From Scared to Confident in Oral Surgery – A Young Dentist’s Journey – IC049

When a filling doesn’t go to plan, how many times do you replay it on the drive home?Have you fallen out of love with dentistry — or just with the way you’re experiencing it right now?Why do the habits that could help your headspace get forgotten by Wednesday?And when did you last ask yourself: have my thoughts been serving me today?This is an Interference Cast episode — no margins, no bonding protocols. Jaz is joined by Neo Positivity, a former Camden, New Jersey police officer turned mindset speaker, who now spends his time in dental practices in the US and the UK with one message: thoughts become things.Neo is big energy, and not every part of his philosophy will land for everyone — it doesn’t need to. Underneath it are habits any dentist can use tomorrow: stepping back from the “what if” spiral after a treatment goes wrong, catching autopilot thinking, remembering how badly you once wanted this job, and building reminders into the day so you actually follow through. Jaz leaves with a very personal takeaway about the version of himself that shows up at home.This episode discusses suicide in the dental profession. If you’re struggling, please talk to someone today — in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans are free and available 24/7 on 116 123; in the US, call or text 988. The Canmore Trust (thecanmoretrust.co.uk) supports dental professionals affected by suicide.What You’ll Take From This EpisodeStep back from the thought — the press-conference technique for the “what if I get sued?” spiral.Watch what you water — why the thoughts you rehearse most become the easiest to repeat.Get home first — the step to take before you quit a job, or dentistry.Reach for the cookie jar — using past wins to reset a bad day and repair a strained nurse relationship.Lead the ripple — why a leader who walks out of the wellbeing session undoes it.Highlights of This Episode00:00     TEASER00:57     Why Mental Wellbeing Belongs on a Dental Podcast03:49     From Police Officer to Mindset Coach09:12     Burnout in Dentistry: Facing the Problem Honestly10:24     How to Stop Ruminating After a Treatment Goes Wrong14:07     Your Thoughts Aren't Facts: The Press Conference Technique16:10     Watering Seeds: How Repeated Thoughts Rewire Your Brain20:03     Autopilot Thinking in the Dental Practice22:31     Midroll25:52     Energy, Vibe and the Patients You Attract30:30     How to Fix a Difficult Relationship With Your Dental Nurse33:14     The Cookie Jar: Using Past Wins to Reset Your Mood33:54     Burnout or the Wrong Practice? Before You Quit Dentistry39:57     Remember How Badly You Wanted to Be a Dentist41:18     Leading by Example: Building a Positive Practice Culture44:53     Accountability Partners and the Daily Mindset Check-In46:51     Takeaways, Resources and Wrap-Up50:31     OUTROFrom the GuestNeo Positivity speaks to dental practices, conferences and teams, visiting practices and speaking at lunch breaks with his “Thoughts Become Things” message. His book, Your ATM (“Your Ability to Manifest”), is out in print and as an audiobook, and he produces short morning-huddle videos for practice teams.👉  neopositivity.com — book Neo for your practice, and find Your ATMReferences & Further ReadingBooks mentioned in this episode:Eckhart Tolle — The Power of Now. On living in the present moment.Michael A. Singer — The Untethered Soul. On observing your thoughts rather than being carried by them.David Goggins — Can’t Hurt Me. Source of the “cookie jar” idea discussed in the episode.Rhonda Byrne — The Secret; and Napoleon Hill — Think and Grow Rich. The works that introduced Neo to the “thoughts become things” idea.Want more?If you enjoyed this episode, check out: Before the Breaking Point – IC071Tags#InterferenceCast #BeyondDentistry #CareerDevelopmentListen, Subscribe, Earn CPDListen: Subscribe to the Protrusive Dental Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.This episode is eligible for 0.75 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.This episode meets GDC Outcome B.AGD Subject Code: 770 Self-Improvement.Aim & Learning OutcomesAim: To help dental professionals recognise and interrupt negative thought patterns, and to give them simple, repeatable habits that support wellbeing for themselves and their teams.Learning Outcomes — by the end of this episode, dental professionals will be able to:Describe how rumination after a clinical or workplace setback reinforces itself, and apply a step-back technique to interrupt a negative thought loop.Identify practical cues and peer accountability structures that help dental professionals sustain wellbeing habits during the working day.Differentiate dissatisfaction with a working environment from dissatisfaction with dentistry itself, and outline steps to take before a major career change.

How do you explain everything that could go wrong with a root canal — without the patient walking out?Why does a signed consent form protect you far less than you think?What should you say in the exact moment after you tell a patient the fee?And which single word is quietly sabotaging every future conversation you have about maintenance?This is Part 2 of our communication masterclass with Dr Zak Kara, principal dentist at Smile Stories in Bournemouth, who coaches and mentors dentists on exactly these conversations. We tackle two questions sent in by the community: how to explain risks without discouraging patients from treatment, and how to present fees — including future maintenance and complications — clearly and confidently. Expect two live role-plays (a molar root canal and a lower wisdom tooth), a respectful disagreement about whether to call people patients or clients, and the fee-presentation sequence I wish I’d had years ago, when I hated every part of talking about money.Protrusive Dental Pearl: Could They Retell It at Home?Measure a consultation by one question: was I understood? Not conversion, not uptake — understanding. The ethical approach tends to deliver the conversion anyway.The practical test: when the patient gets home and someone asks “How was the dentist today?”, can they summarise in a few sentences exactly what the appointment was about and what they need to do next? If not, the explanation isn’t finished — however thorough it felt from your side of the chair. That clarity is a skill, and it gets built deliberately.What You’ll Take From This EpisodeSix moves for explaining risk — how to make every risk proportionate, personal and paired with your plan to reduce it.A root canal consent, live — plain-English wording, an honest success rate, and the analogy that makes recovery make sense.Common vs rare risks — when a risk deserves a sentence and when it deserves a diagram.The fee presentation sequence — seven steps from the reason to the objection, and why the pause matters most.Words to ban — why fees beat prices and costs, and what to say instead of “permanent.”Maintenance without the awkwardness — setting shared responsibility up front so “redo it for free” never comes up.Highlights of This Episode00:00     TEASER00:48     How to Explain Risks and Fees to Dental Patients04:10     The Biggest Lever in Dental Communication06:53     How to Attract the Right Patients to Your Chair14:29     What Makes a Super Associate?19:58     How to Explain Treatment Risks Without Scaring Patients26:22     Root Canal Consent: A Live Role-Play33:59     Using Analogies to Explain Occlusion and TMD Risk36:08     Wisdom Tooth Consent: Common vs Rare Risks41:07     Why Consent Is a Process, Not a Signature45:45     Midroll51:34     Patients or Clients? What to Call the People You Treat55:12     How to Present Dental Fees With Confidence59:08     A Simple Framework for Presenting Fees1:12:05   When to Discuss Treatment Alternatives1:14:45   Why You Should Never Say "Permanent Crown"1:20:15   A Communication Course for Dentists1:20:51   OUTROFrom the GuestDr Zak Kara is principal dentist at Smile Stories in Bournemouth, and coaches and mentors dentists and their teams in communication. His communication course, developed with Protrusive, teaches from real consultation videos — filmed with patients’ permission — broken down play by play: what he said, why, and why he paused where he did.Pre-order the communication course here:👉  protrusive.co.uk/conversationsOnce the course is out, you’ll also get access to a 90-day accountability group with Zak and me, and the full course in podcast format for your commute.Want more?If you enjoyed this episode, check out: Presenting Treatment Plans the Comprehensive Way – PDP048Tags#PDPMainEpisodes #CommunicationListen, Subscribe, Earn CPDListen: Subscribe to the Protrusive Dental Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.This episode is eligible for 1.25 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.This episode meets GDC Outcome A.AGD Subject Code: 550 Practice Management and Human Relations.Aim & Learning OutcomesAim: To improve how dental practitioners communicate treatment risks, fees and long-term maintenance, so that patients make informed, genuinely consensual decisions without being frightened or overwhelmed.Learning Outcomes — by the end of this episode, dentists will be able to:Explain treatment risks in proportion to the individual patient’s clinical situation, using plain language, relatable analogy and a stated plan to mitigate each risk.Apply a structured sequence for presenting treatment fees that links the recommendation to the patient’s own goals and responds to objections without coercion.Describe how consent is developed across multiple touchpoints, including discussion of alternatives, shared maintenance responsibilities and checks of patient understanding.

NEW: 15% OFF FIGS Worldwide 🌍 - use code FIGSPD15 at wearfigs.comWhat do you say when a patient comes in wanting one tooth fixed, but you can see eight more heading the same way?How do you tell a patient who has had a scale and polish every six months for twenty years that they now need something deeper without making it sound like you’re suddenly trying to sell them more dentistry?Is there a magic sentence that makes patients say yes to comprehensive care?And why can the patient you’ve known and liked for six years sometimes be harder to move forward with than a complete stranger?This is Part 1 of a two-part communication series with Dr Zak Kara — co-founder of Smile Stories in Bournemouth, and the most-returning guest on this podcast. It’s also our first-ever call-in episode: the questions came in from the community as voice notes, and this episode answers two of them. Part 2 takes on the awkward stuff — discussing fees, and communicating risk without frightening people off.Protrusive Dental Pearl: Reactive or Proactive Associate?When the diary goes quiet, what do you actually do? Wait for the practice to work some magic and fill it — or go and fill it yourself? The mentality of “the clinic supplies the patients, I just treat them” is worth a hard look. The strongest associates pull their weight: writing, school visits, social media, and simply having conversations out in public that bring people through the door.The logic behind it runs straight into the rest of this episode. You never get to do the clinical dentistry unless your communication is good — and you never get to communicate at all unless there’s someone in the chair.What You’ll Take From This EpisodeThe two ladders of readiness — clinical readiness and interpersonal readiness rise separately, and a plan gets declined when they’re badly out of step.Why “I’ll think about it” usually isn’t distrust — and the co-diagnosis move that stops you hearing it so often.The conversation circle — open on goals rather than symptoms, and close the visit by tying the recommendation back to the patient’s own words.Words that change the meeting — inflammation score instead of bleeding score, and why one word can decide whether a patient feels blamed or informed.How to present a five-figure plan — when to name the number, and what to do in the silence afterwards.Chairside scripts you can use tomorrow — permission questions, spot-the-difference, and the line that flips a treatment plan into something the patient avoids rather than buys.Highlights of This Episode00:00     TEASER00:51     How to Talk to Patients Who Only Want One Tooth Fixed03:45     Protrusive Dental Pearl: Reactive or Proactive Associate?09:27     The First Protrusive Call-In: Your Communication Questions13:40     Why There Is No Magic Sentence for Case Acceptance15:58     Co-Diagnosis: How to Make It the Patient's Own Idea22:36     The Conversation Circle: Start With Goals, End With Goals26:58     Why "Inflammation Score" Beats "Bleeding Score"30:50     The Peak-End Rule: What Patients Actually Remember34:46     How to Ask Permission Before You Educate a Patient39:32     Scale and Polish vs Deep Clean: Explaining the Difference39:41     Midroll44:54     How to Introduce Full Mouth Rehab Without Overwhelming48:39     The Ladder of Readiness: Where Is Your Patient?55:02     Two Ladders: Clinical and Interpersonal Readiness59:23     How to Pre-Qualify Patients Before They Reach Your Chair1:11:32   How to Present a Five-Figure Treatment Plan1:20:26   OUTROCommunication course — waiting list: Zak has a communication course in preparation. Protrusive is supporting it with a 90-day accountability group inside the app for anyone who enrols, plus retained lifetime access to Loom School. The waiting list is at protrusive.co.uk/conversations.Find Zak Kara in Instagram (@zakdentalkitchen) and Facebook (Zak Kara).References & Further ReadingThe behavioural science referenced in this episode:Norton MI, Mochon D, Ariely D. The IKEA effect: When labor leads to love. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2012;22(3):453–460. People value what they helped build — the mechanism underneath co-diagnosis.Bem DJ. Self-Perception Theory. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 1972;6:1–62. People infer what they believe partly from observing what they themselves say and do.Kahneman D, Fredrickson BL, Schreiber CA, Redelmeier DA. When more pain is preferred to less: Adding a better end. Psychological Science, 1993;4(6):401–405. The healthcare application is Redelmeier DA, Kahneman D, Patients’ memories of painful medical treatments, Pain, 1996;66(1):3–8.Want more?If you enjoyed this episode, check out: Think Comprehensive – Communication Gems with Zak Kara – PDP010. The episode that started it all.Tags#PDPMainEpisodes #CommunicationListen, Subscribe, Earn CPDListen: Subscribe to the Protrusive Dental Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.This episode is eligible for 1.25 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.This episode meets GDC Outcomes A.AGD Subject Code: 550 Practice Management and Human Relations.Aim & Learning OutcomesAim: To improve dental professionals’ ability to communicate the need for comprehensive or more extensive treatment to patients who present with single-tooth expectations, using structured, permission-based and goal-led conversation rather than persuasion.Learning Outcomes — by the end of this episode, dentists will be able to:Describe how a patient’s readiness for comprehensive treatment can be assessed along two parallel dimensions — their understanding of their own clinical need, and the strength of the working relationship — and identify where an individual patient sits on each.Apply permission-based and question-led techniques that help a patient identify disease for themselves, so that a recommendation is understood and owned rather than imposed.Dif...

Ever wondered what it’s really like to study dentistry abroad?How different is it to train in Bulgaria, Slovakia, or Valencia compared to the UK?And what happens when it’s time to come back home — can you easily register with the GDC and start practicing?Dr. Hugo Medd joins Jaz for an honest and insightful conversation about taking the path less traveled — studying dentistry in Bulgaria after not securing a UK dental school place.They dive into the realities of living and learning abroad, including language barriers, different teaching styles, and how much clinical experience international students actually get. Hugo also shares how he navigated GDC registration, what it’s like finding work after graduation, and why he has no regrets about choosing this unconventional route.Highlight of this episode:00:00     TEASER01:21     Introduction02:49     Meet Dr. Hugo Medd: A Journey to Bulgaria06:09     Financial Considerations and Support Systems09:56     Why Bulgaria? DMD vs BDS explained13:13     Language Barriers and Communication Skill17:47     Tuition Fees, Cost of Living, and Financial Realities20:47     Navigating Post-Graduation and GDC Registration23:23     Accredited EU Universities and Recognition Rules25:09     Social Life, Culture, and Student Experience28:14     Midroll34:47     Differences in Teaching Styles Abroad40:54     Navigating the UK Dental Job Market43:03     Advice for New Graduates50:24     Pursuing a Master's in Oral Surgery54:45     Final Thoughts and Contact Information57:11     OUTROInspired to study abroad? Study Medicine Europe helps you land top dentistry and medicine placements in Europe and guides you from application to graduation.If you enjoyed this episode, check out “The American Dental Dream – PDP002”This episode is not eligible for CPD/CE points, but never fear, there are hundreds of hours of CPD waiting for you on the Ultimate Education Plan.#InterferenceCast #CareerDevelopment 

Have you ever removed plaque using a scaler or ‘air-polisher’ and notice that the demineralised enamel flaked away?Scaling and polishing is a routine part of preventive dental care — but could some of our traditional cleaning methods be doing more than we realise? A whitening specialist who works without a drill, scaler or air polisher argues that some approaches to cleaning may affect the enamel, and that hydrogen peroxide gel can remove plaque without touching the tooth surface.Dr Wyman Chan has done nothing but tooth whitening since 2002, when he closed his general practice for a dedicated whitening centre, and he developed the chemical-polishing gel which is at the centre of this episode. He is joined by Dr Niki Shah, a UK general dentist and practice owner whose company distributes the product in the UK, and who now runs most of his hygiene this way.In this episode, they explain which patients they believe may benefit most, walk through the full chairside protocol, and discuss the limitations of the approach and where it may not be appropriate.Protrusive Dental Pearl: Manicuring Worn Lower IncisorsWorn lower incisors sit sharp against the upper teeth, concentrating stress. Take a Sof-Lex disc and manicure them, rounding the edges from pointed to smooth. Show the patient in the mirror first and, borrowing Dr Michael Melkers’ framing, ask if you can make their teeth look a little younger. It is surface topography, changed for force management, and the patient feels it with their tongue.What You’ll Take From This EpisodeOn sound enamel, prophy paste and air polishing are low-risk; on demineralised enamel hidden under plaque, the same abrasion can flake the surface.Chemical polishing does not lift calculus; where calculus is present, ultrasonic or hand scaling is still required.Dr. Wyman Chan offers a 3% hydrogen peroxide gel as a plaque and biofilm adjunct, not a replacement for oral hygiene instruction.The strongest cases for this are anxious, paediatric, orthodontic, special-needs and geriatric patients who tolerate scraping poorly.The chairside protocol runs about twelve minutes and still ends with manual agitation using a single-tufted brush.No published evidence supports the product’s clinical claims yet; Dr. Wyman Chan describes studies in progress.Highlights of This Episode00:00     Teaser01:21     Rethinking How We Polish Teeth03:36     Protrusive Dental Pearl: Manicuring Worn Lower Incisors05:23     Meet the Guests: From Whitening to Chemical Cleaning12:10     What Is Chemical Polishing? Prophylaxis, Not Whitening20:05     Is Traditional Polishing Damaging Teeth?21:54     How Abrasion Harms Demineralised Enamel25:30     The Strongest Case: Anxious Patients29:09     Children, Adolescents and Orthodontic White Spots29:49     Midroll35:22     Managing Pericoronitis and Gingival Abscess38:15     Special Needs, Geriatric and Post-Surgery Care40:43     Where Is the Evidence? Studies in Progress43:59     The Cost and Business Case for Chemical Polishing50:16     The Chemical Polishing Protocol: Step by Step using Magic353:14     Why Manual Agitation Still Matters57:58     How It Changed a Working Day1:00:35   OutroStart offering Magic3Where to get Magic3: UK: directoralcare.comRegister for a free professional account. Approval unlocks the full shop, pricing, offers and their upcoming educational courses.Use promo code PROMAGIC10 at checkout to receive 10% off Magic3.Outside UK: Please enquire from Dr Wyman Chan's website.Orders are invoiced rather than purchased directly through the website.Quote promo code PROMAGIC10 when enquiring to receive 10% off your Magic3 order.FREE Wyman Dental RetractorsWith your first Magic3 order, you’ll also receive 1 Wyman Dental Retractor free.The Wyman Dental Retractor is a multi-use, autoclavable retractor (up to 100 uses) designed for comfortable and effective soft-tissue retraction.Order 1–2 Magic3: Get 1 free Wyman Dental RetractorOrder 3+ Magic3: Get 3 free Wyman Dental RetractorsLearn more about their other products: https://protrusive.co.uk/magic3Want more?New to Dr Chan’s work? Start with Trayless Whitening Technique Part 1 with Dr Wyman Chan - PDP277, on his whitening approach, sensitivity and how to let patients pick their target shade.Tags#PDPMainEpisodesListen, subscribe, and earn CPDListen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and inside Protrusive Guidance.Earn CPD: This episode is eligible for 1 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.Compliance: GDC Development Outcome C. AGD Subject Code 490 Periodontics.Aim & Learning OutcomesAim: To give a mechanism- and evidence-aware view of chemical polishing as an adjunct for plaque and biofilm removal: where mechanical polishing can harm demineralised enamel, which patients the approach suits, how the chairside protocol runs, and the limits of the current evidence.By the end of this episode, dentists will be able to:Describe how the abrasivity of prophylaxis pastes and air-polishing powders interacts with sound versus demineralised enamel.Identify the patient groups for whom a non-mechanical approach to plaque removal is most appropriate, and the situations, such as calculus, where it is not.Evaluate the current evidence base for a 3% hydrogen peroxide chemical-polishing protocol, and apply appropriate attribution and consent where the evidence is not established.

Full mouth reconstruction — is the aim really the flawless before-and-after you scroll past on Instagram, or is that a trap?How do you actually know you’re ready to step up from single teeth to a whole mouth?And when your comprehensive treatment plan keeps getting declined — psychologically, financially — is that the patient’s problem, or yours?This one is a “your questions answered” episode: the community sent in far more FMR questions than we could cover, and we put the best of them to two prosthodontists who literally wrote the book on it.This is a full-mouth reconstruction deep dive with Prof Riaz Yar and Dr Łukasz Lassmann — co-authors of the new Quintessence textbook Full-Mouth Reconstruction (foreword by Jeffrey Okeson). We cover screening before you commit, knowing when you’re ready, getting big plans accepted, choosing materials, setting the bite in centric relation, sleep apnea, and the honest truth about “perfect” versus “acceptable.”Protrusive Dental Pearl: Always Present the Best AdviceWhen you present a complex case, offer three tiers. Best advice — take time and money out of the equation and describe the ideal: what would truly get this patient to the right result (gum grafting, orthodontics, the lot). A compromise — a good result without the parts the patient won’t consent to or can’t fund. And the minimum — the least that still helps, with the non-negotiables named.The most important of the three is the best advice. It’s tempting to self-censor — to decide a plan is too elaborate or too expensive and quietly leave it out. But if you never present the best option, you’ll never get to do those cases. Present the ideal option first, then offer the compromises. Don’t limit the patient — or yourself.What You’ll Take From This EpisodeScreen before you plan — a green / orange / red system that sorts patients before treatment planning even starts, so you know which cases are yours.How to get big plans accepted — why case acceptance is a confidence problem before it’s a skills problem, and how to present the best advice, compromise and minimum.Choosing materials — why it’s the case, not the material: repairability vs aesthetics vs durability, and why erosion changes the answer.Setting the bite — why centric relation is the reference position, what a night guard can do to it, and how sleep apnea changes the plan.Perfect vs acceptable — defining success and failure honestly, and knowing when you’re actually ready to take a full-mouth on.Highlights of This Episode00:00     TEASER00:53     Full Mouth Reconstruction: Your FMR Questions Answered05:08     What Actually Counts as a Full Mouth Reconstruction?10:48     Screening Patients for Full Mouth Rehab: Green, Orange, Red18:48     Is Perfect the Goal of Every FMR? Success vs Failure26:53     How Do You Know You're Ready for Full Mouth Dentistry?36:23     Is the Dahl Concept a Good Segue Into Full Mouth Rehab?38:50     Midroll42:49     How to Get Patients to Accept Full Mouth Treatment Plans49:34     Best Advice, Compromise, Minimum: Presenting the Options55:04     Give Yourself Permission to Fail in Big Cases56:14     FMR or Selective Restorations? Where's the Line on Tooth Wear?58:49     interjection 11:04:52   Composite, Ceramic or Zirconia? Choosing FMR Materials1:09:53   interjection 21:12:40   Centric Relation, Sleep Apnea and Setting the Bite1:17:25   Anteriors or Posteriors First in a Full Mouth?1:26:00   Does DTR Change How You Finish an FMR?1:27:35   The Full-Mouth Reconstruction Book & Where to Learn More1:30:37   OUTROFrom the GuestsProf Riaz Yar is a specialist prosthodontist and Visiting Professor in Prosthodontics, with a 25-year focus on TMD, occlusion and full-mouth dentistry. Dr Łukasz Lassmann is a prosthodontist (DDS, PhD) whose PhD is in occlusion and the temporomandibular joint; he focuses on tooth wear, TMD and full-mouth rehab and founded Lassmann Education, whose multi-day “summer camp” FMR/occlusion course runs in Poland.Interested in Full Mouth Reconstruction? Check out their book: Full-Mouth Reconstruction (Lassmann & Yar, Quintessence Publishing, 2026; foreword by Jeffrey Okeson) — a general-practitioner workflow from screening through orthodontics, perio, preparation, and cementation. References & Further ReadingSources and further reading from this episode:Lassmann Ł, Yar R. Full-Mouth Reconstruction. Quintessence Publishing, 2026 (foreword by Jeffrey P. Okeson). ISBN 978-1-78698-153-0.Lassmann Ł, Calamita MA, Blatz MB. The “Smile Design and Space” (SDS) concept for altering vertical dimension of occlusion and esthetic restorative material selection. J Esthet Restor Dent. 2025;37(1):56–67.Loomans B, Opdam N, Attin T, et al. Severe tooth wear: European consensus statement on management guidelines. J Adhes Dent. 2017;19(2):111–119.Bartlett D, Ganss C, Lussi A. Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE): a new scoring system for scientific and clinical needs. Clin Oral Investig. 2008;12(Suppl 1):S65–S68.Okeson JP. Management of Temporomandibular Disorders and Occlusion. Elsevier (8th edition) Want more?If you enjoyed this episode, check out: https://protrusive.app/posts/free-podcast-videos-pdp225-occlusion-myths-and-red-flags-with-lukasz-lassmannTags#PDPMainEpisodes #OcclusionTMDandSplints #OrthoRestorativeListen, Subscribe, Earn CPDListen: Subscribe to the Protrusive Dental Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.This episode is eligible for 1.5 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.This episode meets GDC Outcomes C.AGD Subject Code: 610 Fixed Prosthodontics.

When you walk through the door after work, are you actually present or are you still running the day’s to-do list in your head?Is there ever a “good” time to have a baby in the middle of specialist training and how do you fund it?How do the best dentist-parents you know protect time with their kids without their careers stalling?And can technology actually give you hours back — or is that just another thing to feel guilty about?This is one for the dads. In this Interference Cast episode, Jaz sits down with Dr Sunny Marwaha — a dentist completing part-time specialist training in prosthodontics at Guy’s, who became a father right in the middle of it. It’s not a clinical episode. It’s an honest conversation about doing the hardest career stretch (training, buying practices, building a name) at the exact same time you’re raising young children — the sleep, the money, the guilt, and the strategies that actually help. Two dentist dads, comparing notes.What You’ll Take From This EpisodePriority management, not time management — Decide what this season of life is for, and protect it; priorities shift as the kids grow.Leave the day at the door — both directions — The driveway is dad mode, the clinic is showtime; you can’t take work home or home to work.Run the family like a small business — Regular family meetings and a “mind like water” system can help carry the load without living in your head.Use AI to buy back time — Make use of dictated notes, auto-drafted letters, and turning papers into audio for the commute. This is leverage, not cheating.Specialise or self-direct? — An honest filter for whether a structured training pathway or private courses and mentorship suits you better.Highlights of This Episode00:00     Teaser00:42     Daddy Dentist: Balancing Fatherhood and Dentistry03:42     Should You Specialise or Learn Through Private Courses?10:12      How to Time Having Kids Around Specialist Training13:32     Paternity Leave for Dentists: What's Realistic?16:42     Funding Specialist Training With a Young Family20:02     Why Family Support Is a Privilege, Not a Given22:57     Time Management vs Priority Management23:42     The Two Moments With Your Kids That Matter Most29:12      Protecting Sleep, Fitness and Your Mental Health30:13     Midroll39:03    Top Tips for Dentist Dads41:53      Using AI to Buy Back Time for Your Family45:53     Run Your Family Like a Small Business53:33     How to Cut Kids' Screen Time (and Make It Stick)59:23     Life After Specialist Training: A Shorter Week59:57     OutroFrom the GuestDr Sunny Marwaha is a dentist completing part-time specialist training in prosthodontics at Guy’s (King’s College London). He’s passed the MProst (Royal College of Surgeons), with his final MClinDent and GDC specialist listing still ahead. He became a dad to son Kabir midway through training; his wife Amrit is also a dentist.👉  Follow Sunny on Instagram: @dr_marwahaReferences & Further ReadingListed for reference (mentions, not endorsements):NotebookLM — Google’s AI research tool; can turn a source document (e.g. a paper) into an audio, podcast-style discussion for the commute.Trello, Inkpad Notepad, and Google Calendar — The “mind like water” offload system. Loom — screen/video-message tool, mentioned as an alternative to written tooth-by-tooth reports.Want more?If you enjoyed this episode, check out: [Screen Times and SmartPhones for Children – Best Practices – IC061]. The screen-time reset comes up near the end of this chat; that episode goes deeper. Tags#InterferenceCast #CareerDevelopment #BeyondDentistryListen, Subscribe, Earn CPDListen: Subscribe to the Protrusive Dental Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.This episode is eligible for 1.0 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.This episode meets GDC Outcome B.AGD Subject Code: 770 Self-Improvement.

Complete Dentures That Actually Work: Impressions, CR & AdaptationYou don’t have to suck at complete dentures — there’s a science to them, and an art you gather with experience.Why do complete dentures feel so unpredictable — when a crown prep or an endo doesn’t?What’s the number-one impression mistake dentists make — and the tissue-conditioning step most of us skip?And when a new denture comes back painful — is it the extension, or the occlusion?This one is a whistle-stop tour of complete dentures with Dr Leif Stromberg — a Dallas general dentist who learned removable prosthodontics directly from the legendary Earl Pound and has taught it for decades. Recently nominated for the Texas AGD’s 2026 Texas Dentist of the Year™ Award, Dr. Stromberg brings a wealth of clinical experience, leadership and mentorship to the profession.Rather than drilling into a single appointment, Jaz put a stack of Protrusive Guidance community questions to him and covered the whole arc, from choosing the right patient to troubleshooting a painful denture at delivery. Expect breadth over depth — a lot of ground, a little from each stage — with plenty of technique, nuance and communication tips to take back to the chair.Protrusive Dental Pearl: Pick the Patient Before the DentureYou don’t have to treat everyone. Before promising anything, work out whether you can meet the patient’s expectations — because you can build the world’s best denture and they still may not adapt to it. The single strongest predictor of success is the patient’s own adaptation, not the technical quality of the prosthesis.So read the markers of adaptation. The patient who has worn a technically poor, flimsy denture happily for years — and only needs a new one because the old one is worn out — is a home run: improve the retention and stability and they’ll do brilliantly, because their neuromuscular adaptation is already proven. The patient who has hated every set they’ve owned is the warning sign. Assess adaptation right from the first appointment; it matters more than the articulator you own.What You’ll Take From This EpisodePick the patient, not just the denture — the markers of adaptation that predict success before you start.Where the teeth actually go — Pound’s lingual control lines, and why “lingual” means stable.The number-one impression mistake — coverage versus overextension, plus pre-impression tissue conditioning.Records without the wobble — recording centric relation with a gothic arch tracer, and why the facebow ranks low.A painful denture at delivery — how to tell overextension from occlusal overload, and what to do about each.Highlights of This EpisodeFrom the GuestDr. Stromberg teaches  the fundamentals of predictable complete dentures through a run of CE courses on Dentaltown — a five-part written series and a video series that walk through the exam, impressions, records, try-in and delivery.👉  Stromberg’s “Keys to Complete Denture Success” CE courses on DentaltownLearn more at: https://www.strombergdentistry.com/articlesWant more?If you enjoyed this episode, check out: Occlusion for Complete Dentures – PDP162Tags#PDPMainEpisodes #ProsthoPerio #Communication Listen, Subscribe, Earn CPDListen: Subscribe to the Protrusive Dental Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.This episode is eligible for 0.75 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.This episode meets GDC Outcomes CAGD Subject Code: 670 Removable Prosthodontics.Aim & Learning OutcomesAim: To give clinicians a predictable, appointment-by-appointment approach to complete dentures — patient selection and adaptation, accurate records, functional tooth position, and troubleshooting at delivery.Learning Outcomes — by the end of this episode, dentists will be able to:1. Assess a patient’s suitability for complete dentures and their likely adaptation, and manage expectations before treatment begins.2. Describe the sequence of clinical appointments for complete dentures and the key objective of each — impression coverage, recording centric relation and vertical dimension, and functional tooth position.3. Differentiate the common causes of pain at denture delivery (overextension versus occlusal overload) and apply an appropriate method to identify and correct each.

Holistic, biological, functional — is there actually a difference, or is it all just marketing?Are root canals really dangerous — or is that just what the algorithm keeps showing your patients?When a patient wants their sound fillings out, do you test, reassure, or drill?And how do you bring sleep, diet and blood tests into a dental appointment without it stopping being dentistry?This episode sits down with Dr James Goolnik (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/james-goolnik)— clinical dentist, founder of the London holistic practice Optimal Dental Health, past President of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and one of Jaz’s earliest mentors. James openly calls himself a holistic and biological dentist, which makes him the ideal person to separate the thoughtful, evidence-aware end of this world from the online extremism that gives it a bad name. Expect a balanced, honest conversation: some of it you’ll adopt tomorrow, some of it you’ll want to pressure-test — which is exactly the point.Protrusive Dental Pearl: Dentistry Isn’t Just About Fixing TeethThis one isn’t a clinical tip — it’s a sentiment that frames the whole episode. Dentistry isn’t just about fixing teeth; it’s about improving health. You don’t have to agree with every claim made in biological dentistry — but you will struggle to disagree that a patient’s diet, sleep, breathing, stress and inflammation all influence oral health.So the pearl is simple: stay curious, stay open-minded — but stay critical, and never stop asking better questions.What You’ll Take From This EpisodeThe holistic–biological spectrum — what each word actually means, and where thoughtful practice tips into online extremism.Test or reassure? — the three-question filter for deciding whether any test earns its place before you order it.Safe amalgam removal — the SMART protocol, and when a worried patient’s sound filling should be left well alone.The mouth-body connection — how sleep, glucose control and systemic inflammation affect the mouth, and where to refer.The balanced take on root canals and implants — whether root canals are dangerous, and titanium versus ceramic with metal-allergy testing.Highlights of This Episode00:00     Teaser00:59     Holistic vs Biological Dentistry: What's the Difference?05:49    Why Listening Beats Perfect Margins in Dentistry10:29     Why Patients Started to Doubt Root Canal Treatment12:09     Mercury Fillings: Should You Remove Amalgam?14:09     The SMART Protocol for Safe Amalgam Removal19:59     The Mouth-Body Connection: Sleep, Diabetes & Alzheimer's24:59    How to Build Nutrition Into a Dental Practice26:25     Midroll34:01     Sleep Tests, Glucose Monitors and Blood Tests in Practice38:21     Is Biological Dentistry Dangerous? The Extremist Problem39:21     Are Root Canals Dangerous? A Balanced Take41:51     Titanium vs Zirconia Implants and Metal Allergy Testing46:51     When Removing a Healthy Tooth Becomes Negligent50:56    What Diet Should Dentists Actually Follow?53:41     How to Get Started in Holistic Dentistry56:30    OutroFrom the GuestDr James Goolnik is a clinical dentist and founder of Optimal Dental Health, a holistic practice in London built around integrating nutrition, sleep and whole-health screening into everyday dentistry. He is a past President of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, a member of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, and the author of “Brush” (profits to Dentaid) and the “Kick Sugar” cookbook (profits to his Rewards Project charity).👉  Optimal Dental Health — monthly practitioner newsletter, and connect with James on LinkedInWant the Toolkit?We’ve turned this episode into a practical Holistic Dentistry Clinical Toolkit — with quick-reference guides for whole-body assessment, testing, patient conversations, and navigating the holistic–biological spectrum.Download the free toolkit at www.protrusive.co.uk/biologicalReferences & Further ReadingSources and further reading from this episode:IAOMT — Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART). The protocol for safely removing amalgam (rubber-dam isolation, adsorbent rinse, sectioning, high-volume evacuation) to minimise mercury exposure for patient and team. MELISA test. A validated blood lymphocyte-transformation test for type-IV hypersensitivity to metals including titanium and mercury — used to guide titanium-vs-ceramic implant decisions. Tests, devices & materials referenced — a home overnight sleep test, a phase-contrast microscope, a national blood-testing partner, point-of-care fingerprick analysers (CRP / HbA1c), a blood/hair/urine mercury panel, continuous glucose monitors, and Biodentine for vital-pulp therapy. Want more?If you enjoyed this episode, check out: Implementing Sleep, Airway and Myo to Restorative Dentistry Part 1 — PDP262Tags#PDPMainEpisodes #Communication #BeyondDentistryListen, Subscribe, Earn CPDListen: Subscribe to the Protrusive Dental Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.This episode is eligible for 1.0 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.This episode meets GDC Outcomes C.AGD Subject Code: 150 Health, medicine and nutrition.Aim & Learning OutcomesAim: To give dentists a balanced, evidence-aware understanding of holistic and biological dentistry — what the terms mean, how to integrate whole-health thinking and appropriate testing into practice, and how to navigate patient beliefs about root canals, mercury and metal-free dentistry without abandoning the evidence base.Learning Outcomes — by the end of this episode, dentists will be able to:1. Differentiate between holistic and biological approaches to dentistry, and articulate where evidence-based, minimally invasive care ends and unsupported claims begin.2. Apply a structured decision filter to judge whether an additional test or intervention is justified — whether it will change treatment, provide a benchmark, or motivate the patient — while working within scope and referring appropriately.3. Describe t...

Injection moulding is meant to save you time. Too often it hands you a mouthful of flash and a cleanup that swallows the chair time you thought you were saving.Dr Sandra Hulac is a Clinical Instructor at the Kois Center in Seattle and an Accredited Fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. She uses full-mouth injection moulding to road-test occlusions and stabilise breaking-down dentitions, and she teaches the technique hands-on.In this episode she works through where the mess actually comes from, and how design, matrix strategy, careful PTFE and a simple cleanup protocol keep a case clean from the first injection.This episode comes with an infographic: the whole no-mess workflow on one visual guide to keep beside you during design and cleanup. Download it at protrusive.co.uk/nomess. It is the fastest way to turn this episode into something you actually use at the chair.What You’ll Take From This EpisodeMost injection-moulding mess is prevented at the design stage, through thickness targets and clear lab communication, long before any cleanup.The alternating matrix technique, injecting every other tooth, is the biggest single cleanup saver and cuts the PTFE you need.Matrices cured in a pressure pot, with a spacer protocol, give even thickness and far fewer bubbles.Thin, careful PTFE prevents distortion; bunching it interproximally creates the very excess you are trying to avoid.An S-shaped motion with a Ceri-saw and several 12-plate blades clears resin while protecting the contact.Good pre-treatment hygiene, using diluted hypochlorite or povidone-iodine rather than chlorhexidine, cuts bleeding and contamination.Highlights of this episode:00:00 Teaser00:54 Introduction02:17 Dental Pearl: Free Injection Moulding Infographic03:17 Main Interview with Dr. Sandra Hulac4:49 Innovations in Dental Education07:26 The Mess Problem in Injection Moulding15:38 Alternating Matrix Technique18:18 Every-Other-Tooth Technique27:54 Cleanup Instruments and Techniques31:35 Handling Teflon and PTFE36:41 Patient Oral Hygiene Tips37:27 Dilution protocol:39:24 Key Principles for Minimizing Mess40:42 Matrix Fabrication and Spacer Protocol43:55 Course Information and Conclusion46:19 OutroFrom the GuestMaster Full Mouth Injection Moulding in this exclusive two-day hands-on course!📅 Dates: Feb. 26-27, 2027📍 Location: Central London Venue (TBC)🌐 Learn more & secure your spot: protrusive.co.uk/FMIMWant more?Learn to treat tooth wear with injectable composite in Injectable Composites in PDP081Tags#PDPMainEpisodes, #BreadandButterDentistry, #AdhesiveDentistryListen, subscribe, and earn CPDListen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and inside Protrusive Guidance.Earn CPD: This episode is eligible for 0.75 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.Compliance: GDC Development Outcome C. AGD Subject Code 250 Operative (Restorative) Dentistry.Aim & Learning OutcomesAim: To enable dental professionals to minimise cleanup during injection moulding by optimising design, matrix use, PTFE application, and interproximal finishing techniques.By the end of this episode, dentists will be able to:Explain how proper design and lab communication can reduce composite flash and cleanup in injection moulding.Demonstrate the alternating matrix technique and the correct use of PTFE in minimising mess.Identify and use appropriate instruments and techniques for efficient interproximal cleanup after injection moulding.