Chew on This! A Dental Podcast

We’re nervous about a possible upgrade to AirPods that involves chomping, squeezing and clucking. Aren’t you concerned after you read that? Other topics included continued pandemic court judgements that don’t favor dental businesses and also a quick Smile Direct Club update. Finally, we hope you enjoy our conversation about how some dental students are learning anatomy peppered with memories of our own cadaver capers. 

Episode Highlights

• Controlling your AirPods with your teeth and...by squeezing? 
• Court rules pandemics don’t qualify as a business loss 
• Plastic Preserved Cadavers for your learning pleasure
• A win for SmileDirectClub

Quotes

• About AirPods: “There are people I know who if you tell them to click their teeth together, they are going to chomp!”
• “What if there is someone going around squeezing others but they say they are just changing their podcast.”
• Regarding loss: “A pandemic is not something structural which is really a shame, because that was a lot of income lost.”
• Onto cadavers: “I can tell you the baby shark smell is horrible.”
• “The plastic preserved heads don’t smell.”
• “I’m washing all my clothes for this one stupid smelly cadaver cat outfit I had on.”

Resources from the show:

• The Next AirPods Might Be Controlled With Your Teeth
• Judge Recommends Toss Of Dental Office's COVID-19 Suit
• AAO to end ad campaign after deemed unfair to SmileDirectClub platform
• There Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing - plastinated cadaver heads story

Also! We wrote an Ebook that is completely free for you. 50+ pages of knowledge, checklists and job descriptions. Enjoy! 

Click here for the Prepare Protect Prosper eBook

Links

**If you like the show then I’d appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

Connect with Kevin on his IG page and at DrBicuspid.com

Connect with Teresa on her IG page and on Facebook

We are survey junkies - we admit it. The latest Oral Health Projections report was released which projects our workforce through 2030. With unemployment and COBRA benefits extending further into 2021, some employees are thinking that there is no rush to return. Schools are opening slowly which is keeping parents home. What else can we expect?

We reviewed which specialties are booming (kids are popular!) and which are dipping. Consumer behavior is having a huge effect on one specialty in particular. Tune in while we break it down. 

Episode Highlights

• Survey - Oral Health Projections 2017 - 2030
• Hygiene is booming - what about in five years?

Quotes

• “I understand why the decisions were made, but some of the decisions left a bad taste in mouths that hasn’t been erased.” 
• “We’re starting to see that opening up dental schools is a good business.” 
• “It’s the paperwork, it has killed the creativity in so many industries.” 
• “There are a lot of places in this country, people need help, and they can’t get it because it doesn’t make economic sense.” 
• “There are so many places in this country that are really great if you are from there, but convincing people to move there is a struggle.” 
• “When you have two assistants, assisting one doctor the potential is there for great production and great patient care.”  

Resources from the show:

• One-Year Expiration of Outbreak Period: Pandemic Rages On, But It’s (Probably) Time to Pay Your COBRA Premiums
• Oral Health Workforce Projections
• Occupational Outlook Handbook - Dentists

Also! We wrote an Ebook that is completely free for you. 50+ pages of knowledge, checklists and job descriptions. Enjoy! 

Click here for the Prepare Protect Prosper eBook

Links

**If you like the show then I’d appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

Connect with Kevin on his IG page and at DrBicuspid.com

Connect with Teresa on her IG page and on Facebook

We head to Europe for this edition (not really)! By pure coincidence (really!), we both chose stories from outside the good ole USA. Turns out dental anxiety isn’t really a thing in Sweden. Must be nice. And in Spain, if you thought you had a problem with patients not showing up for appointments then you haven’t seen anything like this new trend for European travelers. Grab your virtual passports and hop aboard!

Episode Highlights

• Dental Anxiety in Sweden 
• Irish Visiting Tenerife Island In Spain For Dental Care?

Quotes

• Swedes are amazing: “Nearly 81% of the respondents said they had absolutely no dental anxiety.” 
• “Are they serving Swedish meatballs at the dental offices?”
• “These generations have learned from one another the value of dentistry.” 
• “Irish people are calling down and making appointments in Tenerife so they can get out of the country on a travel exemption.” 
• “At least pay them for their time since they gave you an excuse!” 

Resources from the show:

• Tenerife dentist willing to inform police about bogus Irish appointments
• A fifth of adults in Sweden report dental anxiety

Also! We wrote an Ebook that is completely free for you. 50+ pages of knowledge, checklists and job descriptions. Enjoy! 

Click here for the Prepare Protect Prosper eBook

Links

**If you like the show then I’d appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

Connect with Kevin on his IG page and at DrBicuspid.com

Connect with Teresa on her IG page and on Facebook

The very sad story of a 7 year old’s death during a procedure brings a spotlight on medical emergency training. All team members play a part when it goes south. Teresa walks through a sample scenario so you can apply it to your team. We then talk about health literacy - it’s not just reading level. It’s how your patients understand what the heck you’re telling them. Literacy includes hearing, reading, understanding and questioning your recommendations as well as your financial recommendations. This is a big concept in medical clinics that is bleeding over to ours (which is a good thing!). 

Episode Highlights

• 7 Year Old Dies After Tooth Extraction Procedure 
• Medical Emergency Training 
• Health Literacy 
• Sufficiently Suffonsified 

Quotes

• “There is documentation that needs to be done right after the event happens.” 
• “I would call your malpractice attorney as soon as it happens, they do not want to find out about it later.”
• “They are going to ask how often you trained for medical emergencies.” 
• “The medical history should be printed out, because the EMT’s will want to see that.”
• “Everyone should be trained, let’s be honest.” 
• “The Dakota’s, they can read.” 
• “Your ability to hear effects your ability to understand.” 
• “Is there something else going on.”

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Suffonsified is a real word. Commonly used by Kevin’s highbrow grandfather!

suffonsified (comparative more suffonsified, superlative most suffonsified)

1. (Canada, informal, rare) Satisfied or satiated, particularly in appetite. quotations ▼

Resources from the show:

• Wisconsin girl, 7, dies after her heart stopped while under anesthesia for a tooth extraction at dentist's office
• The average American reads at the 7th- to 8th-grade level, according to The Literacy Project.
• Literacy Rates By State
• Health Literacy In Dentistry 
• A Tale of Two Hygienists Medical Emergency Tips From a Paramedic with Susannah Trammell
• Dramatic Reading of Dr. Lookhart’s Text Messages 

Also! We wrote an Ebook that is completely free for you. 50+ pages of knowledge, checklists and job descriptions. Enjoy! 

Click here for the Prepare Protect Prosper eBook

Links

**If you like the show then I’d appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

Connect with Kevin on his IG page and at DrBicuspid.com

Connect with Teresa on her IG page and on Facebook

A user on TikTok has a cheaper solution for flippers and chipped teeth. We bring you the pros and cons of this trend - with obviously way more cons. What noises annoy you the most? See where you rank on this scale and let us know if you have any other suggestions for this list. Finally we talk about how the industry is doing with respect to marketing and patient trends. We’d like to see marketing be more direct. Take off the kid gloves in case presentations!

Episode Highlights

• A dramatic reading of the Hoverboard Dentist case is live now on the Nobody Told Me That Podcast
• TikTok Instamorph replacing dentists?
• 10 Most Annoying Noises 
• State of the Dental Industry Report 
• Changing Advertising’s Impact in Dentistry 

Quotes

• “Splash of this, dash of that, and voila you have white teeth. You lost your enamel, but your teeth are brilliantly white.” 
• “Plastic in the mouth is not good for me.”
• “With loud eating, your heartbeat goes up to 135 beats per minute.” 
• “If I can hear your kiss, you are doing it wrong.” 
• Teresa’s response to “‘Are you going to bill me today?’ No, I’m going to bill you right now.” 
• “Teledentistry is still not a bread and butter part of the practice.” 
• “The human spirit is strong, but still needs support.” 
• Marketing idea: “Imagine if you put up an ad that says if you have really crappy gums, you may get erectile dysfunction.” Listen to those phones ring!

Also! We wrote an Ebook that is completely free for you. 50+ pages of knowledge, checklists and job descriptions. Enjoy! 

Click here for the Prepare Protect Prosper eBook

Resources from the show:

NTMT Hoverboard Episode

TikTok Instamorph Influencer

Vyne's State of the Dental Industry Report

Cutting Insurance Costs To Save Money 

Insider Article on TikTok DIY Dentures

Drbicuspid "Survey finds the most annoying sound has a dental connection"

Links

**If you like the show then I’d appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

Connect with Kevin on his IG page and at DrBicuspid.com

Connect with Teresa on her IG page and on Facebook

We went from news to bizarre in this episode. We succeeded in keeping our composure until almost the end but the influencer mom was too much. On a serious note, we discussed the first dentist giving COVID-19 vaccine (congratulations Dr. Thrower!) and what this means for other offices. We then went legal with discussion of the antitrust laws that have restricted dentists but not carriers. Finally, I regretted my decision to look up a TikTok influencer. 

Also! We wrote an Ebook that is completely free for you. 50+ pages of knowledge, checklists and job descriptions. Enjoy! 

Click here for the Prepare Protect Prosper eBook

Episode Highlights

• Dentists administering Covid-19 vaccine
• Medical-dental office differences
• McCarran-Ferguson Act
• Collaborative E-Book 
• Crazy Influencer Devil Mom
• Kevin is getting a future son-in-law!

Quotes

• “Dr. Ryan Thrower became the first dentist to administer a Covid-19 vaccine."
• "When you go to a medical office, often they are not as nice as dental offices."
• "I talk to a lot of team members that came from medical, that are grateful dental is not medical." 
• "In 2022 we may see some wild and funky plans."
• "You don't know how well you can operate in the area, if you don't know the laws that govern you." 
• "Reading it for 10 min would be a disservice, it takes 10 min just to read the opening." 
• "An influencer that doesn't buys 10k of gifts for herself for Christmas, and doesn't buy anything for her children, what kind of rat is this?"
• "To [her] British dental team out there, God bless you."
• "The look on this dog’s face, this dog has seen some stuff." 

Resources from the show:

• OHSU dentist first in US to administer COVID-19 vaccine 
• Nobody Told Me That! Episode on legal changes
• McCarran–Ferguson Reform - ADA Legislative Action Center
• Nobody Told Me That! Ep. 41 "Antitrust Suits Against Delta Dental: Let's Break It Down"
• Appeals Court To Hear Arguments In Florida Blue Antitrust Case Next Week
• Influencer Spends $10,000 On Herself For Christmas And Doesn’t Get Kids Anything 

Links

**If you like the show then I’d appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

Connect with Kevin on his IG page and at DrBicuspid.com

Connect with Teresa on her IG page and on Facebook

Episode 11 Highlights

• ADA’s update to its Code of Conduct regarding COVID-19 decisions
• Unlicensed dentist charged with sexual assault 
• Did cost factor into his popularity? 
• Uptick in home remedies and tooth care - related? 
• Alex Carico’s story: Santa’s 8 year old dentist!
• Peeping bathroom bandit in an Aspen Dental office and why employees are suing
• Don't skip the background check when hiring new employees!
• How Teresa and Kevin came to the dental field

Quotes

• "We know that doctors took these (code of ethics) as guidelines, and blew right past them. Guidelines are just guidelines."
• "I talked to dentists who said I'm going to do what's best for me because I am getting 10 different answers." 
• "(Cancer patient Alex) got to be the lead dentist for Santa Claus." 
• "I have seen real dental offices that look like imposture offices so I would love to see what an imposture office looks like." 
• Regarding makeshift dental offices: "I know times are hard but if that is where I need to go to get dental work done, we have a problem."
• Regarding the bathroom bandit: "I hope the lesson that comes out of this is that you need to know who you are hiring."
• "Hiring for a heartbeat is never a good thing."

Resources from the show: 

• 8-year-old cancer survivor gets to be Santa's dentist
• Unlicensed dentist charged with sexual assualt can see more charges against him pending/ 
• Clifford Law Files Lawsuit Against Dental Clinic for Cameras Found in Bathroom
• Link to ADA pic of young Kevin, Teresa and Rita Zamora 

Links

**If you like the show then I’d appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

• Connect with Kevin on his IG page and at DrBicuspid.com
• Connect with Teresa on her IG page and on Facebook

Smile Direct Club’s success has shown us that cosmetic dentistry is mostly pandemic proof. People hanging out on webcams all day are suddenly noticing their gummy smiles and shade D2 choppers. The acquisitions and mergers also continue and we talk about Smile Brands’ action in the market. And what do we foresee for 2021? Listen in and let us know if we’re crazy or not! 

Episode 10 Highlights

• Smile Direct Club
• Zoom Boom
• Smile Brands
• Why Dental Professionals want to work for DSOs
• ADA Requests Letter 
• Predictions for 2021
• DA to PA

Quotes

• "I was surprised to learn that dentists were actually paying to be a part of Smile Direct Club."
• "This year with everything that has gone on, one thing that has not changed is cosmetic dentistry and the demand for clear aligner therapy." 
• "You're not getting crowded out yet, but what is that going to look like 10-15 years from now." 
• "Covid-19 has accelerated dentists tapping out and DSO's are taking advantage."
• "One of the best dental assistants that I knew...is now a barista at Starbucks, and she is happier, getting paid more and receiving benefits."
• "This letter was really a summary of their advocacy efforts."
• "I think the ADA doesn't get enough credit for what it does." 
• "This is such a great product, and they tell me it will never be in the United States." 
• "If you did this in the interest of public health why are you not doing it for dental devices that would be in the interest of public health?" 

Links from the episode:

• Advocacy letter
• Smile Direct Club
• Smile Brands Acquisition
• Nobody Told Me That episode about Smile Direct Club

Links

**If you like the show then I’d appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

• Connect with Kevin on his IG page and at DrBicuspid.com
• Connect with Teresa on her IG page and on Facebook

As our titles get wackier, the content keeps flowing! These patient polls are coming at us from all sides. One of the latest stated that some Florida patients (specifically women) are willing to forgo using their insurance benefits to avoid going to the dentist. That’s not great for keeping the office busy. New Mexico also wasn't very helpful by ordering another shutdown. The silver lining is that maybe you were able to finish some projects and put together some protocols for the future. 

How do you feel about canceling your holiday party and having a “Christmas in July” celebration? You're not the only one! 2020 is all about adapting and making it work. Enjoy the episode!

Episode 9 Highlights

• Non-covered services legislation
• Covid-19 and shutdowns: round 2?
• The Legend of Florida Man
• Holiday parties and HR considerations
• Colorado Rockies, tweeting ducks and Kevin's blog 

Quotes

• “Dentists cannot get together and discuss pricing  - that is called price fixing.”
• “The majority of people worried about going back to the dentist were women.”
• “When the females of the household decide they are not going to the dentist, that affects the whole family.”
• “If someone says they do not have anything to do in a dental office they need to be fired immediately because there is always something to do.” (said sort of sarcastically!)
• “Preventive screenings are huge. If you are not doing them you might not catch something until it's serious.” 
• Regarding holiday gifts: “You're the guy that brought the twin pack of fart cushions.” 

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Items mentioned in the episode:

• ADA's Advocacy Page
• Non-covered services law
• McCarran-Ferguson law
• ADA’s Tooth Talk podcast
• Floridians opinion on dental care
• New Mexico’s 2 week dental shutdown
• Florida Man stories
• Reddit: r/floridaman
• The half-haircut guy is actually from CT not Florida
• Kevin’s blog The Roxpile

Host Links

**If you like the show then I’d appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

• Connect with Kevin on his IG page and at DrBicuspid.com
• Connect with Teresa on her IG page and on Facebook

Are you ready to administer vaccines and test for COVID-19? If you’re up to it you may soon be able to! What happens if this becomes a standard of care for dental offices? How do you get paid for it? So many questions around this hot topic. We also explore the world of sexy dentistry with the company TEND. You get to choose your own aromatherapy to go with your fluoride treatment. What a world we live in!

Finally, have you considered making it rain at a dental convention? There are dental shows out there with stripper poles. Who knew!!??

Episode 8 Highlights

• COVID-19 vaccines through dental practices
• Dentistry startup aims to reduce fear around going to the dentist
• SmileCon 

Quotes

• “When you administer a vaccine you need to know the patient's medical history in and out.” 
• “I think it's going to be a very different job if we go in the medical/dental direction.” 
• “I’m good with aromatherapy. You have not smelled anything until Ms. Jones comes at you with her periodontal disease.” 
• “I know people don't like to talk about money, but as it turns out, you are running a business.” 
• “If you don’t know what clear heels means that's okay because you are living a pure life.”
• “This dental conference had poles, not Polish people, but poles. Stripper poles.”
• “Imagine building your booth and saying ‘you know we need to have room for the stripper poles’”. 

Resources mentioned in the show:

• Article on TEND: https://www.forbes.com/sites/leahrosenbaum/2020/10/01/this-startup-raised-37-million-to-make-going-to-the-dentist-fun/?sh=233a70825694
• TEND’s site: https://www.hellotend.com/
• Smile Direct Club episode from Nobody Told Me That!

https://nobodytoldmethat.libsyn.com/ep-39-what-is-smile-direct-clubs-business-model-it-may-not-be-what-you-think-with-kevin-henry

• ADA Vaccine information: https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/viewpoint/my-view/2019/october/my-view-could-vaccines-come-from-your-dentist-not-yet
• Dr. Bicuspid's coverage on COVID-19 testing in the practice: https://www.drbicuspid.com/index.aspx?sec=sup&sub=bai&pag=dis&ItemID=327552
• ADA's SmileCon 2021: https://smilecon.org/en

Links

**If you like the show then I’d appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

Connect with Kevin on his IG page and at DrBicuspid.com

Connect with Teresa on her IG page and on Facebook

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