Top 5 Topics:

- Doctors vs. Dentists: The Surprising Lifestyle Trade-Offs

- Oral Surgeons vs. Periodontists: Inside the Hidden Rivalry

- The Insurance Scam: Why Your Dentist Isn’t Paid Fairly

- Who Really Runs Dentistry? Private Equity, DSOs, and the Decline of Autonomy

- From Wine Tasting to Surgery: How Passions Outside Medicine Make Better Doctors

Quotes & Wisdom:

“You know you’re doing well when the nurses trust you with their care. That’s the ultimate compliment.” (00:00)

“Dental school does a terrible job of exposing students to what perio really is—we’re not just doing cleanings, we’re doing real surgery.” (02:33)

“Having a strong relationship between oral surgeons and periodontists is so crucial. That’s how you best serve patients.” (03:53)

“Hospitals don’t pay surgeons to take call anymore. Why should young doctors work for free? This is where the system is failing.” (05:25)

“Insurance companies are still paying based on 1970s rates. Everything else has inflated, but our work is being devalued.” (12:54)

“Most DSOs are owned by investors, not dentists. They know money—but they never took an oath for patient ethics.” (14:42)

“Interviews aren’t multiple-choice exams, they’re conversations. Find common ground and show who you really are.” (33:37)

“Anything you can do with your hands—fashion, textiles, sewing—will make you a better surgeon.” (32:07)

“Just because a wine is expensive doesn’t mean it tastes good. Everyone has a different palette.” (34:59)

“Four years in, life looks so different—you finally feel more stable, and that’s when the real world begins.” (41:37)

Questions:

00:05 – Did you notice doctors steering their kids from medicine toward dentistry?

01:11 – What did you mean when you mentioned “beef” between oral surgery and perio?

02:10 – Do you feel dental schools do a poor job of showing what periodontics really is?

04:39 – Why don’t more oral surgeons want to take trauma call in hospitals?

08:32 – What are your thoughts on dental schools “boxing” specialties into insurance-driven niches?

27:32 – How did you first get into running your wine Instagram pages?

Now available on:

- Dr. Gallagher’s Podcast & YouTube Channel

- Dose of Dental Podcast #169

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

- 8.2025

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