Dental Professional Confessional

Dr. Bob Margeas, a professor at the University of Iowa, Editor-in-Chief of Inside Dentistry, speaker, and educator, shares how he’s able to juggle everything while maintaining his private practice, Iowa Dental Group. He confesses that he was fired not just from his first job but from his second job, too, and shares the funny encounter that happened 20 years later. Despite a rocky start, he didn’t stop – which has paid off in the form of massive opportunities, growth, and success. Listen in to hear what Bob would tell his younger self if he could – and get a peek into what he’ll be sharing at The Exchange.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 03:00 – Introducing Dr. Bob Margeas, a dental professional in Des Moines, Iowa, professor of Operative Dentistry at the University of Iowa, and Editor-in-Chief of Inside Dentistry
• 04:05 – What Bob did before dentistry
• 04:15 – He was a biology major and decided to take the test to get into dental school at the very last minute
• 06:30 – Bob’s dental confession
• 06:50 – At his first job, he did a filling for his girlfriend and gave her a discount even though his boss told him not to; he was fired from his second job, too
• 08:00 – When he was fired from his second job, he owed his boss $3,000; 20 years later he was at the Kois Center as a scientific advisor for composites and adhesives
• 08:30 – His old boss was at the Kois Center and heard Bob’s name at a symposium; they reunited and his old boss called him his “first associate”
• 09:20 – Until 2001 when he merged with the best dentist in Des Moines, he did well; but it didn’t take off until he found a mentor and was given an opportunity
• 10:10 – On making the jump to the aesthetic arena
• 10:35 – He was interested from the very beginning; in his first 5 years he had 500 hours and laid the foundation to be able to teach down the road
• 13:10 – If you have someone who believes in you, a lot can happen
• 13:20 – When aesthetic cases go wrong
• 13:25 – After 30 years of doing veneers, he still gets apprehensive when he’s going to seat 8-10 veneers; he doesn’t do them all at once
• 13:55 – If you’re not nervous, you’re not taking it seriously and that’s when things can go wrong
• 15:50 – On digital vs. analog impressions for implants
• 16:05 – The digital ones slowed him down because he works with just one dental assistant; he still uses analog dentistry
• 17:00 – Tim and Mike like digital; they say you can do 90-95% digital
• 18:08 – Bob has about $10,00-worthof parts and pieces for implants; the most profitable thing they do is posterior single-tooth implants
• 09:15 – When Bob got into implants and composites
• 19:30 – He started learning about implants in the 80s; he started placing implants in 2002-2003 and had a veteran as a back-up
• 20:30 – He restores implants and does about 200-240 implants a year
• 21:05 – He got into composites at the University of Iowa and took his first course in Chicago 3 times, then became an assistant
• 22:20 – He started lecturing in Canada in 2000
• 22:45 – On how he’s been so accomplished
• 22:50 – He was single and didn’t get married until he was 53; he had lots of time to write, research, and learn
• 24:02 – He got married in 2014 to a dentist; he now has two step-kids and flies back and forth from Iowa to Michigan where the family lives
• 25:20 – His practice is lean and mean; he implemented a bonus plan for his hygienists so they would be motivated to see more patients
• 27:20 – Now, there has never been a month where they didn’t hit bonus
• 27:50 – On the secret to success
• 27:50 – Happiness is the key to success; his goal is to educate the patient and have them accept the dentistry that they need
• 29:50 – When you feel bad for patients, bad things happen and you make bad decisions
• 30:45 – Advice for his younger self
• 30:50 – He would tell himself not to wait so long to start his own practice; he was an associate for a long time but you can make much more money as your own boss
• 31:30 – If he bought a practice, he would ask the cost of servicing the debt of that practice and if he could live off the rest after paying the debt
• 32:45 – Practice where you want to live and always look at the numbers and what you can make
• 33:10 – Bob is grateful for his mentors who gave him opportunities
• 33:35 – Some successes
• 33:40 – He’s fortunate to be a part of some prestigious dental organizations; he has a teaching center and is an expert in a town of experts
• 34:20 – He has an open door policy and helps people through cases; he recommends sharing information and is grateful for the respect of his peers
• 34:50 – On The Exchange, Smile Source’s annual meeting
• 35:08 – He’ll be talking about everyday dentistry in the morning; he will explain how he uses composite resin to alter the vertical/change the tooth shape to get people by
• 36:00 – He’ll show some live demonstrations in the afternoon and it’ll be interactive

3 Key Points

1. If you’re passionate, people will want to share knowledge.
2. Incredible things can happen with a mentor.
3. When you feel bad for patients, you make bad decisions.

Contact/Resources

• Timothy’s Family Practice – Chips Dental
• Mike’s Practice – Advanced Dental
• Bob’s Practice – Iowa Dental Group

Dr. David M. Jenkins, a dentist who just opened his own practice, Smile Parlor, in Locust Grove, GA, shares how his football player mindset translated into dentistry. He explains why corporate dentistry just wasn’t for him and how he decided to make the shift and open his own practice. From wearing all the hats to now delegating responsibilities, David is committed to the process of creating something that is uniquely his own so he can best serve and inspire his community. Listen in to hear the challenges David has encountered – and learn some valuable insider tips from Tim and Mike.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 03:00 – Introducing Dr. David M. Jenkins; a dentist from Jackson, Georgia who graduated with his degree in dentistry in 2017 and worked in a corporate dental office for 2 years
• 03:55 – He decided to open up a private practice near his hometown in Locust Grove, Georgia
• 05:05 – He was a running back in college and is also going full-steam ahead in his dental career
• 06:20 – Why David got into dentistry
• 06:30 – He comes from a small town where personable experiences are important
• 07:35 – He wanted to do things following his own philosophy, not under the umbrella of a corporate company
• 08:00 – He felt a corporate job would never allow him to feel like he could truly call his work culture and philosophy his own
• 08:30 – He was inspired by the personable experiences he witnessed in other private practices and he wanted control of his own life and peace-of-mind
• 12:00 – The biggest issues David has seen
• 12:30 – When people first come out of dental school they can get dropped into a big corporate model that doesn’t first address patient-relationship basics
• 12:50 – He’s learned what not to do from working in a corporate environment
• 13:35 – Why David went to dental school
• 13:50 – He’s from a small town that lacked education and healthcare; he was inspired to do something about it
• 14:05 – He came across a pediatric dentist in college who said he should consider dentistry; he wanted to impact people in his community and be an example
• 14:55 – David wanted to show the kids in his hometown that athletics or a set career path aren’t the only two choices in life
• 15:40 – David’s biggest learning experience
• 15:45 – He thought he’d mastered dentistry, then something humbled him again; he got into deep oral surgery but needed to assess his bandwidth
• 16:30 – He learned to pick his battles and that saying “no” is sometimes necessary; he now knows what not to do and has a reference point for growth
• 18:05 – In sports, you take any challenge that comes your way and figure it out; in dentistry saying “no” doesn’t signal defeat
• 20:00 – As you get more experience, things become easier; Smile Source and mentors help new dentists learn and grow from others
• 21:30 – On how Smile Source has helped David
• 21:40 – He knows he’s not alone in his journey as a dentist and knows he has a supportive community
• 22:00 – On the challenges of opening up a new practice
• 22:30 – He’s been wearing all the hats but it’s time to delegate responsibilities; it can be overwhelming to manage all the start-up costs
• 24:00 – His leadership will play a role in how his team follows him; frustrations need to be in check and the team needs to be supported and encouraged
• 25:30 – It’s hard to fire people, but it’ll need to be done at some point; with experience you’ll learn sooner whether they’re a good fit for the team
• 26:45 – On laying out a 5 and 10 year plan
• 27:00 – Determine the things you want to learn, study them, and don’t get paralyzed by fear or perceived perfection
• 28:00 – Do continued education courses
• 30:30 – David’s regrets
• 30:45 – Some corporate models have moonlighting models, a plan B, but his didn’t; make sure you’re in the right practice for what you want, whatever it is
• 32:15 – He knows now how to set up each room to maximize the space
• 33:15 – He doesn’t have any regrets; he gets overwhelmed but is confident in himself
• 35:15 – On realizing his big picture
• 35:45 – Things that used to pump him up weren’t exciting anymore; he stepped back and asked himself what he truly wanted and that’s when he realized what he truly wanted
• 39:00 – Have good financial arrangements, a give-back component to your business, and a sufficient – but not excessive – amount of supplies
• 42:15 – Say “yes” to all free samples!

3 Key Points

1. Establish relationships and be personable.
2. Lead by example and with passion. 
3. Know your limitations – saying “no” doesn’t equal defeat.

Contact/Resources

• Timothy’s Family Practice – Chips Dental
• Mike’s Practice – Advanced Dental
• David’s Practice – Smile Parlor
• Smile Source

Trevor Maurer, the President and CEO of Smile Source, shares the story of what he did when he was stranded on an island – and what he learned about money management along the way. He also shares a funny sales story of when he pitched a product and showed how edible it was...except it wasn’t. Despite his silly blunders, Trevor has always had a desire to build and create, which is exactly what he’s done for big companies and is now doing for Smile Source.

Listen in to hear the advice Trevor would give his younger self – and learn the biggest challenges he sees dentists face.

Dr. Tim Bizga, DDS, FAGD, confesses the biggest dental “failure” of his career – and the lifelong lesson he learned from his patient afterward. When his patient’s husband told Tim that he’d be next if her procedure was successful, he saw it as a personal challenge to impress them. But what came next was totally unexpected and nearly brought him to tears. Tim shares what happened on that fateful day and what he learned about the power of being honest and transparent.

Listen in to hear Tim’s best dental story, too – and learn what he does to live a fulfilling and rewarding life that’s full of gratitude.

In this episode, Dr. Mark Murphy, DDS, Diplomate ABDSM, confesses that he used to have an egocentric teaching style. Young Dr. Murphy thought he was the greatest, but when a colleague pointed out that his presentation was more about showing off and less about actually teaching the material, he reflected on what he needed to change to better serve his students. Dr. Murphy also reveals that dentists often hinder their own growth by obsessing over perfectionism and never putting their continued education to practice.

Listen in to hear how Dr. Murphy’s very first implant went wrong – and hear his valuable tips about taking advice.

In this episode, your hosts Dr. Timothy Chips and Dr. Mike Maroon confess that, when they started their dental careers, it was anything but smooth-sailing. Dr. Tim shares why he calls his former self “Dr. Screw-Up” and reveals why – despite thinking he knew it all – he was totally unprepared to run his own business fresh out of dental school. Dr. Tim and Dr. Mike talk about the similar struggles they faced early-on, how they managed to get past them, and why it’s so important to find help, mentorship, and a supportive community.

Listen in to hear their vulnerable confessions, lessons learned, and advice for those going through financial struggles of their own.