Brews and Tiny Teeth, The Unfiltered Pediatric Dentistry Podcast

Dr. Gerardo Martinez is a returning guest on the show. We met up at AAPD and decided to record a podcast after flying home. We begin the conversation around changes in behavior management, and why it's ok for kids to cry at the dentist. The key is parent expectation and good communication.Dr. Martinez is also a visionary and advocate for 3D printing in pediatric dentistry. He has spent the last 5 years learning to incorporate scanning and 3D printing crowns, veneers, aligners, and appliances into his pediatric practice. We talk about first steps a practitioner can take to get started. Dr. Martinez is also hosting a CE event in Los Cabos from July 23-26. "The One Summit" has 28 CE credits with a central theme of airway, ortho, and 3D workflows. This would be a great way to get some CE this summer along with time on the beach. Even though it's a bit last minute, you can use code BTT to get $500 off registration and lodging.

Dr. Gerry Samson is a dual-trained pediatric/ortho legend and founder of Gnathos, a continuing education platform teaching pediatric dentists valuable orthodontic skills. He practiced for 40+ years and continues to lecture and teach at various institutions. His list of accolades is too extensive to list so just trust me on this... he knows a thing or two about occlusion and the growing dentition. I invited him to come on the podcast and talk about a controversial topic of his choice, so we settled on airway dentistry in pediatric patients. Some of the things we discuss:- Sleep disordered breathing- Should we be referring kids for tonsillectomies?- The value of a second opinion to limit liability- Communication tips for parents- Structuring relationship with pediatricians - Are we over-treating tongue and lip ties?

Dr. Robert Mansman is a pediatric dentist who has turned a 3 million dollar practice into an 8+ million dollar practice with multiple associates and an orthodontic clinic. His practice is in Maryland, but he lives in Florida.Dr. Rob was fantastic in being transparent with his practice numbers, and talking about his growth strategies. Some things we discuss:- How he was able grow an already established practice- How he finds and retains good associates- Why he's ok with having higher overhead to keep and reward rockstar employees- How outsourcing tasks has allowed him to scale- The importance of a good office manager, and pay structure for that position

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. 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

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. 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. Tiffany Green is a pediatric dentist from the Jackson, Mississippi area. We have a great lunchtime conversation regarding a variety of topics including:- Why dropping Delta Dental was the right move for her practice- How her love for running keeps her sharp as a pediatric dentist- Why DSOs are struggling- Dr. Green's experience and appreciation for Invisalign First, and how she incorporates ortho into her practice

This episode is all about improving communications skills and becoming a better leader. This is a topic I haven't focused on with any previous episodes, so I'm excited to bring my listeners something a little different. Dr. Randy Weinshel is a pediatric dentist with a career that expands to include military service, academics, and private practice. Health issues forced him into an early retirement from private practice, allowing him to shift gears and to focus on consulting and helping other pediatric dentists lead and operate at their highest level. Randy reviews his six fundamental principals for good leadership. We also discuss examples of what he sees with poor leaders, and where many dentists go wrong when it comes to setting a good example for their dental team.

70,000 SDF applications and 11,000 ART fillings. Dr. Jonathan Norris and his partners own 10 practices across Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. They have built their entire practice philosophy on being minimally invasive. I love having these conversations because its so interesting to see how different pediatric dentists can practice. We have a great conversation and discuss:- Their protocol for SDF and SMART fillings, when it works and when it doesn't- Why they only use glass products- Hall crowns vs modified Hall crowns- Papacarie for ART fillings- How is minimally invasive dentistry perceived by referring GPs?

Dr. Diana Pelzer is a pediatric dentist and owner of The Nest Pediatric Dentistry in Waukee, Iowa. She opened the practice from scratch in 2020 in a large modern building that she constructed at the same time. After just 5 years of being open, she added an addition on the building along with a bringing on a new associate.Dr. Pelzer has a virtual adult beverage with me as we discuss start-ups, commercial real estate as a new pediatric dentist, developing a great brand and reputation in the community, and dealing with the highs and lows of managing employees.

Dr. Karli Williams is a pediatric dentist at Black Hills Pediatric Dentistry in South Dakota. She is a partner at a large, established practice that serves children with major access to care barriers across South Dakota and the surrounding states. Her busy practice also owns and runs a stand-alone surgery center that operates with CRNAs five days a week. Carly cracks a beer and talks with me about South Dakota, treating Native children, operating a surgical center, using Equia strip crowns, and how they survived a Medicaid audit.

This episode is all about how to put a valuation on a pediatric dental practice. To help me dissect this topic, I invited on Jeffrey Moss from Moss, Luse, and Womble (MLW). MLW is a prominent accounting firm out of Texas that works with dentists from all around the country. They help approximately 150 pediatric practices with services ranging from bookkeeping, tax strategies, financial planning, and practice valuating. Jeff and I discuss the following topics:- What trends he's seeing in regards to the demand for pediatric offices- What metrics are looked at when considering high-quality practices?- What's a healthy profit margin and how is that calculated?- Is there such thing as a practice that is too big to obtain financing from a private buyer?- How does bringing on an associate who wants to eventually partner affect the valuation for both the buyer and the seller?