The Dental Hacks Podcast

Partnerships in dentistry. You've heard the stories. A couple years ago, my friends Dr. Chris Ramsey and Dr. Rob Ritter joined me to talk about what it takes to have a successful dental partnership and the amazing course they've designed to show you execute the kind of dentistry that you want to do from consult to finished case! Some of the topics they discussed were: When do you renovate your office and what kind of dental office decor stays "timeless." "The Protocol" is a course that Ritter and Ramsey designed to show people HOW they execute the broader concepts that you might learn from Spear, Kois or Pankey. A complete workflow from consult to finished case The benefits of small group learning in combination with hands on. Dental partnerships are notoriously bad! How Ritter found Ramsey The mechanics of a long term dental partnership "You can't have two kings in the castle" is the WRONG way to look at things. You work for the partnership and the partnership is bigger than any one pers

Kevin and Zach welcome a very special guest this week...Charlie Fryer! That would be Kevin's son!  Charlie isn't a dentist. In fact, he's a chemical engineer! But he knows a thing or two about AI. If you've ever wondered how AI will apply itself in dentistry, this episode is a deep dive with a VERY smart dude! Kevin's endo course in Raleigh, NC on Groundhog Day 2024! Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook," McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb." The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “verydental10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Ag

In today's throwback episode Alan talks about 4 words he avoids using with patients.  The four words he discusses: Small (in terms of dental disease) Dental "Insurance" Expensive Painful Do you have any words you try and avoid during patient communication? Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full ser

In this throwback episode (from 2021), Alan is joined by his friend Dr. Brett Kessler, who was recently announced as the ADA president elect! They have a VERY frank talk about how people make changes in their lives. Both of them are in long term recovery from drugs and alcohol which gives them an interesting perspective on how people make behavior changes in their life. Some of the topics we discuss are: The "time machine" game and how our past experiences are formative How do recovering people deal with social situations where people are drinking? Dentists suffered during COVID because so much was out of their control How do people make positive changes in their behavior? Running sucks Counting streaks Results don't come fast enough to drive early motivation...so how do we maintain motivation? Did fear of COVID change Al's behavior? How much dental disease is preventable by behavior change (home care, diet, smoking, etc.)? Is behavior change a simple matter of education? (spoiler: hell no!) Consequences can

Today's throwback episode features Dr. Frank Clayton and Irene Iancu (aka: Toothlife.Irene) running the Very Clinical 2022 gauntlet for your entertainment! A quick refresher...here are the questions the guys asked their guests! The questions: How did COVID affect your practice? You have to have a crown on #2...what material do you choose? Did you/would you place sealant on your own children? Your significant other needs ortho...wires/brackets or aligners? If your own #29 needed endo/core and crown/crown lengthening, would you do it or go right to an implant? If your significant other had a slight diastema between 8 and 9 would you suggest ortho, resin or porcelain? Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook," McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb." The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from co

Mohammed features a returning guest to talk about getting started in your dental career! Dr. Kurren Virk (last featured as he was finishing up an AEGD residency) explains how he found his first gig and how it's going! Some links from the show: Dental Practice Matchmakers on Facebook Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From

Dr. Zach Meiners is the second member of the dynamic duo from the Very Clinical podcast! But you might know him from his original podcast "DOPE (dentists on phones, eating) Lunch!" Zach and Al have a wide ranging conversation this episode. Some of the highlights include: Zach's early social media turn offs and how podcasts brought him back to online dental stuff Bitewings at crown seats? Yes, no and when! We talk about lunch as a dental office institution Nonsexy instruments that come through in the dental office What do you do when your crown prep STARTS with a big undercut? Some links from the show: DOPE Lunch Podcast! giving some love to Keating Dental Lab 38 Smiles Dental Lab  Karl Schumacher Spade Proximator Teflon tape Septodont Paroject Christensen crown remover Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at V

For the 2023 holiday season we're giving you the gift of the very best live podcasting concept ever conceived! At VoD 2022 Kevin and Zach pitched a bunch of clinical scenarios to many many guests at VoD and got fantastic answers throughout the weekend! This made for podcasting gold and we're going to replay them throughout the holiday season!  Today's episode features Kevin and Zach pitching the scenarios and then they bring on Dr. Abe Hoellrich of Columbus, OH to answer! Happy Holidays from the whole VDPN team and enjoy! The questions: How did COVID affect your practice? You have to have a crown on #2...what material do you choose? Did you/would you place sealant on your own children? Your significant other needs ortho...wires/brackets or aligners? If your own #29 needed endo/core and crown/crown lengthening, would you do it or go right to an implant? If your significant other had a slight diastema between 8 and 9 would you suggest ortho, resin or porcelain? Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the pa

Why does a cranky 52 year old podcasting dentist get to write the "Rules for Influencers?" Because it's my show, that's why. As a 15+ year content creator (blogging and podcasting, etc.) I've got thoughts about the concept of "influencer." I spell out the rules that influencers seem to follow from my viewpoint. Do you disagree? Then you should... ...join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically

Alan is joined by the one and only Dr. Kevin Fryer of the Very Clinical podcast! The conversation was fun and wide ranging but we focused hard on EFDAs and Kevin's use of them! Schrodinger's Weed Black Friday Browns/Lions superbowl? How Kevin started using EFDAs (he was originally against EFDAs) EFDA workflows ("mini associates") Kevin's "selling time" concept and how EFDAs make this work. EFDA training (Case Western is Kevin's go to) Kevin and Al's very first patients in dental school University of Minnesota's branding mistakes Anesthesia in Kevin's office Dental Therapists and Restorative Hygienists Some links from the show: Black Friday by Steely Dan State by state rules of allowable dental assistant responsibilities Endo Pilot and Procodile Files Kevin's Endo course The Minnesota Rouser (the worst college fight song) Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to downloa

Kevin and Zach take a seconed bite at the apple while answering even more questions from the socials! The topics include: What does Zach think about when polishing composite veneers? Kevin's "massage" routine (he prefers the isolation/float tank) How do you save $.10 on bonding agent? What are the plans for the guys for the ski season? When is Zach going to start ortho? Is dentistry still a good career path? Too much Mahomes? How much do you trust bonding vs. traditional resistance and retention? What kind of CE are you taking in 2024? What would Kevin have named the Cleveland Indians? (Go Caucs!) What do you think about the new Beatles song? Some links from the show: Outlive by Peter Attia Nathan for You "Now and Then" by the Beatles If you want to interact with us, head over to the Very Clinical Facebook Group! Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook," McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb." The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’

It's easy to remember patient interactions that went poorly. Why is it so hard to remember the great one? There is this thing called "Frequency Illusion" (aka: The Baader-Meinhoff phenomenon) that we humans fall prey to. Why is it that after you buy a car that you see a whole bunch of those cars on the road? Are there really more of them on the road than before you bought it? Or is it your focus and your brain that makes you notice them ALL THE TIME! This tendency is used by marketing companies to make us think the product we're looking at is more common and desirable than it probably is. And social media pours gasoline on this fire! What about when you have a poor patient interaction? Your brain can remember every bad patient visit you've ever had and all the sudden you have a hard time remembering the good ones. Al has a couple feelgood tricks to help break through frequency illusion that will definitely help! Some links from the show: Frequency Illusion Wikipedia Join the Very Dental Facebook group usin

Gen X has seen a lot. We've been around for the introduction of cable tv through the smartphone and social media. Gen X dentists started practicing in the "golden age of cosmetic dentistry" of the 90's and we've seen a lot of change. Some of it for the better and quite a bit of it for the worse. Al is joined by Dr. Craig Harder to talk about some of these changes. Both Craig and Al were practice owners early in their careers and owned practices at the turn of the century. Their wide ranging discussion covered all kinds of topics: Drake the black lab/bird dog Yellow page ads David Hornbrook's mullet "Instant orthodontics" Profitable after 3 months! Dental benefits and bang for the buck "The amount of money you made was directly proportional to the number of hours that you worked."  Texting is the new junk mail Al's first cell phone (1991 Infiniti Q45) "Patients are able to blow off dental appointments with new and impressive technologies!" Medical insurance has wrecked patient understanding of money in health

Kevin and Zach answer questions and concerns from the interwebs! The topics include: Taylor Swift's veneers Kevin's hair care routine What does it take to change one of your favorite materials? Would you steal a tray of cookies from a hotel lobby? What implant brand are you using, when is the next course? Worst stories from dental school What podcasts do you listen to? Kevin:  Joe Rogan Dentistry Made Simple Huberman Lab Zach This is Important The Rewatchables If you want to interact with us, head over to the Very Clinical Facebook Group! Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook," McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb." The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to veryden

Mohammed is joined once again by Dr. Kevin Harland. Kevin is a recent grad of the University of Oklahoma School of Dentistry. This conversation focuses on Kevin's first few months in private practice. Every dentist has to handle the transition into dental practice and Kevin gives an interesting peek into what it's been like for him!  Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop

Alan is joined by Kate Reinert who is a dental assistant who now works with Zirc Dental Products as a clinical efficiency consultant. We had a wide ranging conversation where we talked about implementing new procedures (from the standpoint of the team) as well as helping find and fix "pain points" in clinical systems. Zirc Dental Products is a company that basically helps offices understand how much better things can be in the dental office! Some topics we covered: implementing new procedures finding pain points the history of "processing dental instruments" Central Sterilization as the "heart of the dental office" "Instrument creep" and how cassettes can fix it Say no to cabinets and lean operatories Get Zirc involved DURING the design process Getting rid of the "hit by the bus" notebook and reducing training time The advantages of resin Some links from the show: Zirc's website The Color Method Get your free sample of the Crystal HD mirror  

Alan is joined by Dr. Jason Smithson as a co-host of the Very Dental Podcast! Jason continues to teach restorative dentistry all over the world and we start our wide ranging conversation contrasting the kinds of students he sees in different parts of the world. Is basic restorative dentistry being overlooked in continuing education? Patients asking for composite veneers? Why not aim at quadrants/sextants of restorative dentistry? Quicker and more predictable than full arch The "medium sized case" hits the sweet spot Full arch vs. quadrant cash flow The patients you would least expect to be picky Grey hair = you look like you should know how to do that Some links from the show: Jason teaching ECR at Spear Education Jason's upcoming courses Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little lo

Dr. Adam Frounfelter joins the guys again, this time talking about tooth replacement therapy. They dig in to the 3D Dentists course on implant placement from extraction/grafting to final restoration! Some links from the show: 3D Dentists 3D Dentists Digital Implant Continuum If you want to interact with us, head over to the Very Clinical Facebook Group! Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook," McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb." The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “verydental10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basica

One of the reasons we consistently do things a certain way is due to the lack of friction. Creating systems is all well and good, but when given a choice humans tend to do the easiest thing. And often the easiest thing is the thing that we're used to. Making changes in the way we do things requires: A commitment to change Reducing the friction of the new way as much as possible These two things won’t guarantee success in changing how we do things. But they make a huge difference.  In today's episode I talk about some of the struggles I've had in doing things the way that I want to do them vs. the way we've always done them. And how I'm reducing friction to make change easier for myself and the whole office. Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -

Dr. Paul Etchison has recently been evaluating what it feels like to be a patient in his office. He takes the patient experience pretty seriously, but since dentistry really sets the bar low (and medicine sets it even lower), he's on a mission to make it amazing! He's got some thoughts: Reviews: good, bad and ugly Is the bar set low? (yes, yes it is) Paul was an advertising major...priming TVs on the ceiling Touch points and team perspective Poo pouri and Paul Operatory set ups and consistency Complimenting the team during hand offs How often is the dentist in their own chair? No one is talking about your bond strength! Ask your assistant to do an impression of you Role paying sucks, but it's really helpful Running in to patients out of the office The "automatic introduction" trick with your spouse Buy Paul's second book and review it Dancing at hands on implant courses Some links from the show: Dental Practice Heroes podcast Paul's SECOND book: Dental Practice Hero II: the sequel Join the Very Dental Fa