Life of a Hawaiian Pediatric Dentist, with Dr. Matt Griffith

Dr. Matt Griffith is a pediatric dentist on the big island in Kona, Hawaii. Dr. Matt is the first and only pediatric dentist I have ever interviewed from Hawaii! Dr. Matt talks about his crazy backstory of opening his own practice in Kona. His style is one of providing a high level of patient care, and not being forced to see more kids a day than he's comfortable with. We talk about what the culture is like with his patient population, and some of the challenges of being a pediatric dentist in a rural spot in the middle of the Pacific.

Dr. Leigh Colby is my guest on the podcast today. Leigh is a dentist, a former practice owner, and has founded and been involved in multiple high-tech dental startups. He is an entrepreneur and innovator as much as he is a clinician. Leigh is also the founder of TriAgenics. TriAgenics has spent years developing third molar tooth bud ablation technology. For those who aren't familiar, this technology uses targeted microwaves and a small probe to "zap" and prevent the formation of third molars during childhood. Ablating the tooth bud would prevent the need for invasive extractions later on when the teeth are fully developed. This technology is in the final stages of FDA approval, and will quickly become available commercially as an option to our patients. In this podcast, Dr. Colby shares with us how the technology works, what the equipment looks like, the initial investment costs, and why pediatric dentists will be paving the way to make this procedure a great option for our patients.

Dr. Kris Hendricks is a pediatric dentist and practice owner from New Mexico. I came across his viral TikTok video showing models of how different styles of pacifiers affect occlusion in kids. Kris talks about how he was essentially gifted an orthodontic practice in New Mexico. He shares his take on social media, going viral, and what he currently recommends to parents asking about pacifiers. We break down what the research says for pacifier recommendations, and if "orthodontic" pacifiers are all they are cracked up to be.

It's my pleasure to host Nate and Bob from the "Just Say No to the DSO" Podcast. These guys have built a popular podcast platform that I've been hearing a lot of buzz about. They were kind enough to join me for an episode to talk all about DSOs. Nate and Bob discuss why they became so passionate about educating dentists on the harm of DSO buyouts. We also review and bust five common DSO myths. They discuss how pediatric dentists are targets for these deals, and what other options you might consider for the future of your practice.

Bourbon and Baby Teeth was a blast down in New Orleans this year. If you haven't been... put it on your bucket list. Even though it's always tough to record podcasts at conferences, I was able to pull aside three awesome dentists to have a quick conversation over some bourbon. 1. Dr. Hubert Park talks about pros and cons of doing his scratch start vs his practice acquisition. 2. Dr. Phil Chung talks about extracting permanent teeth with the SOAN, as well as his insane sealants protocol. 3. Dr. Chad Jensen talks about what goes into developing a new product in the dental field, as well as talking about his new Octo-Matrix.

Dr. Marc Soelberg is a pediatric dentist who recently did a scratch start in Post Falls, Idaho. After several years of associating without a partnership offer, Dr. Soelberg decided to open his practice in a growing rural town in northern Idaho. In this episode, we talk all about what opening a practice in 2024 looks like. He shares his challenges with obtaining a loan big enough to cover the cost of an office that's a functional size. We also discuss what marketing strategies worked best to obtain new patients, along with sharing some mistakes he made along the way.

Dr. Reed Faldet is a young dentist and entrepreneur who has built an 8-figure commercial real estate portfolio. He has transitioned out of full time dentistry to focus on real estate. We have a great discussion all about real estate, including the following topics: - How has the market for commercial real estate changed? - When does it make sense to lease a practice space compared to buying and building? - What options are there if you don't have the cash for a down payment? - How does lending work for practice loans? - What are the tax benefits to owning real estate, and how does depreciation work to lower taxable income? Dr. Faldet also helps partner and mentor with dentists looking to purchase their real estate but who need help along the way. His email is [email protected]

Dr. Kevin Kennedy is a pediatric dentist and practice owner from Clarksville, Tennessee. He fostered and adopted three kids during his pediatric residency before having biological children of his own. This experience really opened his eyes to the complexities and challenges of kids who have experienced loss, or as Kevin defines it "kids from hard places." Dr. Kennedy shares his story and gives listeners some advice on how to care for these kids and communicate better with their parents.

This episode is all about pediatric dentistry in Canada! I'm joined by four awesome docs: Drs. Sara Werb, Shuran Liang, Nikhil Sharma, and Priya Kothari are all amazing pediatric dentists and each have their own unique experiences that they share with us. Some of the topics we discuss: - What does Canada's administration of dental care look like? Is it similar to Medicaid? - Certain materials that are and aren't allowed in Canada (Bioflx!?) - What does it take to get a dental license in Canada? Are there any residency programs? - What are the challenges to practice ownership, and how are employee rights/benefits different than in the US?

Dr. Donny Qafleshi is a pediatric dentist in Indiana. He comes on to share some of his personal and professional experiences as an immigrant, a dad, and a pediatric dentist. Some of the things we discuss: -Dr. Donny's journey to the United States as a child to escape war - How to know when a practice partnership is the right choice - How many kids a day is a sustainable amount to see without burning out? - Internalizing emotions as a pediatric dentist and a new parent - Working on mindfulness and techniques to prevent work anxiety