduated in 2009 and now he is down in Florida. [37:11] After a year or two of working for offices. He wanted to give his patients more attention. He focuses at three or four offices that he is most happy at. [41:30] Taking great pictures and using Instagram makes you a better dentist. [43:49] Israel has always been interested in photography. Last year two of his assistants went to the When Pictures Really Matter course. Then he went to the course and that is where he met Matt. [46:42] Matt is excited about regeneration and bone and tissue grafting. For him it is about predictability and safety. He is excited about making things as safe as possible. He loves sharing cases on Instagram. [50:13] It's a passion for him to get really good at regeneration and bone grafts. [51:05] Everybody needs mentorship. That's how you grow. [51:33] It's not about the materials it is knowing the thought process and why you are doing what you are doing. [54:04] The Hands on Guided Bone Regeneration Course developed out of a need....

We are so excited to have Dr. Joe Mehranfar here today. Dr. Joe shares how he taught, obtained two master’s degrees, and didn’t always have the best grades before beginning dental school. He also shares how a mentor helped him become the implant expert that he is today. He tells the story of how he had 80 offices and almost lost everything before building his practice back up. He also shares his experience when he first arrived from Iran, and how he eventually found his passion with teaching and giving back to the underserved and disenfranchised homeless community. He teaches at Brighter Way Live and is involved with the Dental Clinic at CASS. He shares his passion for dentistry and implants done the right way and giving back to those less fortunate. You can find Dr. Joe Mehranfar here: Mehranfar Dental Group Brighter Way Live The CASS Dental Clinic Show Notes: [01:40] Dr. Joe shares the winding road that he traveled to actually make it through dental school. He even obtained two master's degrees and taught anatomy. [08:57] He became an assistant and learned how to do implants. [10:03] He moved to Phoenix and started doing implants. [11:03] Dr. Joe offered affordable implants and got over 100 patients right out of school. [12:24] The impact of ego, experience, and nerves. [13:09] He then partnered with ClearChoice and started lecturing about the product. [14:10] After opening many practices, he ran out of money and went bankrupt. [14:49] They had investors lined up, but it didn't pan out. [15:25] Out of 80 offices, he was able to retain 8 of them. [16:26] He was trying to build business and mailed booklets to people. He would bring offices patients and do the implant surgery. [17:29] How dentistry is such a unique opportunity. Dentists can make money even after trying things that don't work. [18:23] Dr. Joe moved here from Iran in 1984, and his first job was a headhunter. Where he learned people skills and building trust. [20:51] Dr. Joe always enjoyed teaching and training. [21:13] In 2015, Dr. Joe began giving back by volunteering for a homeless service called CASS. He now has a center inside the shelter. [25:50] He often does 240 implants in three days with the help of other dentists. They have huge volume. [27:06] How so many competitors work together for charity and the mission. [28:53] The majority of the restorative is done by one of Joe's residents. [30:45] Dr. Joe customizes the case with the amount of knowledge that the student has. It also helps the volunteering companies. [31:35] Placing implants is super popular for dental graduates. [31:58] Advice for young dentists to get involved with placing implants. [32:27] The importance of teaching students how to treat people safely and not hurt anyone. [34:01] Dr. Joe is also an expert witness for attorney's in town. His biggest thing is nerve injury. [35:16] The best advice for young dentists is to take your time and build confidence and work on a couple of successful cases. [35:49] Use the technology like cone beams and printers to make sure everything is safe, predictable and cost effective. [37:14] The pros and cons of free hand and guided implant surgeries. [38:43] Machines need to be calibrated so that everything is accurate. [43:09] Dr. Joe loves surgery. [43:42] Looking at the socket to see what size implant is needed. Dr. Joe gives his measurement technique. [48:19] Get your tickets for DIA2018 at InfluenceDental.com. ...

Dr. Paresh Shah is here to talk about the importance of continuing education, treatment planning, and having a mentor. Dr. Shah was born in India, but has been in Winnipeg, Canada for 50 years where he has been a solo practitioner. He has recently added an associate to his practice. After being an associate, Dr. Shaw purchased a practice from a retiring dentist and built that practice up. He really became excited about dentistry when he found mentors and teachers and like minded people to grow with. In this episode, Dr. Shaw shares a lot of great information for young dentists and dentists starting out. He talks about the importance of getting or buying a patient base when you first start out. He talks about how to use technology in a smart, efficient, and profitable way. We talk about how to find and communicate with labs and lot more great stuff on today’s show. You can find our Dr. Paresh Shah here: Westwood Dental Center @drpshah_dmd on Twitter Paresh Shah on Facebook Westwood Dental Center on Instagram Show Notes: [01:51] Dr. Shaw was born in India, but he has been in Winnipeg Canada for over 50 years. [02:26] His family and his practice are in Winnipeg and his daughter is a dentist in Chicago. [02:59] Dr. Shaw has been a solo practitioner, but he just got an associate. [03:06] He does restorative dentistry, implants, cosmetic dentistry, and interdisciplinary care. [03:20] He has a busy practice with three full-time hygienists. They have five rooms and their operation is very efficient. [03:32] Dr. Shaw loves what he does. He used to be a super dentist and do everything, but now he focuses on what he does best. [03:37] He has a great group of specialists that he works with. [04:06] When Dr. Shaw first started in dentistry, he was an associate. Although, he almost became an oral surgeon. [04:45] A distribution rep told him about a practice that was for sale, and he ended up buying his practice. He started with three chairs and no hygienist. He built the practice adding hygiene one day at a time. [06:15] How corporate dentistry is entrenched in the US. If you work hard, and you are smart, you can buy a practice and pay the debt off. [06:47] The importance of finding a practice that already has a patient base. [07:20] Ask what the dollar value of those patients are? [09:18] You can take the approach and build it and people will come, but to be successful you need a patient base. [09:53] You could also transition the patient base of a retiring dentist. [11:05] Find a mentor that will teach you how to diagnose and treatment plan and communicate with patients. [11:54] Millennials want a practice that has a luxurious look. [13:30] When you buy a new practice, there are aesthetic things you can do to make the practice look better. [14:35] The point of buying an existing practice is cash flow. [15:12] At first, Dr. Shah wasn't enjoying his work. Then he met a group of mentors and teachers and learned how to properly diagnose and treatment plan. He spent 5 or 6 years at the University of Minnesota. [16:40] He saw the great lives and practices of these older dentists and their passion for dentistry. [16:54] He is still friends with these guys. By surrounding himself with this group and taking several continuing education courses, he became enthusiastic about his practice. [17:58] Like minded individuals can be inspiring. [19:40] Hanging out with people ahead of you closes your information gap. [21:07] Learning the foundation by going to the Kois Center and <...

This episode is live from Quito, Ecuador. Sully is joined by Morgan, Anna, and Tessa who are three UTHSC D4 students. We discuss what the future holds for these three D4 students and what their plans are. Getting through dental school can be hectic, but once the goal of graduating is over. It is time to begin a new career as a dentist. We talk about associateships, opening a new practice, taking over a practice, working for the government, and finding mentors. Faced with all of these decisions, it is probably a good time to think about what these students actually want, where they want to live, and what type of practice they want. We talk about finding options and exploring what is and isn’t a good fit. Show Notes: [01:03] Morgan is a D4 student at UTHSC College of Dentistry. She is from Indiana. [01:10] Anna is also a D4 at UTHSC. She is from Connecticut. [01:26] Tessa is also a D4 from Knoxville, TN. [01:58] Dental school was different than they thought it would be. The time commitment is much bigger. [02:39] The computer system and the school system took awhile to get the hang of. [02:55] After graduating, you realize how much you don't know. [03:09] What is next and how to deal with that. [03:30] For Anna associateship is an option. Where depends on the licensing. Finding a good mentor is also an option. [04:33] Find where you want to go and then find a job. Or find a job and go there. [05:28] It's okay to find an opportunity and learn and then move on. [06:02] Find a dentist you know and get them to introduce you to their network. [06:38] Dental reps can be great resources for finding dental jobs. [08:17] Cessa is not sure where she wants to go and is thinking about some type of government job. [09:20] Start to write down what you think life will look like in a year and 5 years. Put together your vision and your goals. This can push you faster by setting yourself up to accomplish things. [12:22] Traveling dentists in buses who go to schools. Morgan is applying for pediatric dentistry residencies. [14:20] A lot of people are going to specialize or at least going through the application process. [15:21] How sharing your goals can motivate you. [16:59] Just because there are a lot of dentists, it does not necessarily mean that it is saturated. You can separate yourself from everyone else. [18:45] Branding and social media and building your brand as a student. Start building a portfolio in dental school. [22:36] Consider getting a nice DSLR camera. [22:57] How to get to know a dentist you may want to work with. Go out to lunch with the team without the doctor. This can give you a real perspective. Also dig in to see what you have in common and what their long term goals are. [25:15] Set up a contract with a trial period. You either know if it is worth working for or that it is not working. [27:42] Have structure in place before starting an associateship or it could end badly. Also try looking at x-rays together to see if your treatment ideas are similar. [29:12] Anna asks about programs looking for associateships like Practice on Fire and DDSMatch. [30:05] The big thing to figure out is where you want to live. [30:15] Sit down and decide what you want and what you want life to look like. [31:34] You are never going to be ready for running your own practice. It is sink or swim. You can build good support with office managers etc. As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Links and Resources: [email protected]

Big Joe, Cole, and John Wesley of the Life and Dentistry Podcast joined me live at the TDA! We had an awesome conversation on their first year out of school, residencies, buying a practice, and what CE they have taken. This episode is a must listen! If you haven’t checked out their podcast make sure to check it out. In this episode find out the #1 thing Cole learned from residency, how John Wesley found his practice in Cookville, Tn, and how Big Joe got us roped into being the official photographers of the TDA Meeting! I think one of the best parts of this episode is the importance of having a plan when you go in as an associate towards the future. What is the practice worth? How long will you be an associate? How long does senior dentist want to work? As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

Taking a week off from the typical interview style podcast for some local discussion between Dr. Sully, Dr. PeyRay, and Dr. Jeff Trembley. These are some of my favorite episodes we just talk about real life problems we are dealing with and what we are doing to confront them! In this episode, we talk about how Dr. PeyRay and Jeff have both signed up with consultants to help their practices. We are very interested to follow along with their experience and will be updating throughout the process. Dr. PeyRay has had some team turnover and his A/R has gotten a little out of hand so he is excited to have the consultant help him with his systems. Dr. Jeff is really trying to set the trajectory of his practice. We also jumped into talking about dental insurance and what it looks like to move towards fee for service. This is something I have been wanting to do for awhile now and love hearing how it’s working with Dr. Jeff. As always this episode is just jammed packed with nuggets! Enjoy!! As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at mailto:[email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Jeff…@jftrembley Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

We are live from Quito, Ecuador. We have been doing a bunch of dental work here. As many of you know, I am obsessed with credit cards and have been wanting to do a credit card episode for quite a while. Yesterday, we had an hour and a half bus ride with some students and the topic of credit cards came up. This was the perfect time to record this episode about credit cards. Some of the things we talk about include how and why to use credit cards and how to maximize the use of credit cards. We look into which cards are the best and how to make the most of rewards and cash back programs. If used correctly, credit cards can be a tool to save on travel and purchases. After listening to this episode, you should be able to make better decisions about your use of credit cards. Show Notes: [01:27] Kelsey is an incoming D3 at UTHC. She has a Capital One Venture card. [01:35] Austin is the husband of a D3 And was intrigued with this conversation. [01:49] Travis Bradley is a freelance videographer, and he has a credit card from his local credit union. [02:15] We are going to talk about how and why we use credit cards and how to maximize them. [02:40] If you're not paying off your credit card every month, you lose all benefits of points and rewards. [03:26] Kelsey's husband had the Capital One Venture card before they got married, and she was added onto it. [03:55] They pay their credit card off every month, but they use it to buy everything. They paid for their honeymoon with their points. They mostly use the card to collect points for travel. [04:04] Austin has The Discover it card. He and his wife both have it. There is no annual fee, and it matches your cash back during the first year. [04:52] Travis has a credit union credit card. [05:37] Questions to ask when getting a credit card. Does status matter? What are you trying to save for? [06:15] Deciding what you want dictates the credit route you go. [06:31] Common credit cards are the Discover it,The American Express Delta card,The AMX card, and the Southwest card [06:58] There are cards that are bank specific and cards that a report specific. [07:26] Sully believes that rewards cards are the worst ones that you can get. [08:09] Your only earning one point per dollar unless you're using certain rewards cards for flights. [11:26] Length of credit is one of the biggest things that impacts your credit score. Paying on time is also very important. Credit utilization ratio also matters. [13:18] Adding a credit card increases your credit utilization ratio. [14:13] Don't apply for credit cards before you make a big purchase. If you're not making a big purchase, you can take advantage of promotional rewards offers and then later down the line cancel the card. [18:36] Cash back, international travel, and domestic travel rewards cards. Cashback cards are easy to use.These are things like Discover it, Chase Freedom, and Capital One Quicksilver. [19:49] The biggest benefit you can get from a cashback credit card is about 2%. [21:33] When using rewards for business expenses you want to take the tax deduction before you get the cash back. [22:00] Sully is a Chase fan. He likes the Chase freedom card and the Chase Sapphire preferred card. [22:46] The Chase Sapphire preferred is two points per dollar on all travel and dining, but it does have an annual fee. [25:53] With the Sapphire preferred card you can transfer your points. You also get free TSA pre-checked. [29:40] The Chase Sapphire Reserve card has a fee of $450 a year. But you get a $300 travel voucher. It's also three points per dollar on all travel and all dining. [31:22] The benefit of Chase is transferring to partners this is also a drawback to the Capital One cards, because it doesn't have this benefit. [35:51] In order to get the best...

I am still live at the Tennessee Dental Association in Nashville.Today I am speaking with Dr. Joseph P. Crowley who is the President of the ADA. We talk about how there are so many opportunities for young dentists and how the ADA is working to remain relevant and to share its value proposition with up and coming dentists. Other things the ADA is doing is increasing diversity, making joining the organization easier, and better explaining the value proposition. Dr. Joseph P. Crowley has been a dentist for 41 years. He has always liked being on the forefront of what was going on. Through incremental steps in his career, becoming President of the ADA was a natural progression. He recently sold his practice to focus on his role at the ADA where he hopes to increase branding, messaging, attendance, and the perceived value to younger dentists. This episode gives us a front row seat of what is now happening and in the works for the American Dental Association! You can find our Dr. Joseph P. Crowley here: ADA President Dr. Joseph P. Crowley Queen City Dentistry Show Notes: [01:10] Part of Dr. Crowley's role is spokesperson for the American Dental Association. He is reaching out in Tennessee to help increase diversity in dentistry. [02:17] The group at Meharry Dental School is doing a lot of cool things, and it's a perfect time for the ADA to be part of that. [02:47] Dr. Crowley has practiced general dentistry for 41 years. For the last 18 months, he has been out of practice because of his job as President-elect of the ADA. [03:10] Being president of the ADA is a full-time job and Dr. Crowley sold his practice. [03:42] When Dr. Crowley started out as a dentist he worked in a school-based clinic which taught him a lot about outreach and access issues. [03:59] Dr. Crowley enjoys being on the front end of his profession. Becoming the president of the ADA was the end of several increment steps in a long career and progression. [05:05] Having the opportunity to influence decisions is a pretty cool place to be. [05:18] One of the goals of the ADA is to form the future of dentistry for the new generation. [06:13] Dr. Crowley believes it's the ADA's responsibility to be the value proposition that people would want to be part of. [06:48] The challenge of getting the message of the ADA to resonate with young people. [07:11] Young dentists have more options now than ever. [07:56] One of the advantages of the ADA is that belonging to an organization makes dentists as a group stronger. [10:31] Millennial dentists are caring and engaged. [10:53] Providing oral health as a part of total health is a whole new world in dentistry today. Dentist are now playing a bigger role in systemic health care. [11:55] There's a trend of young people blaming the ADA for problems. They may need to do a better job celebrating victories. [12:52] The true value of membership in the ADA. The ADA is a powerful voice when it comes to rules and regulations. People listen when you're representing a large group. [13:39] The ADA lobbies with big numbers to protect dental interests. They need to be there as a voice, especially when it comes to new third-party pay plans. [16:02] They are also working on a program that connects younger dentists with older dentists. [17:41] Millennial's have learned collaboration and the practice groups will be an integral part of that. This will be the connect back to medicine. [21:00] The combination of an older dentist and a younger dentist working together complements each other. [22:51] Solo practices will still exist, but group practices and collaborative practices are th...

Live from the Tennessee Dental Association with Dr. Jake Bateman. Jake was a buddy of mine in Dental School. He has a very successful practice that does a lot of dentistry the conventional way. No scanners, no milling, no printing, but super successful! I love our conversation because it really shuts out the noise we see on Facebook, dentaltown, and in podcasts that talk about how you have to have all this technology to be successful! Jake’s practice runs at about 38% overhead and he has taken the approach of nailing down foundational dentistry. He has been super involved in Spear Education and Organized dentistry and advocates mastering the basics. Take a listen hear an awesome perspective on what life as a general dentist looks like! As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

Dr. Michael Scherer joins us again on the podcast a year after his Millennial Dentist podcast debut! If you haven’t checked out the first time he was on the show go listen to episode 12 first! This time we get super clinical. Out of the gate we talk about the ROI on 3D printing, where the technology is at today, and where it makes the most sense! How about immediate loading locator dentures? Turns out you only need 2 implants to immediately load a locator denture for it to work! How about leaving the black housings in as “training wheels”? This episode is just full of pearls and lots of locator denture discussion. We also want to recommend that if anyone is interested in 3D printing or locator dentures you should 100% sign up for his online courses at http://www.fasttrackdentalce.com. Both of these are super affordable and a great way to get you involved in both areas! Special thanks to Jonathan Ayala with Innerview Media for helping us shoot this live on FB. Check out his website here! As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

Growing up around dentistry, after 4 years of dental school, and 3 years in practice there are some names that you just associate as some of the great ones in our field. Kois, Pankey, Spear come to mind and this episode featured another one of those and it was an absolute privilege to have Dr. Gordon Christensen the show! In this episode, we talked about where he sees dentistry currently. The challenges for new dentists graduating and what he would suggest young dentists do after graduating. Spoiler Alert…it has a lot to do with education and understanding all the proudcts we have out there at our disposal. According to him 1/5 dental products don’t stand up to the claims they make in advertising! If your more interested in what Dr. Christensen is doing check out the Clinicians Report. It’s a comprehensive magazine and website that tests dental materials and products that we use everyday. The website is http://www.pccdental.com.

Dentists are amazing, but we suck at a lot of things like managaing a team, running a business and building systems. We sat down and had a awesome conversation about consulting and the steps young dentists should be taking to put their practices in the top group of practices. Kirk also is the founder of ACT dental and has his own podcast the “Best Practices Show” We tried to extract all the knowledge we could from him. He gave us a couple rules for young dentists to live by and a couple pearls you don’t want to miss! Special thanks to Jonathan Ayala with Innerview Media for helping us shoot this live on FB. Check out his website here! As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

This week’s episode is a trio of short recordings from the Hinman Dental Meeting. We had the privilege of recording with Dr. Kristina Dawson and Dr. Shiven Gandhi two of the co-chairs of marketing for the 2019 Hinman, a fun interview with Hinman Member Dr. Jeff Hodges and former General Chair and 2019 Program Chair Dr. Jeff Lee and finally getting to chat with two scholarship winners Alex Howell and Jackson Griffith! We had such an awesome time at Hinman and we hope to see everyone at 2019! Take a listen to this episode to see why you all need to be there next year! As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

First time co-host Dr. Jeff Trembley dentist at Smile On Nashville joins me in welcoming back Dr. Brian Harris to the podcast! Brian joined us on the show on episode 19! In this episode we dig into what he has done the past year with the Smile Virtual Consult. A concept that allows him to treatment plan and present treatment digitally to patients where they can view over and over, have questions answered, all on his time. We also talk about how Jeff is opening his start up practice in downtown Nashville as a fee for service practice based on superior cosmetics. I just try to shut up and listen as these two geniuses just pass killer info back and forth. There is no time like the present for you to create your dream practice and these two are doing and have done just that! If you are interested in joining the Smile Virtual Consult team don’t hesitate to reach out to Dr. Harris! I would encourage everyone to check out what they are doing on instagram below! Follow Dr. Brian Harris at @drbrianharris Follow Dr. Jeff Trembley at @jftrembley As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

As some of you may know I am in the middle of going through the workshops at Spear Education. I really wanted to bolster my foundation of dentistry and the principles that mold how I do things in dentistry. After looking around at some of the different institutes I settled on Spear. In this episode, we have the privilege of interviewing Dr. Jim Mckee a dentist who still practices outside of Chicago who also happens to be faculty at the Spear Center in Scottsdale, AZ. Dr. Justin Poff a general dentist out of Nashville also going through Spear joined Peyman and I to talk about Dr. Mckee’s journey through education. This is a can’t miss episode when it comes to the importance of continuing education and learning about what the Spear Center has to offer. For those of you just graduating the online content is second to none and would be a great resource to join! Special thanks to Jonathan Ayala with Innerview Media for helping us shoot this live on FB. Check out his website here! As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

Instructor at Pankey, Airway expert, and self-proclaimed famous Dr. Mark Murphy was a blast to interview! Dr. Murphy was so generous to jump away to interview with us in between a bunch of his lectures that he was speaking on at the Hinman Dental Meeting. If you are interested in treating dental sleep medicine or just need a good laugh then you need to take a listen to this! Dr. Murphy thinks that within a couple years oral appliance therapy will become the frontline of defense over CPAP therapy for treating obstructive sleep apnea. Even better is that the ADA released a statement this past year saying that dentists are responsible for screening for OSA. Dr. Murphy spent a good bit of time talking about developing the physician relationship and what we can do to help build that relationship. If that is not enough we talked about ways to place locators into an oral appliance for edentulous patients and jumping into medical billing! As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

Love this episode! If you want to hear just a great perspective on finding a job, getting a contract, buying out a practice, and making it all happen than this episode is for you. Dr. Tyler Hamilton graduated with me from Tennessee in 2015. This past January 2018 he bought his doctor out and is taking over the practice. We talked about all the ups and downs of making this happen. Now that he is owner the tide has shifted and new dilemmas arise that he has to learn to deal with such as integrating technology and how to manage a team that has been doing it one way for a long time! That is a podcast in itself! Take a listen and I guarantee you will pick up some pearls of wisdom from this guy! As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

This week’s episode is one of my favorite recordings from our trip to the Hinman Dental Meeting in Atlanta a couple weeks ago. Bill Marais is a lab technician, although I would refer to him more as an artist. The stuff this guy does is just masterful and really is art. Bill has an awesome story of growing up in Capetown during the Apartheid before moving to LA in the mid 90s. After getting his degree as a dental laboratory technician in South Africa he had to take a couple steps backward to get to do that in America. He was working construction during the day, a bellman at night, and finally got his chance with a lab as a driver. That opportunity led to a ladder that he was able to climb which ended up with him starting his own dental lab. After some crazy times he relocated the lab to Portland, OR and downsized his lab to just he and his wife. Bill focuses on providing the highest quality of work and takes one one case at a time. We talked all about changes in technology, where the lab industry is going, and other little nuggets of information. You have to check out his work! His lab is called Disa Dental! As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

We were finally able to grab these two implant stunners at VOD. They have the most incredible story and amazing continue education for Implants with Implant Pathway! We had a fun discussion on the importance of pushing each other and challenging each other. We have found that having mentors and other like-minded dentists who are pushing each other is so important to our growth! We also of course talk about what they are doing with Implant Pathway. I seriously think its one of the top CEs for Implants out there. Great ground up training with hands on opportunity and you are doing a great thing for this country’s veterans! Go check it out! As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

You have heard me say it probably a million times but nothing beats in person education. In this episode, live from Big Sky, MT at the Alabama Dental Association Ski and Learn I got to catch up with my long time buddy from dental school, Dr. Zac Berry and a new friend I met at the meeting Dr. Parrish King. Both doctors are currently practicing in Alabama as associates and we had a great discussion on why they need to own, how they have grown since dental school, and finally a great discussion on dealing with manufacture reps and how to try out new materials. I would encourage our listeners to check out this meeting. If your interested in a ski trip that has great education and a good excuse for a write off…then this could be for you. Every year around spring break the ALDA heads to Big Sky for this meeting. Its actually my 8th time out of here because of this meeting. As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

Today’s episode is a short and sweet episode of a recap of a mastermind experience I had recently in Raleigh with some good friends. It’s a fun discussion in one of T-Bone’s basement after some continuing education all day. I say it all the time, but some of the best CE isn’t the CE, but the CE after the CE! It’s a short conversation about the importance of systems, the verbiage we use with patients, and the importance of your team being co-owners in the practice! We got cut off by dinner plans, but this fifteen minutes is just jam paced with goodness and I had to share. One of my favorite parts is listening to my friend Dipesh talk about his education post dental school. It’s often asked on how do you pay for or can you afford education after dental school because of loans. Well, Dipesh had over half a million dollars in loans when he graduated and kept taking courses…turned out pretty good for him! As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

This episode features two episodes from the Voices of Dentistry on highly discussed topics. First off we talk with Jeremy Taylor and Chris Stryker who are currently in the middle of the their GPR programs. If you have any interest in residency I would highly recommend tuning in! Second on the docket we have Dr. Bryan Laskin, Doc is unicorn in dentistry for sure. He has his hands in a number of pots including multiple practices and other business ventures like OperaVR a virtual reality for dental patients. Something I will be testing out very soon! Specifically in this episode we talk about how he manages and helps grow his young millennial associates. As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

Another fun episode from Voices of Dentistry 2018! We got to sit down with Russell Kirk, the man behind the “Business of Dentistry” Podcast. We also had my good buddy Mike Cowan who is the founder and CEO of Awaken 2 Sleep! We had a great discussion on getting into treating airway issues. Mike is a sleep technician so is just full of knowledge and statistics that we don’t hear on the dental side. Dr. Kirk gave us a lot of insight on where he struggled when he first started doing oral appliances and how important it is for us as doctors to be aware of these issues when sedating our patients. If you’re a new dentist or new associate and your trying to figure out where to put your time and money as far as CE I would really encourage you to looking into airway courses. It’s amazing how much it can impact your practice. When you think about 1/5 people having OSA you realize it’s all over your practices. It may not be the flashiest, but it can save lives and can be profitable as well! Something to think about! Dr. Russell Kirk: [email protected] Mike Cowan: [email protected] As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

As a dentist we all know the number one thing we don’t get a lot of training on is business management. In that, I would say one of the hardest parts is managing your team and implementing the right people and systems. In this episode we have a great, laid back conversation with Ragan and Jon on how dentistry is changing and how to deal with it. We talk about as a young dentist some of the best tips and tricks on running your practice and managing your team! Also some awesome tips on creating value and educating your patients to get away from insurance! Check it out and check out the company Fortune Management. Check out their facebook group as well at @fortunemgmtmidsouth [email protected] [email protected] As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

This might be my all time favorite episode! As ridiculous as it sounds…myself, T-Bone (Tarun Agarwal), John Pasicznyk, and Petar Tofovic recorded a podcast in a 16-passenger van on the way to the BeefMastor! This may be the best steak house in the world in the middle of nowhere North Carolina! In this episode we talk about what it means to have a vision for yourself and practice, AEGD vs. GPR, and goal setting. Not just normal goal setting, but how to survive, how to get a job, and being an associate. Its just jammed packed with great information. I think you will love it! As always let me know your feedback and make sure to sign up for the Hinman Dental Meeting March 22-24th. Its free for students and we will be located at booth #855! If you haven’t already make sure to follow us on instagram at @millennialdentist and facebook! -Sully

Two exciting conversations today! First off, it was an absolute pleasure to get to chat with Gary Takacs at Voices of Dentistry. For those of you who don’t know, Gary is an Ace of all trades. Although he isn’t a dentist he owns a dental practice and does dental consulting, and is totally invested into helping dentists succeed. In this episode, we talk about his journey to owning, how to make it with your local community, and the Thriving Practice Academy! Oh, and did I mention he is the Podfather? He started the first every dental podcast, the “Thriving Dentist Podcast”. On the back half of the episode we had an awesome conversation with some of our friends at the Hinman. Adam Hodges is a dentist who has been out 17 years. He shares how crucial the Hinman Dental Meeting has been to his success and what all the Hinman has to offer new graduates! For all you students out there it is FREE! It’s a no brainer and there are lot of opportunities for scholarships! We are super excited to be attending Hinman this year and have our own booth at #855! We expect lots of you to be there and to stop by and record with us! Check it out at #MyHinman As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at mailto:[email protected]. Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com On Facebook @Millennialdentist On Twitter @MillennialDDS On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray Dr. Daniel…@danielholsinger Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

Welcome back everyone! This is the first of many episodes recorded at Voices of Dentistry in Scottsdale, AZ. It was a great meeting that will be back there next January. Make sure to put that on your schedule for next year! In this episode we had the privlidege of interning Dr. Jeff Rouse. Dr. Rouse is a prosthodontist out of Texas that teaches at Spear Education For those of you who don’t know, the Spear Education center is second to none. Its located in Scottsdale and has a number of courses, workshops, and seminars that you can attend. Can’t recommend those enough! We will be sharing more about that in later episodes I am sure as I am starting there workshops soon and we are all members of the online community! Dr. Rouse has an awesome story that ultimately leads to a conversation about Airway Prosthodontics….and yes I had the same look you do right now when reading that! Way over my head! This episode is awesome though because it really makes you think and gives you a new perspective to airway issues and what we can do as a dentist! Everyone take a listen send us your feedback!! Also don’t forget, we will be at the Hinman Dental Meeting in March, booth #855! Come see us! Sully

Today we have a really fun episode which is a combination of anumber of interviews with dental students from Meharry Dental School, Eastern Carolina Dental School, University of Georgia Dental School, Tennessee Dental School, and some pre-dental students from Virgina Tech! We had a blast talking about how awesome meetings are with ASDA, the differences between dental schools, and even tips right after graduating. Each part is a little different and starts as follows… -Georgia’s Alex Howell out of the gate -Virginia Tech Pre dental at -The Ladies from Tennessee at -Meharry Leaders at -Group from ECU at Share this episode with all your friends…I think there is a ton of good take home points! -Sully

Dr. Bill may seem like your typical old dentist at first glance, but not so fast!!! He is a dentist in Georgia that is the writer of two best selling amazon books, “The 10,000 a day dentist” and “Marketing the Million Dollar Practice”. He speaks around the world and is a very active member on social media, escpecially Facebook. What makes Dr. Williams unique is that he has built and sold multiple practices and really knows how to focus on growth. He also is a super general dentist in that he does pretty much everything! I would strongly encourage you to take a listen, reach out, and pick up one or both of his books. They will make you think for sure and you will pick up a couple nuggets of info! You can contact him at Solstice Dental Advisors and be sure to check out this mastermind! In other news make sure to come see us at Voices of Dentistry and Hinman in March! -Sully

Happy New Year everyone! This is the first official release back in 2018. After a super busy holiday season the three of us are ready to get back at it. We have lots of exciting stuff coming up starting with Voices of Dentistry January 27-28th in Scottsdale, AZ! Its not to late to register so check it out! In other news we will also have a booth at Hinman Dental Meeting in Atlanta in March so please come see us there! Let me introduce Justin Ditkofsky, or big JD as we referred to him as. He is consulting for Cirrus Consulting, a firm that helps new graduates and dentists looking to buy deal with lease and rent issues in regards to their practices. Something most of us would never even think about! Peyman can tell you first hand how hard it was to negotiate with the companies leasing the properties and how easy it would be to get taken advantage of without some help. Spending a little here can save you a ton in the long run! If anyone has questions or thoughts on the episode let us know. And give Big JD a call…its my understanding that they would be happy to do a free consult with you in regards to what you got going on! Your silly not to take advantage of that! Some of the things we discussed our listed below…take look! Cheers to an exciting new year everyone! -Sully Opening a New Practice Buying vs. Leasing: How to determine ROI on your real estate investment. The key steps to opening a practice and negotiating a risk-free lease agreement. Office Lease Renewals How and when to start negotiations with your landlord. Identifying expensive lease traps, and how to negotiate the best rental rates and terms during your renewal. Selling Your Practice/Transitioning How the lease agreement can make or break the sale of your practice. Increasing practice value with a well-structured and negotiated lease agreement. Cost-Saving Strategies How to determine if you’re overpaying in rent. Understand if your Common Area Maintenance (CAM) charges are accurate. Contact Cirrus Consulting Here: https://www.cirrusconsultinggroup.com/contact/ [email protected]

Lieutenant Dr’s Chris Rosson and Gannon Van allen are two of my good buddies from dental school They chose to go into Navy after dental school for a lot of reasons. Obviously, the big perk is you can be debt free! I personally think it’s a great option for people to do. In this episode, they talk about life as a military officer and dentist in the Navy. I was shocked to hear how similar it can be to private practice, the freedom you can have, and the opportunities you have to get more education. Chris is actually considering specializing in the Navy so he provided a lot of insight on that. If your considering the military and specifically the Navy, this is a must listen to episode. They are also very willing to answer questions if you have them and all their contact info is at the end of the episode! -Sully

As most of you listeners know I am a big fan of all things financial and one of my biggest mentors whether he knows it or not is Jim Dahle, MD, of the “White Coat Investor”. What started out as a blog, turned into a book, a bigger blog, and now a forum, it continues to grow and grow. Mainly, because its one of the few places to really get good unbiased financial advice. In this episode we talk about loans, investing, what not to do in regards to money, who to hire in regards to money, and everything in between. This episode goes down in the top 5 for me as well as a must listen episode. I would strongly encourage all of you to check out his website, www.whitecoatinvestor.com and pick up the book! If you have questions or thoughts feel free to reach out to him or us. As always, work smarter not harder! We will see you next time! Sully