Top 5 Topics:

- From Residency to Real-World: The Private Practice Reality Check

- Building a Million-Dollar Oral Surgery Practice from Scratch

- Untold Truth About Dental Insurance and Why Dentists Drop It

- Leadership, Mentorship, and the “White Belt” Mentality

Quotes & Wisdom:

09:21 — “Treat your first year like you’re an intern again—new setting, new relationships. It takes reps.”

22:42 — “Always a white belt. Even when you teach, you’re still learning.”

24:24 — “Learn from other people’s mistakes—and your own. Log them. Don’t repeat them.”

27:25 — “Use real patients as board prep—pimp yourself in your head on every case.”

36:04 — “Leadership is growing everyone around you—not just yourself.”

42:11 — “How you bounce back from the bad days matters more than how you ride the good ones.”

43:39 — “Smooth seas never made a great sailor—downturns are where you develop.”

50:07 — “Culture beats talent. Skills are teachable; values and teamwork aren’t.”

56:58 — “You have to earn balance. Grind now so your future self can breathe.”

58:33 — “Be the captain of your own ship. Ownership lets you steer—teaching and family included.”

1:06:44 — “Don’t skip steps. Principles prevent complications—surgery and business alike.”

1:09:47 — “Pick the right partner. The person beside you can save you from yourself.”

Questions:

04:42 — “Are you mostly in Arizona or Austin these days?”

05:52 — “Did you work with Dr. Sammy over there?”

07:46 — “How do you think about insurance—staying in-network vs moving fee-for-service?”

16:11 — “What days in the week do you work in your practice since you’re traveling on weekends?”

18:07 — “How often each month are you back in Austin for that Friday/Saturday duo?”

19:35 — “When hiring, do you rank ‘good surgeon’ by skill alone—or is culture just as important?”

27:43 — “What are your favorite cases and typical mix?”

41:46 — “Who helped you build this well-oiled machine—where did you learn the practice systems?”

Now available on:

- Dr. Gallagher’s Podcast & YouTube Channel

- Dose of Dental Podcast #192

My watch in this episode = Tag Heuer Aquaracer Calibre 16 Chrono

- 10.2025

#podcast #dentalpodcast #doctor #dentist #dentistry #oralsurgery #dental #dentalschool #dentalstudent #dentistlife #oralsurgeon #doctorgallagher