15 Associateships in 11 Years, the Super Associate Episode

Dr. Jesse Defazio is a pediatric dentist and a "super associate." She has practiced in 15 offices over the last 11 years, following her husband's military career. She comes on the show to talk all about associateships and what to look for when trying to find that perfect practice. We cover some great topics including:- When does working for a DSO make sense?- Be cautious of second locations- What would the perfect office set-up look like?- Why working interviews are important- Should doctors receive a percentage of radiographs, fluoride, and prophies?- W2 vs 1099 red flagsThis is also a great episode for practice owners who want to bring on an associate and set them up for success.

In today's episode, Dr. Craig Lustman and I have a great podcast talking about the unique philanthropic model Craig has developed in his dental practices. Craig has found an amazing way to support his passion for developing water, food, and athletic resources for the underserved in Africa. Every cavity-free recall allows his patients to contribute five dollars of profit towards his non-profit organizations, giving his patients a sense of purpose while also encourage good oral hygiene. Our discussion also touches on operational strategies, team dynamics, and the importance of maintaining a balance between professional and personal life. We explore how Craig's journey from Maryland to Florida shaped his approach to dentistry and community service, emphasizing the significance of creating a positive impact through his practice.

Dr. Oshmi Dutta is a pediatric dentist from Texas who has started, grown, and operated literally dozens of general and pediatric practices in his career. He joins me on the podcast with an after-work beer to talk all about a variety of business topics related to pediatric dentistry. We go on a lot of tangents, but this is a killer episode for anybody involved or interested in the business side of pediatric dentistry. Sorry for the longer episode, but I promise it's worth listening until the end. Cheers!

Dr. Craig Hollander is a legendary pediatric dentist in the St. Louis area. He was kind enough to drive up and meet me for coffee to reflect on his 30+ year career as a pediatric dentist. Dr. Hollander was a very welcoming presence when I moved to Missouri. I've always been impressed by the way that he balances a busy clinic schedule, leadership, organized dentistry, study clubs and teaching residents. These in-person episodes are fun and we cover a wide variety of topics including:- How he grew a 3 chair practice to 30+ chairs- When and how he sold his ownership, and why he stayed as an associate- Becoming a board examiner and why he enjoys the process- Advise to young and ambitious pediatric dentists and residents- How to deal with practice competition

Dr. Josh Samuel is a pediatric dentist who recently completed his journey in purchasing an existing practice. Josh did a great job compiling his notes and creating a 13 step process outlining the things he learned when it comes to pediatric dental acquisitions. In this episode, we break down those 13 steps and talk about common sticking points. This is a great episode for current associates who are interested in buying-in or eventually purchasing an existing practice. Link to PDF of 13 step guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16p6sxBZVMfuFR36ZOn15OyUqd7DDC7Ag/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=111332464703850462164&rtpof=true&sd=true

Outsourcing my insurance billing and A/R has been one of the best decisions I have made for my practice. I recently started using a new company called Pedo Billing to help me with this. They have helped me collect thousands of dollars in outstanding claims (including Medicaid claims) that we have been fighting for months to get paid. Pedo Billing only works with pediatric dentists, so I invited their lead sales associate Nathan Petke to come on the podcast to tell me more about their company. Some things we discuss:- Why they only work with pediatric dentists- How they are able to charge 2.5% when the industry standard is 3-3.5%- Why the old way of submitting claims with paper checks and EOBs is quickly becoming outdated- How often problem claims should be followed-up on- The benefits of having a team of experienced billers working on your insurance claims- How outsourcing frees up time for your staff to focus on scheduling and better patient careYou can learn more about Pedo Billing at www.pedobilling.com

Dr. Alexandra Markou-Guzman is a pediatric dentist who works in a public health center treating children from a Hasidic Jewish population in New York City. She shares her experience working with this population, and the cultural challenges that come with it. We discuss some of the unique dental considerations that come into play with treatment planning and working with these families. Dr. Alex is a recent graduate of an NYU residency. She shares how she was able to apply for and receive a National Health Service scholarship to help pay for school. By qualifying for this scholarship and completing two years of work in public health, she was able to significantly reduce her student loan burden.

Dr. Amy Jones is a pediatric dentist from Mississippi. She comes on the show to talk about a variety of topics including:- How many chairs to have in a dental office- Medicaid limiting access to GA/OR in her state, and they combat this "scoring system"- Burnout and working 5 days a week- How to incorporate a therapy dog into the office- Challenges of taking time off for vacations as a practice owner

Dr. Jim Coll is a legendary pediatric dentist. With a career that spans 40 years in both private practice and academics at the University of Maryland, he has invested his time becoming a leading publisher of systematic reviews regarding pulpal therapies in primary and permanent teeth. Said another way... he's the guy authoring all of the papers in the AAPD journal with updated clinical trials and what the latest literature says about how we should be doing pulpal treatments on primary and permanent teeth. I was impressed at his level of knowledge, and how he was able to quote different studies supporting the effectiveness of indirect pulp caps, bioceramics, and Hall crowns.

Dr. Jessica Sliger is a former teacher who went back to school to become a pediatric dentist. She practices at a group practice in Arkansas where she is passionate about TOTs, seeing patients with special needs, using AI to help present treatment plans, and recently teaching new restorative techniques with the Bioclear method. She also helped Arkansas establish a dental school, with the goal of improving access to care in the state. Jessica shares her journey as a pediatric dentist on social media with the Instagram handle, "@dentistmama."