What if I told you the biggest threat to your orthodontic practice isn’t GPs doing Invisalign—it’s your silence?

In this episode of Five Minute Friday, I take on a controversial and pressing issue in our field: orthodontists enabling GPs to deliver treatment through outsourced setups—and worse, not stepping up to educate them. When screenshots from an Orthopreneurs thread started showing up on a startup’s social feed to validate their GP-led model, it hit a nerve. This isn’t just a fringe problem. It’s a full-on shift in how ortho is being delivered—and too many of us are sitting on the sidelines, complaining but not acting.

If you want to protect your turf, complaining in Facebook groups won’t cut it. In this episode, I break down the real-world impact of poorly diagnosed “simple” cases, what we should be teaching our GP colleagues, and how you can take back control—by becoming the educator, not the victim. Whether you agree with the new model or not, you’ll walk away with practical steps to safeguard your practice, elevate your relationships, and remind the world why orthodontists matter.

QUOTES
“But if you really want to make a difference, get out there and educate—but educate in a way that creates awareness that you just don’t know enough to be doing this in most cases."
— Dr. Glenn Krieger
"If you're listening to this and you're pissed off about at-home aligners or orthodontists helping GPs... then get off your butt and start educating your GPs."
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

Key Takeaways
Intro – The controversy brewing in the ortho world (00:00)
The GP-ortho model and why it’s not going away (01:15)
A real example: misunderstood case complexity (03:00)
The two types of GPs doing ortho—and why most aren't malicious (04:30)
What I teach my referring dentists (06:00)
Why education, not outrage, is our best defense (07:40)
Creating presentations that actually stick (08:50)
Call to action: stop complaining, start leading (10:20)

Additional Resources
I’ve seen firsthand how educating your GPs can completely change the dynamic—and bring complex cases back to your chair.
If you're tired of watching others erode our profession, start doing something about it. Want more ideas like this and the support to execute them? Join me at the final Orthopreneurs Summit this September. Go to opSummit2025.com to see if tickets are still available. Time is running out. Don't miss your chance to be part of the solution.
- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/

- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrthoPreneurs