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Navigating Dentistry: From Construction to Career Fulfillment with Dr. Kristine Aadland (Part Two)
28 Plays27 days ago
About the Guest:
Dr. Kristine Aadland is a seasoned dental professional with nearly 20 years of experience. Distinguished for her expertise in dental materials and innovative technology, Dr. Aadland is also expanding her knowledge into law, particularly focusing on contract law to better assist her peers in the dental field. She is an educator and an entrepreneur, having ventured into the wine industry with a winery located in Napa Valley. An advocate for women in dentistry, Dr. Aadland is passionate about mentoring and empowering others while exploring diverse interests beyond dentistry.
Episode Summary:
In this engaging episode of "Beyond Graduation," hosts Drs. Savanah Craig and Ronnetta Sartor continue their enlightening conversation with Dr. Aadland. As they delve into the nuances of practicing dentistry, Dr. Aadland shares her journey as a practice owner, emphasizing the importance of robust support systems and knowledgeable partners like A-dec. The discussion highlights the necessity of staying informed about new materials and technologies that are reshaping dental practices, underscoring the essence of adapting to the dynamic landscape of dental care.
The conversation not only covers professional insights but also explores the deeply personal paths that professionals like Dr. Aadland take in branching out beyond their primary disciplines. Dr. Aadland discusses her recent venture into law and the importance of combining passions to enrich her career and personal life. Drawing from her experiences, she shares valuable advice for new practitioners about tackling challenges, embracing change, and the significance of self-care and balance. The episode is a dynamic mix of professional wisdom and personal growth, providing listeners with a holistic view of life beyond traditional dental careers.
Key Takeaways:
- Finding Balance: Dr. Aadland emphasizes the need to explore passions beyond dentistry to foster personal growth and career satisfaction.
- Technological Advancements in Dentistry: The conversation highlights emerging dental technologies and materials, such as 3D printing, impacting modern dental practices.
- Challenges and Adaptations: Addressing the dynamics of dental practice ownership, including managing finances, human resources, and navigating legal complexities.
- Importance of Support Systems: Cherishing strong partnerships with dental equipment suppliers and mentors is crucial for practice success.
- Women's Empowerment in Dentistry: Advocacy for women in the dentist community, stressing leadership and balancing professional and personal aspirations.
Connect with Us:
- Savanah Craig, DDS: @savanahcraigdds
- Ronnetta Sartor, DMD: @dr_sartor
- Kristine Aadland, DDS: @drkrisaadland
- Aadland-Moody Vineyards: @aadlandmoodywine
- FutureDentists Beyond Graduation: @futuredentistsbeyondgraduation
- FutureDentists: @futuredentists
- IgniteDDS: @ignitedds and @ignitedds_coaching
- A-dec: @adecdental and https://www.a-dec.com/find-a-dealer
This episode is a must-listen for dental professionals and anyone interested in personal and professional development beyond graduation. Tune in to explore these compelling discussions and stay inspired on your journey towards a balanced and enriched career. Be sure to subscribe for more insightful conversations like this on "Beyond Graduation."
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to ADEC's Smart Start Program
00:00:00
Speaker
ADEC's Smart Start program offers first-time practice owners their deepest discounts on equipment and furniture for two years, plus other savings and complimentary services. Ask your ADEC rep for details and start smart with ADEC.
Navigating Life Post-Graduation
00:00:13
Speaker
Join Drs. Savannah Craig and Renetta Sartor as we navigate life beyond graduation. Real conversations about forging our own paths in our early years in our careers.
00:00:24
Speaker
There's a reason it's called practicing dentistry. Hello, friends. Welcome back to part two of our episode with
Supportive Partnerships in Dental Practice
00:00:31
Speaker
Dr. Chris Adlin. I like that they will actually observe and they've even come down to pathway two to watch on the surgery side, because it is different with each procedure that we do.
00:00:41
Speaker
And what does it look like when people stand versus sit? And so I think taking that seriously as a company, like, of course, I mean, they support us very well. I also want to support them. That's really cool.
00:00:51
Speaker
Yeah. There's a learn that goes a lot that goes into it that you don't think about. yeah Absolutely. Absolutely. So they when you first opened ADEC from the beginning, they helped you? Yeah.
00:01:02
Speaker
Yeah. Went through the showroom and they bring up things that you don't even think about at the time. Like the only thing I'm thinking at that time is, oh my gosh, how I going to pay for all this? and it Is it going to work out? and And it does. And they support you. I think finding your dental partners that will support
Challenges for New Practice Owners
00:01:17
Speaker
you is huge. And it's easy to get in this mentality like, oh, they're just trying to sell you something. But having those questions like, okay, what are the warranties? If this breaks, what's going to happen? and if are you going to change something in the next year where I can't get it supported? Or...
00:01:32
Speaker
Is there a monthly fee attached to that? Like that's something that everything is going to the subscription and those monthly fees add up so fast. And it's it's not something that's always divulged at the front end of sales.
00:01:46
Speaker
So, yeah. And it's, yeah, when you think about it, it's in our dental practice is, Some of the most used equipment. Like we use it so much. So it's going to be the thing that needs to be predictable and mean reliable. So for sure.
00:02:04
Speaker
and you have to be able to clean it. And is it going to hold up to our cleaning products? And mean, you think about like, even when COVID came through and then now we're throwing all these things at it to keep our ops clean and everyone healthy and, you know, all the things like there's a lot of wear and tear that goes.
00:02:20
Speaker
on with our cabinets and chairs and yeah how many times it goes up and down in a day. yeah Absolutely. Very good.
00:02:31
Speaker
Part of the podcast and our journey has just been Renetta and I have been on kind of a similar but different path and how we've divulged and come back together.
00:02:42
Speaker
What is something that you would have wanted your you know yourself as a new practice owner or as a new grad? Obviously, those are probably different people you're going to be speaking to with different advice, but what would that look like for you at this moment?
Leadership and Resource Utilization in Dentistry
00:02:57
Speaker
I think the biggest advice truly is just know there are going to be different seasons in your life and you will make through it. like Use your resources. Don't feel like you're on an island because we do as we're practicing. a lot of us practice by ourselves um and you have to wear all those hats as far as running the business and being a good dentist with your hand skills and then there's all these new technologies, all these new techniques I need to learn.
Handling Difficult Conversations in Dentistry
00:03:23
Speaker
It can feel really overwhelming in whatever you focus on in dentistry. i think as a new leader in the practice, whether you're a business owner or just ah a doctor in the practice or not even a doctor, I mean, just any provider in the practice where you have to show leadership It can be really scary with how do you manage other people, especially if you don't have those skills before and you become friends with your team because it's so intimate in what we do. And you have all the fear and the expense and just all of these different layers. Like dental offices are such a different beast than any other business because there's a lot of stresses with that. And then with the stresses, of course, comes, you know, there's always some sort of drama happening and then people leave and,
00:04:07
Speaker
Whether they move or they get fired or you have to fire someone, like there's there's just so many things always coming at you. but But just know like someone else has been there, someone else has done that. Reach out and talk to people about it and just know like if I have to have a hard conversation on Monday, like it is going to suck.
00:04:24
Speaker
But If you can take the emotion out of it as much as possible, yeah get through it, like be the grownup, be the adult of it. And then know you're still going to be breathing on the other side. Like it's going to be really uncomfortable for five, 30 minutes, you know, maybe an hour.
00:04:39
Speaker
But then most of the time when you have to have those uncomfortable conversations, situations, it will actually be so much better on the other side. i think I think that's the scariest thing with dentistry, but no different too than learning a new technique. Like how scary was it the first time you placed an implant when you got back from pathway by yourself?
00:04:55
Speaker
Yeah. All alone. Yeah. But then you got through it. Yes. Yeah. And now call all your people and say, I i did it. Yes. Yes. That's the exciting part. So my next question is just through our talk and discussion this morning and just the way that you've lived life.
Balancing Dentistry with Personal Passions
00:05:14
Speaker
One of the things that Savannah and I talk about often is that we're learning that dentistry can be our passion, but it doesn't have to be our only passion. I think, you know, talking about teaching and mentoring and, you know, still loving and dentistry the way that you do.
00:05:33
Speaker
What advice would you have for exploring those other passions and it giving back to you to keep you going? Yeah. Dentistry 100% has been a huge focus on my life. And so if you talk about balance or other passions, like, do I have time for that? Because sometimes you have to make those decisions.
00:05:53
Speaker
And I was... Very scared for a very long time to make those decisions and try out other things. Some of that is just paying attention to the people around you and seeing like no different. You can put that one foot forward.
00:06:07
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Watching other people be able to do it has really inspired me personally to be able to branch out of that. I met Justin's got up pathway. And he's like, showed me this whole other world beyond dentistry. Hence, we now have a winery.
00:06:21
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So that's my new, one of my new things. And for me, it was, i was terrified to leave my practice to entrust someone else to be there when I'm not there.
00:06:34
Speaker
I joke that, so I cut down my personal practice to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. So when I left Thursdays, I was so annoying because I would text like somebody from each group. Like I would text an assistant, I would text a front office and i would text a hygienist and it would always be different, but I'd be like, Hey, how's it going today?
00:06:49
Speaker
And I got so annoying because I was sure that the practice was on fire if I wasn't there or like, and to kind of you know, not run well. and So they started doing TikTok Thursdays. And so they would send me TikToks that they would create that were like just so wild just to get me to be like, I can't believe you're doing that in front of patients. Please don't do that.
00:07:07
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But it just became a like fun culture thing in my practice. And the more it happened, the more I... i mean, I'm still pretty involved, but the more I stepped away and relied on it and then again realized, hey, my practice didn't burn down. It turns out like they still worked and you know things come up and we can handle that this other time and it's fine.
00:07:25
Speaker
I got a lot more centered in who I was and now... you know, I still have all these other passions and it's fun to, for me, it was really fun to learn something beyond dentistry, especially like I've been doing it in almost 20 years and I love to
Pursuing Law for Business Acumen
00:07:39
Speaker
learn. And so now I'm doing quick book classes for a winery and like going through the steps of how to make wine. And then I've had so much fun learning that i started law school in January.
00:07:50
Speaker
Wow. Holy cow. So what what led you to, beside it being fun, what led you to that decision? So with all these different businesses and like I've had multiple practices, sold practices, brought in partners, created businesses and had things come up like with our winery, we had to change a name because we were were impossible infringement.
00:08:12
Speaker
But the name changed. like We've had all these things come up where I've had to use attorneys, and things were not black and white at all. like To me, like, well, what do you mean? like How can you sue me for this when your name is so different, and we already checked, and like there are all these layers. And unfortunately, like people can sue people for any reason that you want to, and then you have to pay an attorney a lot of money.
00:08:32
Speaker
And it's just not black and white. And I was so frustrated with all these little things. Or when I was doing a practice transition, the names were wrong in the contract. and i was like, okay, like this is a pretty simple boilerplate contract. And you got the names wrong. And when I called to tell you the names were wrong, or you had the wrong address, I got charged.
00:08:49
Speaker
for you to fix your mistake. Like again, i so I got really frustrated in all these different aspects. Fair. Yeah, so then I wanted to learn more about it. Like why, not getting charged like that I can handle, but why, why wasn't it black and white? Like and i wanted to know why I was getting so frustrated through it.
00:09:06
Speaker
and so year one, you you get a really good dose of learning the patterns of law, ah but they they make a really good point. like Here, ah your Supreme Court, you have your justices who are like some of the most brilliant legal minds in the world, but they don't agree because it's all about interpretation.
00:09:26
Speaker
And so you create these patterns and really you're just teaching other people how you are interpreting it. And then it's whoever's the best teacher wins at the end of the day. And so very fascinating.
00:09:36
Speaker
My end goal is I'd like to focus on contracts. for a, for personal for business reasons, but then also and would love to be able to help other dentists go through and be able to explain things a little bit better. Like, cause dentists, like most of the time we're worried about our preps or rep placing implant or like whatever we're worried about. We're not worried about that contract that someone's asking us to sign. So normally we don't read it all the way through and we just sign it. And I'd like to be able to help other dentists, especially in that contract world. So It's very random.
00:10:06
Speaker
A new adventure. It's it's a new adventure. And it's honestly, I will tell you, like it's felt very selfish because I've been dedicating a lot of time to studying it And because it's something I'm choosing to do and I want to do and it is really intriguing.
00:10:22
Speaker
I have been spending for sure ah high amount of time, but, but it feels selfish because I am leaving my practice or like not doing dentistry. And it's, But it's been good. I feel like that's a very much a dentist mindset, but also a woman mindset of like, we're not allowed to have these passions.
Women in Dentistry: Challenges and Opportunities
00:10:41
Speaker
what what I know that you're such an advocate for women in the field and women as leaders. What's your sort of take on all of that and being women in these male-dominated careers?
00:10:53
Speaker
Yeah. it is Previously male-dominated. We're coming... dental school classes are mostly female these days. We are definitely coming strong. I think we're almost at 60% these days, which is amazing. i love it. It is a pressure we 100% put on ourselves. And that's like, Justin will constantly remind me, which I'm so appreciative for him. He's like, I don't know why you're so stressed out. That is only all in your head. Okay, maybe it is all in my head. Because we do, we want to be we want to be everything to everybody.
00:11:22
Speaker
And we do it in our practice. And so sometimes that is why we get into treatment situations that we don't want to be in because we we don't want to have those hard conversations and tell the patient no, or that we're not comfortable with it. And then we want to often take care of everybody around us. Like that's just kind of a natural thing. And we just want to be everything to everybody. So sometimes it does feel very selfish. And I just have to remind myself, like I, I'm allowed, like I've been doing this for a long time. Like I'm allowed to do something for me.
00:11:51
Speaker
My, for me at the moment, happens to be studying law. It's really weird. This is incredible. What a pivot. Yeah. What is studying like? Going back and studying, I mean, back in lectures.
00:12:02
Speaker
So mine's all online because that's the only way i can accommodate my crazy schedule. Yeah. And so I have homework, which it's and it's never ending because it's just it's a year program and you have like pretty big benchmarks where you have to turn in assignments. So I have to do these like definition assignments with examples.
00:12:18
Speaker
And I get to use a lot of personal examples, which is really fun. And then I have to write case briefs and then I get graded, which is also really weird. And writing for case briefs is very different than writing in real world.
00:12:28
Speaker
So to get graded again feels odd, but really, this sounds so funny, but the thing I probably struggle with the most is I have, say, six different professors that I can watch online and all of them teach very differently.
00:12:42
Speaker
And some of them will like put a thousand words on a slide and just read them to you. And then some have like the classic blue background with the yellow font. And i am such a snob because I'm an educator. i was going to say, yeah.
00:12:56
Speaker
So it's not even the content as much as I get distracted by the education style. And I'm like, how you could clean up that slide just a little bit more. Like just put a picture that will say a thousand words, literally. like And like I can read, you don't have to read me every word, like explain why this is important. So that's probably the hardest thing about doing this at least online is...
00:13:14
Speaker
the type of delivery. But but it's it's been really fun. I've realized... So we have to take four different classes right now, criminal law, contract law, and then torts, which is like, if I were to sue you, that would be a tort. I hate criminal law.
00:13:31
Speaker
It turns out like you have to read all these cases see... to see what people are capable of doing to other people is really heartbreaking to be So yeah like I can't read those cases before I go to bed at night because I just dwell on them. It's like watching Criminal Minds. Can't watch that before I go to bed either. Very similar, I would imagine.
00:13:51
Speaker
Yeah. So interesting. And i I don't know, I'm now envisioning going to have a legal pathway and you can tell everybody to read their contracts because I have so many friends that got into such bad associateships or bad situations because they couldn't afford a lawyer to read it or didn't know to do that. And there's a need.
00:14:17
Speaker
And dentistry is so weird that I feel like that could be its own set of law. Yeah. Yeah. And you don't know what to ask. like You truly don't know what you don't know. and you have to think about all the situations that you don't want to talk about. like You don't want to go into a marriage thinking you're going to get divorced. You don't want to go into an associateship thinking of all the bad things that could happen.
00:14:36
Speaker
But there's a lot that can happen in patient care. And and even you know if you have a practice and you're the provider and your name's getting put on insurance, and the front office is coding things wrong, like that is not on the front office. That is all on your license. And you're the one that has to write the check back to the insurance company. And how many dentists know to check your insurance codes?
00:14:58
Speaker
Not many, you know, like, or how do you handle if you have multiple insurance companies like primary and secondary insurance? Or if you have an employee stealing from you, like, what are you able to do? Like, there's, there are a lot of things that it's many, many hats in our world of dentistry.
00:15:15
Speaker
Yeah. And lots of stuff, like you said, they don't teach you in dental school. And unless it happens to you and you have to find someone to help you navigate it, you don't know.
00:15:27
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. It's, it can be really scary. I'm not quite to employment law yet. I think that's maybe year two or three, but. You'll get there. Okay. Yeah. Well, then every state is, everything is handled so differently in every state too. And so, you know, you can get really good advice from other dentists on, or other, you know, providers on Facebook groups or whatever, but then you're like, well, that's actually maybe not as accurate.
00:15:49
Speaker
yeah So yeah, there's a, there's a lot out there. So. That's so cool. We'll see. We'll see where it takes me. But it's been fun. We'll have to stay tuned for your journey, too, to see to see how everything goes. That's awesome.
00:16:04
Speaker
Well, thank But no, like, you're not pigeoned in dentistry. I guess that's the whole point of that, right? like if Or in life. Or in life, it seems. Yeah. Yeah. And you end there's ways that that you can combine it. so If I fall in love with this, like it is easy for me to work with other dentists and combine it in dentistry.
00:16:21
Speaker
And then if I'm just tired of dentists and patients, then I'll just go hide in my winery and look at, I don't know, what other kind of contracts are or maybe some other kind of law. I don't know. We'll see. That's not a bad plan. Not a bad plan. I have a cave. Like I can totally just become a recluse. It's amazing. Yeah. You never know. All sorts of fun.
00:16:39
Speaker
So are you guys enjoying the world of
Owning a Dental Practice: Joys and Challenges
00:16:41
Speaker
dentistry? so far so good. is There good days and bad days. I would say the good definitely outweighs the bad. i' am almost three years into practice ownership. So you know all about that too.
00:16:52
Speaker
I'm still happy that I did it. I couldn't imagine, I can't imagine because I lived through an associateship and stuff, but I know that I made the right decision. And so it was just one of those things of not, like you said, pigeon,
00:17:05
Speaker
Pigeon-holing myself in one place, but also because I'm so so early in, you know, giving my all that I have for that day, and because it varies, to try to grow it into what I know it could be, what the vision is in my brain, and having the key team players and systems and all those things. So all that all that stuff was you preaching to the choir about there. I love that.
00:17:35
Speaker
And surrounding excuse me surrounding yourself by those key people is so critical. But then knowing that they will also have seasons and they won't be there forever. And it like sometimes that's the most gut-wrenching Yeah, it's it's good to have – I mean, even just things like this. Like my husband is like, you're going to do what on Saturday? And i was like, it feels fills my cup and like you don't feel alone in this whole thing. And I think that's why Renetta and I started doing the podcast was partially selfishly because we wanted to hang out when I moved back to Ohio. But it's just good to know that like everyone's going through the same things and there's weird stuff and –
00:18:17
Speaker
We'll get through it. Absolutely. It doesn't last forever. Chris, I want to pick your brain on one thing since you are the materials queen. Tell me about all the new things. And I mean, there's always things, but what are we thinking about?
Advancements in Dental Technology
00:18:33
Speaker
Printed resins. Give us sort of your quick quick and dirty on technology and materials that you're super excited about these days. Oh, we get to actually talk dentistry. I also get super excited about this. Let's do it. I think the new materials that are coming out today are truly changing the landscape of dentistry.
00:18:52
Speaker
And it's interesting. i got to go to IDS this year and speak with Iva Clark. And the person who spoke before me on the stage, he has been practicing for 30 plus years, huge into research.
00:19:05
Speaker
And his focus was talking about, it was Emax's 20th anniversary and like how great Emax has been over time. And then I follow up with him talking about new materials that are coming out.
00:19:16
Speaker
And it's very different when, because when I went to school, it was, okay, we're going to use this product because there is a 10 year, 15 year, 20 year study on this product. Right.
00:19:26
Speaker
what What happens when you don't have those 10 year, 15 year, like, do you do you get to try these new materials? And then how do you handle that with your patients? And are they strong enough? And okay, I see in this ad, it says it is twice as strong, but is it? Because then is it a paid ad? you know Is it independent? All the things like we're just being thrown so much. So 3D printing totally changed the landscape We like 3D printing because a you can do things, especially if you're chair-side dentist as far as fabricating things chair-side. So I i have CEREC, I mill everything.
00:20:00
Speaker
I am confined by what I can mill by the size of the block, right? Right. Printing, you can print a lot of larger things depending on the size of the platform. Printing also is a lot cheaper. Like barrier to entry to get into printing is fraction of the cost as it is milling.
00:20:16
Speaker
But do those materials last? So I can print a denture for a fourth of the cost and I can mill a denture. Will the printed denture last as long? Nevermind aesthetics. Like we can always kind of tweak things to make it pretty or not pretty.
00:20:30
Speaker
And then you get questioned like, okay, so if I have a denture, do I need it to last 20 years? Do I need it to last five years? Like you look, like have you ever had a patient bring a denture in that they've had for 10 years, like even five years? It is disgusting.
00:20:44
Speaker
And then you think like, do you want these patients incorporating this bad bacteria into their mouth all the time? And, you know, so then we can talk about crowns. So do I print all my crowns? I will 100% say no, I do not print all my crowns because aesthetically, like I can't, I'm not there.
00:21:01
Speaker
Like Wally Renee can make every printed thing look so perfect and beautiful. I am personally, I don't have that talent with my hands. Like I'd love to stain and glaze and put it in an oven because it I can make that look beautiful. Yeah.
00:21:12
Speaker
But printing a crown, you kind of do the same thing. So we know because insurances will repay for crowns every five to seven years. That is the national average of how long a crown lasts in the US is five to seven years. so You can always determine that by how often insurances will pay for it.
00:21:29
Speaker
I've never taken off a crown without a bunch of bacteria under there. like They will get leakage no matter how good you are. So we want our crowns to last 15, 20 years. And like now today, zirconia is this beautiful material that is cheaper.
00:21:43
Speaker
It looks good, and it's so, so strong, and it's going to last, right? But it kind of goes back to the denture. like Do we want it to last 20 years? like What is the bacteria getting under there? Versus a printed crown might last five years.
00:21:56
Speaker
But A, I can see through it because I can see on the x-ray. I can repair it because I can bond composite to a resin ceramic. and it's fast and it's cheap. And then we know dentistry is expensive. So maybe I don't want to print a crown for every option, but for my older patients who are on all these medications where I can repair it, i can you know I can either change the contact because they might have mobility or i can do margin repairs as they go into more medications.
00:22:22
Speaker
For peds, please never do another stainless steel crown if you can print a crown for so much cheaper and so much more conservative. It's So I think there's a lot of opportunity and we just can look and pivot in dentistry differently.
00:22:35
Speaker
and you know And I can say like it's expensive for patients. It is expensive for patients. But dentistry is expensive for us too as providers and owners. like Our costs have gone up tremendously. So can we make up some of those costs?
00:22:47
Speaker
And then we have to educate our patients about it because, of course, patients pay for something and like they think – That crown absolutely should last my whole life. Yeah. And like, and I don't have to brush and floss anymore because you covered it my whole tooth.
00:22:59
Speaker
We were just talking about that earlier. Savannah and that word. Yes. Like it's amazing. Like I laugh at patients and I'm like, oh, oh wait, no, you actually, you weren't kidding. No, you still have to brush and floss. Like, and maybe more now yes so because the tooth becomes compromised. So.
00:23:15
Speaker
So new materials out there, they are coming at us fast and furiously. And then I think we just have to figure out how we're going to how we're going to really adapt to the patient and so manage those patient expectations, whether talking ah like we don't know if this material is going to last 20, 30 years. Do we want it to last 20, 30 years? But also because it's new, if I put it in and it breaks in a year or two weeks or whatever that looks like, now how am I going to handle that?
00:23:43
Speaker
And there is no right or wrong on that. Like some offices, sorry if it breaks, it's on you. It's biology. It's all the things. Like if I go get my knee worked on and they mess up, I'm paying for that second surgery again, 100%.
00:23:55
Speaker
one hundred percent But dentists, we tend to always blame ourselves, especially if we make it ourselves. Like something we did wrong. And so patients have 100% adapted that and expect us to and expect us to take care of them and us to eat that cost. So I think the conversations really spin on how we're going to handle the patient side of it if something doesn't last.
00:24:20
Speaker
Yeah. i just want to circle back to that. I felt like that was earth shattering. The point of do we want that crown to stay on there for 20 years? Do we want that denture in your mouth for 20 years? That's so, so interesting. And then I would i would love to know you you dabble with the the implant things. And this is a world where people believe – This hybrid is it forever.
00:24:46
Speaker
What does that look like in in your world? or I'm sure the conversations that you and Dr. Moody have about navigating all of those things. Yeah. And that's changed a lot. So when I started, so i started doing full arch implants maybe 15 years fifteen years ago So like early in my career dove into it, got so excited because these are big money coming in,
Full Arch Implants: Learning and Expectations
00:25:08
Speaker
right? And I would tell my patients, because this is what I was told when I took my classes, it was not from Moody. It was the all on four classes, right? Like that's what I had available to me at the time. But it was like, yes, you are investing in your Mercedes, your new smile, your new trim, but it it will last forever.
00:25:24
Speaker
And we didn't talk about like, well, what happens? And I was doing acrylic over bar because that's what we were told. Like this is before zirconia was even around. And so we didn't have the conversations with the patients if things broke, didn't talk about passive fit. Like maybe it was some small quick thing in a lecture, but I think about now,
00:25:44
Speaker
Now I am paying the price because I have these patients come in who I looked in the eye and told them this is going to last forever. and then am now doing x-ray checks of each individual implant because before we just take a cone beam and like, oh yeah, it looks like it's fitted. Well, there's just metal everywhere. Like you can't see anything. So you take that individual PA and i'm like, oh, no, there's no passive fit about that. There's a huge gap there.
00:26:06
Speaker
And so that's why this is breaking. it is 100% on me and my fault But now I have just kind of been nipped in the butt for some of these really big cases coming back to haunt me and bite me.
00:26:19
Speaker
And then it's hard to have that conversation with the patient say like, oh, by the way, I know you paid $20,000 or whatever they paid. Now we have to redo it. So is that on them? that on me? Do I take it as a learning?
00:26:30
Speaker
Again, that's like such a personal thing that every provider has do. witness and ask for, come up with, I guess. Yeah. I definitely have lived that through my career. Now I'm much pickier on what I do. My conversations are much more candid with my patients. I do not tell my patients it's going to last forever. Like, hey, you broke a root down to the bottom. Like chances are you could easily break an implant.
00:26:53
Speaker
Now, am I going to try to protect it in all the ways I know possible? Yes. But Biology is amazing. Human beings are amazing what they can do with their teeth. So conversations have shifted in that. And now I do get nervous for young docs coming out in high debt with school. and then it's so sexy to do all these big, big cases. And then a lot of people are moving and they have geographic success. So they don't know if if everything worked, right? Like they go in and they're shucking all these teeth that may or may not have needed it because
00:27:25
Speaker
sometimes it is more affordable than doing restorative dentistry on it. yeah and And then they place it and then they move and then it's someone else's problem. And there's a lot of it going on right now. like it It is interesting and they don't all last. And like now it's these exotics that are so exciting, like to do teres and these huge implants, but that is, it's devastating. like my My nephew had cancer when he was a baby. He is now 30 and does not have great teeth from all the chemo and everything. And like, I can make a huge argument for him where we would take out his teeth and we would have to do zygos or teres to like stabilize everything because he has no bone. His bone is super, super soft.
00:28:06
Speaker
But once I do that, I don't know how long that dentistry is going to last. And once you do it, like we don't have a replacement for that. And so if those fail, what do we do?
00:28:17
Speaker
And so instead, like Sadly, he's had to have root canals like on almost every single tooth and then everything's prepped and everything's restorative. And then we kind of but it's it's a really tough journey to go through. And now if another dentist saw my nephew and we're like, I can't believe she did a root canal on every single tooth. Like, of course they think malpractice, especially if they don't have that surgical background and have seen the failures. And that's, we get a very good opportunity to see a a lot in the implant world of not only successes, like it's a great tooth replacement today, but it's not everything and definitely not go to last forever. Is that more than wanted?
00:28:54
Speaker
No, that That's everything the world needs, I think. Yeah. It's everything they need. I always tell patients like, you know, yes, the failure rates not big, but for the people that it fell for, it's a big deal. yeah And so it's important to have those conversations because they just like you said, they think it's going to last forever.
00:29:15
Speaker
And if I if I don't have teeth and I have implants, that's the magic pill and I never have to see you again. And that's just not true.
Managing Patient Expectations
00:29:23
Speaker
Yeah. And I don't have to brush and floss. And I mean, that's what people think.
00:29:27
Speaker
And they they're losing their teeth for a reason. And so then all of a sudden, are they going to magically change their habits because they're investing? i mean, even restorative wise, like, oh, we're going to open your BDO and you're going to put crowns on every tooth. And then do they now brush and floss magically?
00:29:42
Speaker
Maybe 2%. two percent Yeah. It's such, it's so interesting. And your point too, as you learn, and I think as you see, Renata and I talk all the time about as you see your own failures, you learn more what to tell the patients of like, I just honestly am regurgitating what somebody taught me.
00:29:59
Speaker
And if somebody taught me that these implants are going to last your whole life, then that's what I'm going to tell you. And until it doesn't, then I didn't know that. and Yeah. and And it's not the, you know, it happens one time and you're like, oh, it happened one time. Okay. I probably did something wrong because of course we always like to blame ourselves first.
00:30:19
Speaker
But then when it happens multiple times and you're like, oh, okay. Turns out maybe it's not just me. Maybe it really is human habits and biology and patient care. Yeah.
00:30:29
Speaker
And not everyone gets to talk to Chris to put it down, lay the law that this isn't going to last forever and it doesn't need to. that is definitely, I am so much more forward in my practice today than I was before because- You want patients to like you, especially when you're building a new practice, right? Like you you want to be everything to everybody. You want to accommodate all the things. And yeah, now I'm definitely a lot more candid.
00:30:53
Speaker
And that comes with time. Like I can say, well, I've been doing this for 20 years and it turns out. And we laugh about the trends, you know, just like people would come in and everyone's relapsed in ortho because the thought before it with ortho was that if you wear your retainer for a year, your teeth will magically stay in the same place the rest of your life.
00:31:09
Speaker
ah Luckily, we we know now that they are. that's not the case. And we have clear liners for that solution. And there's all these amazing relapse cases that are easy to fix. i I think that's, I've been having this conversation. My grandparents are getting older and going to more doctors and now their doctors are younger. And, and, and we've had the talk of, you know, this is how people see me when they come into my office. So be nice.
00:31:33
Speaker
But like, we don't actually know as much as we think we know about really anything. But especially medicine. And I think it really scares people to have those conversations of this is the best I can do for you today, but probably there'll be a better material next year. And we're working with what we got.
00:31:55
Speaker
So how have you seen that evolve over your career of when you do have to redo your own work or something else that... but We know better now. I think it scares people to know that we're supposed to be the experts, but we're really not either. And even that we are human beings too, like we will have days that our preps are the best they've ever been. And then we'll have days that like our preps probably, you know, aren't the best that they could have been. Yeah.
00:32:21
Speaker
We are also human beings. I do think, yes, patients want us to be the expert. And every patient is so different because patients today have Dr. Google. So a lot of times they're the experts when they come in and they want to fight with you about the different things. And so sometimes you do have to actually take that authoritative stance and be like, this is what I can do and I may not be a good fit for you. And luckily there is a thousand other dentists out there who can help you.
00:32:46
Speaker
That's where I've also gotten braver in my career – happy to tell the patient what I'm comfortable doing and not comfortable doing. And if they push me on it, then i'm i'm not going to get myself into that situation. Because patients do, there are some bullies out there who, because of Dr. Google or because you know their best friend had it, that they're going to try to push you into a situation. And just knowing in the long run, like that those those situations aren't the ones that ever work out.
00:33:10
Speaker
So being able to say no to some of those things are great. Yeah. I think every patient's just so different. And some people you do have to be a little bit more comfortable in your own skin and be the authoritative. And then other patients you have to be, you have to have those conversations. Like this is the best we have today. Like this is a tooth replacement today.
00:33:28
Speaker
Implants are such a great example because and implant is the best tooth replacement, but there's rare times where it's the perfect solution to, I'm going to use a first molar. You put in number 19.
00:33:40
Speaker
obviously the implant is not the same size as the root bank that came out of it. And so over time, it doesn't matter if you're the best restorative dentist on the planet, you're going to get food traps around there, right? Because You went from root bank this big to an implant this big, and you're going shape it as best you can, and you're going shape that bone as best you can. But over time, bone's going to go away, and the tissue's going to go away, and you're going food stuck underneath.
00:34:03
Speaker
And really having that candid conversation, because now this patient just spent all this money on this tooth replacement, and then they they don't want to get out the water pick, and how dare a seed get stuck under there between 19 and 20. And it's so annoying. and it's like, I understand it's so annoying, but...
00:34:19
Speaker
You weren't flossing before either. How did we get here? How did we get here? Exactly. and And there's no material on the planet that is going to adapt to that unless you redo the implant, sink it down, and then you're missing more bone. like there it's It is just having those conversations of this is what we have today.
00:34:36
Speaker
this is you know Just like if you lost a leg or an arm, like there are some great things that you can do, but it's not what you had before. i use that example all the time. Chris, this has been incredible, but we want to you know respect your time and your early Saturday mornings.
Conclusion and Community Engagement
00:34:53
Speaker
but Thank you for sending it back a little bit. I know originally I was like, time zones are rough, but yeah tell the tell the friends, listeners where they can find you, social media, websites, get some wine. yeah yes all the things. All the things. I love it. Instagram is super easy for me. It's It's D-R, so Dr. Chris Odland, my ah first and last name. So D-R-K-R-I-S, and then my last name is A-A-D-L-A-N-D.
00:35:20
Speaker
And wine is Odland Moody, very original. That's a whole other podcast on the naming. It's very similar to dental practices, but yeah, that's easy. Those are easy ways to get ahold of me. And I love to talk shop. If anyone ever wants to come visit in Napa Valley, we're happy to pour wine and either talk shop or talk wine talk Maybe contracts, you know, whatever. yeah so Stay tuned for the next.
00:35:41
Speaker
and Maybe we can sign and review contracts over someone. Yeah, even better. i think what you guys are are doing is really amazing. And I know you said you feel like it's selfish that you're taking, you know, these times to be together. Yeah.
00:35:57
Speaker
There's a lot of opportunity to help other people and and just saying that you're not alone. like you are not Neither of you are going through your journey alone. There are so many people going through the same thing. So airing it out there and letting people know that they're not alone is huge.
00:36:11
Speaker
So good job for what you guys are doing. i love it. Thank you so much. thank you. Well, we hope everybody enjoyed this special guest episode and we'll catch you back next time. Thank joining us for this episode of Beyond Graduation. If you enjoyed this week's episode, be sure to share it with a friend. Connect with us on social media at Savannah Craig DBS and at Dr. Sartor.
00:36:37
Speaker
And remember, you are not alone on this journey. ADEC certified pre-owned equipment is a sustainable, affordable choice that makes genuine ADEC equipment available to every doctor. Each package is sold on a first-come, first-served basis. So if you see one you like, contact your dealer. For more information, go to www.adec.com backslash findadealer. Thank you for listening to Beyond Graduation, brought to you by Ignite DDS and Future Dentists. This episode was sponsored by Ignite DDS Coaching.
00:37:07
Speaker
We build self-determined futures. For more information, please reach out to the Ignite DDS team.