Dental Slang With Dr. Christopher Phelps And Dr. Jodi Danna

This episode of the Dental Slang Podcast is special because we’re talking to one of the most innovative dentists in the industry, Dr. Gina Dorfman. Dr. Dorfman, the co-founder of YAPI, knew she wanted to be a dentist at 16, but running her own business was her ultimate goal. Fast forward two decades later and not only does she have her own dental practice, she’s also created a signature piece of software that’s changing the way we run our offices. YAPI is an automated software program that integrates into existing practice management software to streamline tedious day-to-day office activities. Data entry, scans and appointment calendars are all automated so you and your team members can spend time working as humans should. Like Dr. Dorfman says, “Let software do what software does best: busywork.” Humans are good at building relationships. When you streamline your dental office’s busywork and communication, you can spend more time building the relationships that matter most—those with your patients and your t

We’re learning the slang of a very distinguished dentist on this episode of The Dental Slang Podcast. Dr. Bill Dickerson has quite the resume - he’s the founder and CEO of the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies, he’s a published author (more than just dental books too!), and he was also one of Jodi’s favorite professors while she studied at Baylor. But we aren’t just talking about classroom studies today. Dr. Bill is here to discuss what he’s been focusing on for the past twenty years: transforming the dental industry.  Like many of us dentists, Dr. Bill was burnt out on the traditional approach to dental care. The stuffy offices, the lagging technology, even the lack of physiological-based treatments really took a toll on what used to be his passion. He sought out help to get his passion back, and he’s sharing with us how his mentors helped change his attitude and break him out of that disenchanted rut.  Sometimes, people get stuck in a routine so long that the idea of changing seems preposterous

Dr. Amy Creech-Gionis is popping in on the Dental Slang Podcast today all the way from Florida. She’s bounced around different kinds of dental offices during her career in Tampa and has pretty much seen it all. She started in a small downtown office and worked her way through DSOs and family practices to get to where she is today. She has a good sense of what she likes to do, what she doesn’t like to do, and how it’s all influencing the future she’s building for herself in the dental industry. Amy wants what’s best for all of us practicing dentists. And for her, what’s best means becoming proficient in as many aspects of dental care as we can to give our patients the best care possible. If you couldn’t tell, Amy really loves to learn. Learning as much as she can about dentistry helps her adapt to all the changes coming to the industry. It’s important to be flexible right now, and Amy discusses a few of the ways she is flexible and how the rest of us can stay ahead of the game. The old ways of dentistry are fa

It’s rare to find a talented, business savvy practitioner who’s also an advocate for the dental community. Dr. Tony Feck is one of those clinicians, which is why we’re so excited to have him on today’s episode of the Dental Slang Podcast. This mentor and coach founded the Sunrise Dental Solutions community, which is known for bringing dentists together to offer help and support.   We all know dentists have an aversion to change, and Tony says that’s one of the biggest challenges he faces when teaching clinicians. Dentists may spend more money on mentors than any other industry, but we’re still reluctant to make big changes. Whether it’s time or money—or even fear of the unknown—it seems like something always stops us from implementing new technologies and techniques into our practices. To fight this, Tony recommends getting your staff involved in your education. The next time you go to a seminar or meet with your mentor, consider bringing some of your team members along, or at least share what you learned wit

Welcome back, Slangers! Our guest today, Dr. Amanda Seay, is a comprehensive restorative dentistry guru with several accolades in dental aesthetics and cosmetic dentistry. She’s also been developing several fresh techniques for dental photography with fellow Dental Slanger Dr. Adamo Notarantino, which she will be teaching in their upcoming courses for 2020. We talk a little bit about those courses on today’s episode, but mostly we’re chatting about what it takes to get to the dental status Dr. Amanda is at. The education, the mentorships, and the experiences are all at the heart of what makes Dr. Amanda such a stellar member of our community. The only thing left for her to do at this point is to start her own academy, which she has, sort of.  Amanda started a small group of lady dentists who come together to chat, collaborate, and bounce ideas off one another in one very clever way. These ladies get together at one another’s offices and go through each other’s desk drawers asking about dental tools, technique

It’s time for another episode of the Dental Slang Podcast! Today’s guest is a true dental legend. Dr. Michael Cohen is the founder of the Seattle Study Club, and he’s hopping on the mic today fresh from a presentation in Copenhagen. The topic of that presentation—dental education—comes up in today’s episode, but first we discuss what inspired him to found one of the most well-known study clubs in the dental community. The creation of the Seattle Study Club network stemmed from a need for continuing education. In the early days, these study clubs were more social gatherings than they were an exchange of ideas. Michael wanted to give dentists the opportunity to interact clinically, tap into what he calls their own “databanks of knowledge,” and ultimately become more proficient at diagnostics and treatment planning by working together. The power of collaboration inspired Michael to create this “university without walls.” He went back to school to learn how to better deliver continuing education, allowing him to

We really like what Nobel Biocare is doing for the dental industry. This company thinks outside the box and isn’t afraid to question all the “tried-and-true” practices we’ve been comfortable using for decades. But it’s time for a change, and Dr. Scott MacLean, an international lecturer for Nobel Biocare, is on The Dental Slang Podcast to talk about the new era in dentistry.  Scott calls the changes coming to the dental industry a “renaissance.” He specializes in dental implants, and he’s sharing some big news about the new procedures, tools, and products we can expect to see over the next few months. More importantly, he’s sharing this amazing news on social media, a marketing niche many dentists haven’t quite figured out yet. So, while Scott talks to us about implantology, he also lets us in on how he uses social media to share dentistry’s latest tools and techniques. Scott’s social media strategy stresses how important content is, and he tells us which tools and apps he uses to create stellar content. Scott

Dr. Adamo Notarantonio may be one of the most accredited cosmetic dentists in the country, but he also has another talent that we’re showcasing on this episode of The Dental Slang Podcast: photography. If you haven’t signed up for one of the COLLIDEoSCOPE photography courses with Adamo and his partner, Dr. Amanda Seay, this podcast just might be the inspiration you need. Adamo discusses the blessing and the curse that is social media and how we, as dentists, can use it to grow our practices. That means learning how to properly use a professional camera and not just relying on our iPhones. Social media is so much more than marketing. As a cosmetic dentist, Adamo sees Instagram as an opportunity to showcase his work and to interact with fellow dentists. He knows how to use lighting to his advantage and how to take the right kinds of photos. Of course, this isn’t a talent he developed overnight. He developed his eye for photography while earning his accreditation—and eventual fellowship—at the American Academy o

If you’ve been avoiding endodontics in your dental career, today’s episode of The Dental Slang Podcast is for you. Dr. Bill Nudera is here to put your mind at ease about every aspect of endodontic procedures. Bill has served as a dentist in the Air Force, earned an MA in oral sciences, and has been running his own full-time practice for 20 years. In his prolific career, he’s seen (and learned) a thing or two about what not to do when treating endodontic cases. It was Bill’s time in the Air Force that really set the foundation for his career. He was lucky enough to be stationed with another endodontist who donned the mentor’s cap and showed Bill the ropes when it came to endodontic concepts, principles and techniques. For two years, this board-certified endodontist critiqued Bill’s work, giving him the opportunity to hone his skills and become the dentist he is today. Bill also learned how important it is to have a mentor, and now he’s paying it forward. In this episode, Bill steps into that mentoring role and

Welcome back, Dental Slangers! Dr. David Little is joining us on today’s episode. David is the co-founder and Clinical Director of Little Implant Co., one of our favorite suppliers. And it isn’t just the company’s high-quality dental implants that puts it on the top of our list. It’s David’s passion for education and mentorship that inspires us. David is what we call a “seasoned” dentist. When he’s not managing his multidisciplinary practice in San Antonio, he’s teaching live surgeries, implant procedures, and other hands-on educational programs for dentists of all skill levels. What he’s teaching dentists these days—including the both of us—makes us all want to be better clinicians, especially when it comes to dental implants. Dental implants aren’t the niche procedure they used to be. In our opinion, they’re the future of dentistry. We can’t all do fillings and root canals forever, and David is on today to talk about how easy it is to bring implant dentistry to your practice. Mentors are the secret ingredie

Welcome back to the Dental Slang Podcast! We’ve got a wonderful guest today. Dr. Parag Kachalia is talking with us from California, from the heart of Silicon Valley, and he’s sharing some serious knowledge bombs when it comes to the future of dental technology. Dr. Parag is one of the Seattle Study Club’s Top 10 Young Educators, so you’re guaranteed to learn a little something on today’s episode.  First and foremost you will learn what Dr. Parag is a traveling man. He and his family take a trip abroad every year, but he’s also traveling a lot for work. He hops on a plane every Thursday, he says, whether it’s for lectures on digital technology or guest speeches on restorative dentistry for fellow dentists. He’s managed to find that balance between traveling for work and for pleasure and he’s sharing that secret with us today.  Other secrets will be revealed in today’s episode, including where and how you can find a different kind of dental mentor. We’ve talking about mentors before on our podcast, after all -

This episode of The Dental Slang Podcast is an important one. Dr. Paul Goodman of Dental Nachos fame is joining us today to talk about how we can all work together to create a more positive influence in the dental community. More specifically, Paul shares his strategy for engaging with fellow dentists not only online but face-to-face. Meetups are an important part of Paul’s engagement strategy, and you’ll hear why in today’s episode. When Paul isn’t engaging with his Nacho community or speaking on his own podcast - The Dental Amigos - Paul is working hard at helping dentists fresh out of dental school. We all know that dental school isn’t the most positive environment to start your career, and Paul is working to change the way we learn and engage with one another that challenges this traditional education model. There are so many different ways to connect with other dentists, and Paul shares the strategies that work best for him and all the BADs, MADs, and SADs that he’s working with.  Dentists these days nee

You might recognize today’s guest as one of our sponsors, but we just can’t get talk highly enough about our Berman dental instruments. That’s why we brought Dr. Lou Berman, founder of Berman Dental Instruments, onto the podcast today. As an entrepreneur of many ventures, Lou’s got plenty of slang to spare. Working across different industries not only “heightened his business acumen” as he says, but it also helped him become a better dentist.  If you think there aren’t many business opportunities for dentists these days, think again. Lou’s seen it all, from community banking to real estate investment. This kind of experience and access to information helped shaped the way Lou learned why things are done the way are, inspiring him to find ways to do it better. This kind of attitude ultimately inspired him to launch the business we all know him for today - Berman Dental Instruments. But before we get into all that business talk, we talk first about Lou’s career as a dentist. He’ll say he’s been practicing since

If you’re looking for new dental slang, today’s episode is for you. Coming fresh off a great dental day today, and Jodi is sharing some of her new slang right off the bat. Our guest today, Dr. Paul Feuerstein, also shares the slang he learned in his first week of practicing dentistry, but that’s not all he’s talking about today. The godfather of dental technology has his own tips and tricks for using slang to boost the morale at your dental office.  Paul is a real rockstar in the dental office. He may have turned down a year of traveling on the road with his band to finish dental school, but he still plays guitar a few times a month with friends and brings that rockstar performance into his dental practice. Paul’s speciality is restorative dentistry, and he’s been working with the same assistant for twenty years. Working this closely with someone means their slang is sometimes just a nod or a wink, but his strategy is really about including the patient in on the fun. As dentists, we’re often up close and pers

It might be a little early, but I’m calling it - today’s guest is our favorite by far!  Dr. Alan Mead is a podcasting guru and one of the inspirations behind the production of the Dental Slang podcast. Alan has been listening to podcasts since the early 2000s, downloading them to his mp3 player (if anyone remembers those anymore). He’s always been fascinated about people coming together remotely to talk about the things they’re passionate about, and today he’s hosting two podcasts of his own.  But his podcasting knowledge isn’t the only reason we invited him onto Dental Slang today. Alan is talking mostly today about the slang he uses when referring to his dental tools. In fact, we all use slang for our tools. Most dental tools have terrifying names, with words like “blade” in them. No patient wants to hear words like that while they’re sitting in your chair! For that reason, we all come up with our own unique, sometimes completely nonsensical, words and phrases to describe the tools we use.  Dr. Al

Never stop learning. No matter what field you work in - never stop learning! For all the dentists listening in out there, this goes beyond staying up-to-date on dental tools and practices. That’s important too, of course, but today’s episode is about learning something new, something modern. That’s right - we’re talking about social media marketing! We invited Dr. Brian Baliwas onto the podcast today to share a little about what he knows about social media and all of its slang. Brian will be discussing how to grow a social media following with a few tactics of his own that include injecting his content with a little dental humor. He also shares why it’s important to build something called a “static page”, slang we go into a little later in today’s episode.  But first we want to make sure you’re not afraid to enter the realm of social media. Instagram and Facebook shouldn’t be intimidating. Social media isn’t something you “suck” at, even though Jodi thinks she does. We know that’s not true! Social media