The Dental Hacks Podcast

How is your new patient flow? Could you use more? Our guest on the Dental Hacks today is Charles Crawford, one of the founders of Crawford and O'Brien. And even though that sounds a lot like a law firm, these guys are in business to help dentists with websites, SEO, pay-per-click ads and other strategies to help dentists bring new patients into their office. Charles gives a bunch of great information from website design to tracking exactly where your leads are coming from to help you understand your web presence and what you can do to improve it! You're going to find this interview helpful and entertaining! Our Brain Trust segment features a game of "what if?" Our intrepid panel includes Dr. Frank Clayton, Dr. Tammy Bailey, Dr. Melissa Zettler and Dr. David Scardella and we discuss what other options they were all looking at when they made the decision to become a dentist. Then we ask them what they would do if dentistry was somehow no longer an option. You'll find their answers interesting and funny and it

What do you get when you put listener favorites Dr. Tammy Bailey and Dr. Matt Standridge together with up and comer Dr. David Scardella and Brain Trust noob Dr. Chad Perry? You get an amazing episode filled with all Brain Trust goodness! The entire episode is dedicated to answering listener questions like:  How do you keep your cool when things aren't going right? What are the advantages and disadvantages of certain delivery systems? Have you used the "occlusal stamp" technique of shaping posterior composites? This episode is packed with good info and a ton of laughs! Make sure you listen to the end where Jason and Alan introduce a new segment called "Hack You" where we give our weekly recommendations of what to read, what we're listening to or what new dental gear we're trying! If you have any questions or comments for us please drop us an email at info@dentalhacks.com or find us (and like us!) at www.facebook.com/dentalhacks. Or, if you prefer...give us a call at (866) 223-5257 and leave us a message.

There are a lot of options for a new dentist. Associateships, "corporate" dentistry, residencies and even...prison dentistry! We continue our interview with Dr. Michael Keller about his experience as a dentist in the Delaware prison system, as well as how he's negotiated associateships. You'll notice that the dentists we've featured in the last two episodes have had a very diverse experiences early in their careers! In this week's Brain Trust segment we continue our conversation with new dentists Dr. David Scardella, Dr. Rich Weber, Dr. Drew Byrnes and Dr. Richard Low. Each of the panel describes a dental horror story they've experienced and then we discuss loan repayment strategies for new dentists. If you have any questions or comments for us please drop us an email at info@dentalhacks.com or find us (and like us!) at www.facebook.com/dentalhacks. Or, if you prefer...give us a call at (866) 223-5257 and leave us a message. You might be played in the show! If you like us, why not leave us a review on iTun

Our original "New Dentist Extravaganzas" were so popular that we decided to do some more! In our interview segment this week, we talk with Dr. Mike Keller. He's a relatively new graduate with some amazing stories. Mike is an associate dentist as well as a "prison dentist." He tells us how things work in the prison system, the pros and cons and even how to get your very own prison nickname! In the Brain Trust, we talk with Dr. Richard Low (a brand new grad working in the army), Dr. Drew Byrnes (with experience as both an associate and a practice owner and return guests Dr. Rich Weber and Dr. David Scardella. They put a pretty positive spin on what's happening for new grads and what life is like for young dentists in 2015. If you have any questions or comments for us please drop us an email at info@dentalhacks.com or find us (and like us!) at www.facebook.com/dentalhacks. Or, if you prefer...give us a call at (866) 223-5257 and leave us a message. You might be played in the show! If you like us, why not le

Posterior composites are a mainstay of general dentists. A lot of us do them all day long and we're comfortable. Then we run across case presentations on DentalTown or Facebook that make us rethink our approach. Some dentists have created techniques to take posterior composites from "just a filling" to full blown dental porn. In episode 60 we get to talk to three of these dentists! Dr. Art Volker, Dr. Matt Costa and Dr. Stephen Kuzmak are three young clinician's who have committed to better composite techniques. In today's episode, you'll hear about what inspired them, how they learned these techniques and everything you need to know to follow their path. The best part about these amazing dentists is that they are accessible. You'll hear how funny and approachable they are and you'll learn hear about the course they're offering in October 2015.  If you have any questions or comments for us please drop us an email at info@dentalhacks.com or find us (and like us!) at www.facebook.com/dentalhacks. Or, if you

Could I go to prison for poor record keeping? How afraid should I be of the government, the state board or insurance companies. In episode 59 of the DentalHacks podcast we talk to Todd Zettler about this and more! Todd is married to Dr. Melissa Zettler who is a regular on our very own Brain Trust. However, he's also a lawyer and prosecutor for Scott county Minnesota. He's a legal expert and listener to the podcast, so we just knew we had to have him on! Todd sets the record straight on the real legal risks dentists have in every day practice. We also talk about embezzlement, the Minnesota Care tax and even a legal perspective on premedication for joint replacement patients! This is a unique interview that you shouldn't miss! In the Brain Trust segment we continue with an all star panels discussing how to bring a new dentist into an existing practice. The panel (consisting of Dr. Tarun Agarwal, Dr. Melissa Zettler, Dr. Lance Timmerman and DentalHacks hosts Dr. Jason Lipscomb and Dr. Alan Mead) cover tons of

Every dentist has heard stories. If you become a paying customer, will Yelp get rid of bad reviews? Does Yelp manipulate the reviews you get if you don't pay them? In episode 58, Jason and Alan ask the questions you've always wanted to ask Yelp. Morgan Remmers, Yelp's manager of local business outreach, returns to give you the straight story about Yelp ads, dealing with crazy reviewers and all the conspiracy theories. Her answers may change the way you look at review sites forever! The Brain Trust features a discussion of how to transition a new doctor into a dental practice. Whether you've just purchased a practice from an existing dentist, you're a new associate or you're thinking of bringing in an associate, it's valuable to know the best way to handle the transition. So...we asked the Brain Trust! Dr. Lance Timmerman, Dr. Tarun Agarwal and Dr. Melissa Zettler join Jason and Alan to discuss how you manage the existing team and doctor when a new doctor comes into the practice. This listener generated subj

Episode 57 features an interview with Morgan Remmers, the manager of local business outreach of Yelp. Yelp is a very hot topic with dentists now that your patients can tell the world about their experience at your office. Morgan explains how Yelp started, why certain reviews show up while others don't and what kind of patients are likely to review you. You'll hear how you can claim and promote your own Yelp page to the advantage of your business. If you've ever wanted to know how the heck Yelp works, Morgan fills us in! In our Brain Trust segment we continue a discussion about treating family, friends and dental teams that we started a few episodes ago. You'll hear how Dr. Melissa Zettler, Dr. Dawn Kulongowski and Dr. Andy Hayes have dealt with (and been burned by) treating. The Brain Trust offers a simple (but not easy) solution to these problems that pretty much works all the time as long as you're willing to do it! If you have any questions or comments for us please drop us an email at info@dentalhacks.

In this bonus episode of the DentalHacks podcast you get to be a fly on the wall with a couple of Brain Trust favorites. You'l hear Dr. Brent Young, Dr. Andy Hayes and co host Dr. Alan Mead talk about CBCTs, dental school, video games, Jared from Subway and the worst mutation you could ever have as an X-man. Enjoy! If you have any questions or comments for us please drop us an email at info@dentalhacks.com or find us (and like us!) at www.facebook.com/dentalhacks. Or, if you prefer...give us a call at (866) 223-5257 and leave us a message. You might be played in the show! If you like us, why not leave us a review on iTunes? It helps us get found by like minded people and might even help us get into "What's Hot" in the iTunes store! Go to this link and let the world know about the DentalHacks! Finally, if you aren't an Apple person, consider reviewing us on Stitcher at: stitcher.com/podcast/the-dentalhacks-podcast!

How badly did you want to go to dental school? How many rejections would it have taken for you to decide dental school wasn't for you? Or were you like Dr. Mark Costes and wouldn't take no for an answer? Today's episode features Dr. Mark Costes, a succesful multiple practice owner, dental practice coach and entrepreneur. He tells us about some of the challenges he had to overcome to become a dentist and how he's leveraged his dental training to become much more than just a practicing dentist. Case in point...Jason had Dr. Costes analyze his practice and talked about where you might decrease overhead (hint: dental supplies and lab fees are a pet peeve of his!). Dr. Costes is also a dental podcaster and you can find his show, The Dentalpreneur Podcast on iTunes or on his website: www.truedentalsuccess.com. We're fans of what he's doing for the profession and we think you will be too! If you have any questions or comments for us please drop us an email at info@dentalhacks.com or find us (and like us!) at www

This might be the most important episode of the DentalHacks podcast that we've ever done. In today's episode we interview Dr. Roy Shelburne. Dr. Shelburne has become a rock star on the speaking circuit because of his experience being prosecuted by the federal government for fraudulent billing for dental services. He spent 19 months in prison for things that you may be unknowingly doing in your practice. Dr. Shelburne speaks all over the country helping dentists with their record keeping in an effort to avoid the life changing consequences he experienced. You'll hear these questions answered: do you understand "intent to defraud?" how can you establish that a treatment is "medically necessary?" what systems should you add to your record keeping to avoid trouble? how do you set up audits in your office to catch billing and record keeping mistakes? why should we get rid of paper charts once and for all? Dentists, you need to listen to this. But maybe more importantly your team really needs to hear this. Dr.

The key to local search is reviews. Good reviews not only get you in that coveted "7 pack" on Google, but new patients read reviews that your patients write, and often choose based on excellent reviews! But every dentist who has tried to get reviews, particularly Google reviews, knows that it's not easy. In today's episode, local search rock star Darren Shaw offers more tips on crushing local search and specifically explains the new "reputation builder" tool offered by Whitespark. Whitespark has offered a special code for DentalHacks listeners. Use the code "dentalhacks15" at checkout and you'll receive discounts on various Whitespark products! A few topics we talk with Darren about: What does Darren mean by "be the answer" as a strategy? How does content creation make a difference in local search? Why should your website be created on Wordpress? How important is mobile (rhymes "go mile" when Darren pronounces it!)? How hard is it to change your website to mobile friendly? How often should you update your w

The local pack. The 7 little balloons that show up on that Google Map when someone is looking for a dentist in your town. If you show up there, you're going to drive new patients to your practice. Period. Darren Shaw of Whitespark, a company that helps you improve your local search visibility, answers all kinds of questions in today's interview including: What's the difference between organic search and local search? What is a citation and why should we care? What's the difference between a direct and indirect citation? If you're doing a startup, at what point should you create/claim your local listings? How should you handle local listings if you have multiple dentists in group? How do you handle a local listing if you've changed jobs or moved your office? Do citations have to be perfectly consistent? What kind of variations are O.K.? On top of this, Darren talks about the importance of blogging. Which makes this blogger very happy. Plus...if you use the code "dentalhacks15" you'll get a discounted rate

Marketing is most effective when the content created is original and specific to the office. Todd Murray of Paper Napkin Marketing explains how dentists can leverage their assets to help make amazing marketing that fits their practice. Sure, using top notch video helps, but what about getting your team involved? How about spreading the word about how involved in the community your office is? Finally, Todd helps Alan understand that an entire marketing campaign needs to fit together. Blog posts are great, but how about making sure it fits with the message you want to send? This is another dental marketing "deep dive" that you won't want to miss! Here's a sample of the kind of content that Paper Napkin can create for your practice! The Brain Trust returns with an all star cast in episode 52. Dr. Frank Clayton, Dr. Tammy Bailey, Dr. Matt Standridge, Dr. Brent Young and Dr. Rich Rosenblatt all discuss handling the "unreasonables." How do you handle people with ridiculous expectations or terrible attitudes? W

Paper Napkin Marketing. Maybe you've never heard of them. But you will. In episode 51 of the DentalHacks podcast we talk with one of the founders of this innovative and completely different kind of dental marketing company. I first met Todd Murray on Facebook. He's a listener and a fan of the show and his first line to me was: "I wanted to take a moment and introduce Paper Napkin Marketing and share with you the best dental commercial you've ever seen. I guarantee it!" I was intrigued, saw the commercial, and immediately knew he had to be a guest on the DentalHacks. We talk about dental marketing and how he came to use his marketing skills and experience in the dental field and we discuss some specific problems that dentists face in marketing. The Brain Trust segment continues our discussion about referring patients to specialists, bringing specialists into your office. One of the best tangents that the Brain Trust takes this week is how not to take your patient's hangups so personally. Very good stuff!

Episode 50 continues our conversation with pediatric dentist and educator Dr. Josh Wren. Do pediatric dentists use stainless steel crowns too much? Should you allow parents in the operatory? What kind of sedation does he recommend? What's the recommended procedure for pulpotomies? The DentalHacks deliver on bread and butter pediatric dentistry tips in this episode! Be sure to check out pediatricdentalce.com for dates of Josh's courses! The Brain Trust returns in episode 50 discussing what, when and how we refer to specialists. Join Dr. Lance Timmerman, Dr. Melissa Zettler, Dr. Dawn Kulongowski, Dr. Frank Clayton and (eventually) Dr. Tarun Agarwal as they talk about how they work with specialist. Refer to a specialist's office? Bring a specialist into your office? You'll hear about all kinds of ways to involve specialists in your patient's care and what's working for others! If you have any questions or comments for us please drop us an email at info@dentalhacks.com or find us (and like us!) at www.facebook

In episode 49 the DentalHacks are trying something a little different. We've gotten feedback from a few listeners that they would prefer an entire long form interview on the show instead of splitting them over more than one show. So for those folks, we're trying it out. And there's no one better to do a deep dive with than Dr. Rella Christensen. Rella Christensen was one of the founders of Clinical Research Associates (now TRAC). They've essentially been the "Consumers Reports" for dentistry for the better part of 40 years and you won't find anyone more knowledgeable on dentistry and dental materials than Rella. Our interview shows her kind demeanor as well as her no nonsense treatment of the data. She's going to change some minds with her discussion of modern crown and bridge materials, particularly monolithic zirconia and she's probably going to ruffle some feathers when she talks about enamel remineralization protocols and how everything we think we know about remineralization is wrong! Oh...and don't g

Jason Lipscomb wrote the book on Social Media for Dentists. No...seriously. He wrote the book on it. He knows a little something about Facebook and how to use it for your dental practice. Alan Mead writes blogs and has been since 2008. Howard Farran said, "I actually think the best blogger in America is Alan Mead..." So, there's that. What I'm saying is that your humble hosts have a little something to say about social media! In today's episode, we talk about how your office can have an authentic presence online, whether it's Facebook, Linkedin, an office blog or Twitter. We cover some strategies you can use today to improve your personal or office social media footprint. If you have any questions or comments for us please drop us an email at info@dentalhacks.com or find us (and like us!) at www.facebook.com/dentalhacks. Or, if you prefer...give us a call at (866) 223-5257 and leave us a message. You might be played in the show! If you like us, why not leave us a review on iTunes? It helps us get found by

You're a general dentist that sees kids, but you know you could do more and better. Continuing education in pediatrics seems pretty limited but you'd love to really improve this part of your practice. Enter Dr. Josh Wren, pediatric dentist and this week's DentalHacks interview! We get right into listener questions in this interview...you might want to listen with a note pad. Josh deli vers a bunch of actionable items from the first minute! Josh offers hands on pediatric dental CE, too! Check that out at: pediatricdentalce.com. FYI...the DentalHacks are kicking around the idea of October 30th in Disneyworld! A little pediatric dentistry CE and then trick or treating with the mouse! Our Brain Trust segment continues our conversation about general dentists doing "specialty procedures." The panel include Dr. Matt Standridge, Dr. Tammy Bailey, Dr. Melissa Zettler and Dr. Frank Clayton. As always, they cut through the bull and explain that general dentists working with specialists is going to give the best result

We feature the blood boiling second half of our interview with Justin Ditkofsky of Cirrus Consulting Group. Did you know that some leases allow the landlord to hold up the sale of a dental practice? And how about having no lease and just going month to month? This is really valuable information from a really great source! You can reach Justin on his direct, toll free number at: (866) 739-9075, ext. 3236 Our Brain Trust segment features an all star line up of panelists: Dr. Tammy Bailey, Dr. Frank Clayton, Dr. Melissa Zettler and Dr. Matthew Standridge. We discuss the topic of general dentists doing "specialty" procedures. Every few months there always seems to be an expose that features some dental specialist warning the public about undertrained dentists doing procedures that they aren't qualified to do. Is this a real problem? Is this just turf protection? Listen to the interesting and hilarious take of our always entertaining Brain Trust! If you have any questions or comments for us please drop us an em