What if the “hygiene shortage”… isn’t a shortage at all?

In this episode of The Real Talk of Dental, we pull back the curtain on one of the most talked-about issues in dentistry right now, and challenge everything you think you know about hiring, retention, and what’s really happening inside dental practices.

Jennifer Steadman brings a rare, full-spectrum perspective, former hygienist, operator, and VP of Ops, to unpack the truth behind why hygienists are stepping away, what practices are getting wrong, and how leadership, culture, and compensation are all colliding in real time.

This conversation doesn’t play it safe. It gets honest about toxic environments, unrealistic expectations, rising wages, and the quiet shift happening across the industry.

Because this isn’t about a talent shortage. It’s about alignment, standards, and whether your practice is a place people actually want to stay.

You’ll learn:

• Why the “hygiene shortage” might actually be a retention and culture issue
• What hygienists are no longer willing to tolerate in today’s practices
• The real impact of toxic environments, micromanagement, and outdated leadership models
• How COVID accelerated a massive shift in expectations, flexibility, and wages
• The difference between production-driven care and patient-first outcomes
• Why shortening appointment times is not the solution (and what to do instead)
• The 3:1 production ratio every healthy hygiene department should hit
• How to structure compensation, including base + commission models that actually work
• Why transparency around business finances builds stronger, more aligned teams
• The role of leadership in creating autonomy without losing standards
• What a “waterfall” of expenses really means for profitability and pay
• How to prevent team resentment when hiring at higher wages
• Why calibration, training, and clear standards of care are non-negotiable
• The communication gap that’s quietly breaking teams (and how to fix it)
• What great practices are doing differently to retain top hygienists
• How to spot underperformance vs. system failure
• Why culture, not compensation, is the long-term retention strategy

🔗 Join the community and submit your anonymous questions:

https://www.therealtalkofdental.com

🔗 Learn more about The Empowered LeadHERship Program for Women in Dental:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

🔗 Boundary Boss GPT:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/boundaryboss

0:00 The “truth bomb” about the hygiene shortage

2:45 Why hygienists are choosing to step away from practices

5:00 Toxic environments, outdated expectations, and lack of support

7:30 Autonomy vs. control, what hygienists actually want

10:00 Why standard of care needs to be collaborative, not dictated

12:30 The biggest mistake practices make with appointment timing

14:00 The 20-20-20 model for effective hygiene appointments

16:00 Production vs. patient care, what actually drives revenue

18:30 Compensation models, hourly vs. base + commission

21:00 Why financial transparency changes everything

23:30 The hiring gap, wage inflation, and internal team tension

26:00 COVID’s lasting impact on hygiene and flexibility

29:00 Leadership, communication, and why most teams struggle

32:00 Handling difficult conversations as a practice owner

35:00 What defines a healthy, high-performing hygiene department

38:00 Culture, loyalty, and what’s been lost in dentistry

41:00 The one leadership habit that changes everything

Connect with Jennifer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifercsteadman/

Website: https://www.jensos.com/

Connect with me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandimarzolino/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandi.marzolino/

https://courageandjoyatwork.com/

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

Phone: 616-682-6222

What if the biggest risk inside your dental practice… isn’t what you can see?

In this episode of The Real Talk of Dental, we dive into a topic that isn’t flashy, but could change everything, dental waterline safety.

Landon Hilliard from Dentist Safe breaks down the hidden dangers inside dental unit waterlines, why over 80% of practices aren’t testing them, and how contaminated water can impact both patients and staff.

From real outbreak cases to the science of biofilm and bacteria growth, this conversation reveals the gap between what we assume is safe… and what actually is.

This isn’t about fear. It’s about awareness, ownership, and raising the standard of care across the industry.

You’ll learn:

• Why dental waterlines are one of the most overlooked infection control risks
• The shocking statistic, over 80% of dentists don’t test their water
• What really happens when water sits stagnant in dental lines
• How bacteria like Legionella and E. coli can form and spread
• The real story behind a major outbreak that hospitalized children
• Why aerosol spray reaches far beyond what you can see
• How contaminated water impacts not just patients, but your entire team
• The role leadership plays in setting safety standards
• Why every practice needs a “waterline champion”
• Simple, actionable steps to start testing and improving immediately

🔗 Join the community and submit your anonymous questions:

https://www.therealtalkofdental.com

🔗 Learn more about The Empowered LeadHERship Program for Women in Dental:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

🔗 Boundary Boss GPT:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/boundaryboss

We talk about:

0:00 The hidden risk inside dental offices

2:10 Why waterline safety is often ignored

4:15 What Dentist Safe actually does

5:30 The shocking truth about testing rates

6:40 How aerosol spreads throughout a room

8:00 The science of bacteria and stagnant water

9:30 Why dental education misses this topic

11:00 How practices can start improving today

13:00 The role of leadership in safety protocols

14:30 Real outbreak cases and patient impact

16:00 Why symptoms can take months to appear

18:00 Where to start if you feel overwhelmed

20:00 Creating a waterline champion in your office

22:00 Landon’s story and how he got into this work

25:00 Why the dental community matters

27:00 Practical next steps to test your water

Connect with Landon

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/landon-hilliard-a0995615b/

Website: https://dentisafe.com/

Connect with me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandimarzolino/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandi.marzolino/

https://courageandjoyatwork.com/

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

Phone: 616-682-6222

What if the biggest financial mistake in your dental career… has nothing to do with dentistry?

In this episode of The Real Talk of Dental, Brandi sits down with Kyle Wheeler, a commercial real estate expert who exclusively represents buyers and tenants in dentistry, to unpack the hidden risks, missed opportunities, and costly misconceptions that happen every day in practice acquisitions, leases, and startups.

From new grads walking into deals without leverage… to seasoned practice owners unknowingly leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table, this conversation exposes the side of dentistry no one teaches you.

Kyle breaks down why commercial real estate is nothing like residential, why “handling it yourself” can cost you more than you think, and how timing, strategy, and representation can completely change the outcome of your next move.

If you’re thinking about buying, leasing, expanding, or even just renewing your space, this episode will shift how you approach every decision.

You’ll learn:

• Why dental practice real estate is completely different from residential deals
• The biggest mistake dentists make when buying a practice
• How lack of representation can cost you tens to hundreds of thousands
• Why leverage is everything in negotiations, and how to create it
• The critical timing window (18–24 months) most dentists ignore
• What you can actually negotiate in a lease (hint, almost everything)
• How tenant improvement allowances can save you six figures
• The hidden risk of relying on brokers who represent the seller
• Why working with specialists, not generalists, changes outcomes
• How to approach startups, acquisitions, and lease renewals strategically

🔗 Join the community and submit your anonymous questions:

https://www.therealtalkofdental.com

🔗 Learn more about The Empowered LeadHERship Program for Women in Dental:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

🔗 Boundary Boss GPT:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/boundaryboss

We talk about:

00:00 The overlooked risk in dental practice deals

03:00 Why dentists walk into negotiations with no leverage

06:00 The difference between residential vs. commercial real estate

10:00 Practice acquisitions and the real estate trap

14:00 When to bring in representation (and why it matters early)

18:00 What you can negotiate in a lease (and what most miss)

22:00 The cost of waiting too long to start the process

25:00 How time creates leverage and better deal outcomes

28:00 Lease vs. buy, when ownership actually makes sense

29:00 Kyle’s background and the mindset behind his approach

34:00 Final advice for protecting your future in dentistry

Connect with Kyle

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/healthcare-realty-michigan/

Website: https://carr.us/commercial-real-estate-agents/kyle-wheeler/

Connect with me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandimarzolino/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandi.marzolino/

https://courageandjoyatwork.com/

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

Phone: 616-682-6222

What happens when the systems meant to protect patients and providers… aren’t actually being followed?

In this episode of The Real Talk of Dental, Brandi sits down with infection control expert and educator Sherrie Busby to unpack one of the most overlooked risks in dentistry, the gap between what’s taught, what’s required, and what’s actually happening inside practices.

Sherrie shares the story that started it all, a real exposure to hepatitis early in her career, before PPE was standard, and how that moment shaped her path into infection control education. From there, the conversation opens into a much bigger issue, one that still exists today.

Despite clear guidelines from OSHA and the CDC, most dental teams are still navigating infection control through passed-down habits, inconsistent training, and limited onboarding. The result? Misunderstandings, burnout, turnover, and potential risk to both patients and providers.

This episode goes beyond protocols. It’s a conversation about leadership, accountability, team culture, and what it really takes to build a safe, high-functioning dental practice.

If you’ve ever assumed your team “just knows” what to do, this episode will challenge that assumption.

You’ll learn:

• Why infection control training is still a major gap in dentistry
• The real reason dentists graduate with little to no infection control education
• How bad habits get passed down through teams without anyone realizing it
• Why onboarding failures are driving burnout and turnover in dental offices
• The “four-lane highway gap” that’s costing practices time, money, and safety
• How proper training directly impacts productivity, confidence, and culture
• The balance between hiring experts vs. training internally
• Why dental assistants are the backbone of infection control and patient safety
• How to create scalable, repeatable training systems in your practice
• The role of ownership and self-led learning in building high-performing teams

🔗 Join the community and submit your anonymous questions:

https://www.therealtalkofdental.com

🔗 Learn more about The Empowered LeadHERship Program for Women in Dental:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

🔗 Boundary Boss GPT:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/boundaryboss

We talk about:

00:00 The story that sparked a career in infection control

03:00 Life before PPE and how safety standards evolved

06:00 Why dental education is missing critical infection control training

10:00 The biggest training gaps in dental practices today

15:00 Why onboarding fails and how it impacts retention

20:00 The ripple effect of poor training and system breakdowns

24:00 Internal vs. external training, what actually works

29:00 Empowering assistants and building confident teams

31:00 Why doctors must invest in training (and what happens when they don’t)

36:00 Final thoughts on leadership, growth, and raising the standard

Connect with Sherrie

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherrie-busby-edda-cdso-cdipc-ab38694b/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dentalassistantconnection/

Connect with me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandimarzolino/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandi.marzolino/

https://courageandjoyatwork.com/

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

Phone: 616-682-6222

What happens when two dentists give you two completely different diagnoses, just months apart?

In this episode of The Real Talk of Dental, Brandi sits down with Wardah Inam, CEO and founder of Overjet, to unpack the real reason AI is entering dentistry, and what it actually means for clinicians, patients, and the future of care.

Wardah shares the personal moment that sparked the creation of Overjet, and how that experience exposed a deeper issue across the industry, inconsistency in diagnosis and treatment planning. From there, she built one of the first FDA-cleared AI platforms in dentistry, focused not just on efficiency, but on improving clinical accuracy and patient outcomes.

This conversation goes far beyond technology. It explores leadership, decision-making under uncertainty, the reality of building a company in a rapidly evolving AI landscape, and the tension between fear and opportunity as AI adoption accelerates.

If you’ve ever questioned AI in dentistry, or wondered whether it’s a tool, a threat, or something in between, this episode will challenge how you think about the future of the profession.

You’ll learn:

• Why AI in dentistry actually exists
• The real problem behind inconsistent diagnoses
• How Overjet improves accuracy without replacing clinicians
• The 70% rule for faster, better decisions
• Why waiting for perfect information holds you back
• What AI regulation means for your practice
• The truth about AI and “surveillance” fears
• Why dentists need to be part of this shift
• How patient-first thinking guides AI development
• The biggest mistake leaders make under pressure
• Why alignment with yourself drives better outcomes

🔗 Join the community and submit your anonymous questions:

https://www.therealtalkofdental.com

🔗 Learn more about The Empowered LeadHERship Program for Women in Dental:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

🔗 Boundary Boss GPT:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/boundaryboss

We talk about:

00:00 What’s broken in dentistry today

03:00 The problem that led to Overjet

08:00 How great leaders make fast decisions

15:00 The truth about AI in dentistry

21:00 Why patient-first thinking matters

26:00 Building a culture of truth and accountability

37:00 Should dentists be skeptical of AI?

40:00 Final advice on purpose and success

Connect with Wardah

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wardahinam/

Github: https://wardahinam.github.io/

Website: https://www.overjet.com/

Connect with me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandimarzolino/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandi.marzolino/

https://courageandjoyatwork.com/

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

Phone: 616-682-6222

Dental events are getting more expensive. More crowded. And for many vendors, less effective than ever.

What happens when the traditional conference model stops delivering real results?

In this episode of The Real Talk of Dental, Brandi sits down with Michael Scott of Smile Together to unpack what’s really happening behind the scenes at dental events, and why a new model is starting to take over.

After years in tech, sales, and events, Michael entered the dental space with a fresh perspective and quickly noticed a disconnect. Vendors are spending tens of thousands of dollars to attend conferences, only to walk away with a handful of leads and months of follow-up that rarely converts.

Meanwhile, decision-makers are overwhelmed with noise, repeat speakers, and surface-level conversations.

So what’s the solution?

Michael shares how Smile Together is flipping the model, creating curated, high-intent environments where vendors and buyers sit down for real conversations that actually move business forward.

But this conversation goes deeper than events. It explores authenticity in dentistry, the power of personal brand, and why the future of this industry belongs to those who build real relationships, not just polished pitches.

If you’re a vendor, DSO, dental leader, or entrepreneur trying to understand where the industry is headed, this episode will challenge how you think about connection, sales, and growth.

You’ll learn:

1. Why traditional dental conferences are losing ROI for vendors
2. The hidden problem behind large-scale industry events
3. How the “hosted buyer” model is changing dental networking
4. Why more vendors are becoming selective about which events they attend
5. The real reason most event leads don’t convert into sales
6. How to position your offer in front of different decision-makers
7. Why authenticity is becoming the biggest competitive advantage in dentistry
8. The role of personal brand in building trust and closing deals
9. What vendors must do to stay relevant in a relationship-driven industry
10. How curated, intentional environments create better business outcomes

🔗 Join the community and submit your anonymous questions:

https://www.therealtalkofdental.com

🔗 Learn more about The Empowered LeadHERship Program for Women in Dental:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

🔗 Boundary Boss GPT:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/boundaryboss

We talk about:

00:00 Welcome to Real Talk of Dental, what’s broken behind the scenes

01:05 Why dental events feel busy but don’t drive real results

03:30 How Michael entered the dental industry and what stood out

06:30 The Smile Together model, curated meetings vs crowded booths

08:00 Why vendors are questioning ROI on traditional conferences

10:00 The real issue, too many attendees, not enough decision-makers

12:00 Why most events try to be everything and fail because of it

14:30 Inside the 15-minute meeting model and how it actually works

16:00 Rising costs of dental events and who’s getting priced out

18:30 Where real business happens, hallway conversations vs the stage

21:00 The power of transparency and authenticity in today’s industry

24:30 Losing sight of the patient in a business-driven environment

28:00 Coaching, leadership, and lessons from sports

33:00 Why even top performers still need coaching

36:00 The biggest mistake vendors make in sales conversations

39:30 The shift to personal brand and relationship-driven business

42:00 Why real relationships outperform polished presentations

Connect with Michael

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelscottthecoach/

Website: https://www.smiletogetherlive.com/

Connect with me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandimarzolino/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandi.marzolino/

https://courageandjoyatwork.com/

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

Phone: 616-682-6222

Dentistry is facing a growing tension no one wants to talk about.

New dentists entering the profession often expect six-figure incomes, shorter work weeks, and rapid success. Meanwhile, practice owners are carrying the financial risk, team leadership, and operational pressure behind the scenes.

So where is the disconnect?

In this episode of The Real Talk of Dental, Brandi sits down with Dr. Anushka Gaglani, a dentist who practiced clinically for 14 years before helping build a growing multi-practice dental group with her husband. What started as a single practice has grown into an organization approaching eight offices, giving her a rare perspective on both sides of the associate-owner divide.

Together they unpack the expectation gap happening across dentistry, including the $300K income myth, the leadership skills dentists are never taught in school, and how social media has reshaped career expectations for new graduates.

This is an honest conversation about the realities of building a career in dentistry, leading teams, and navigating the generational shifts happening inside dental practices today.

If you’re a dentist, associate, practice owner, or dental professional trying to understand where the profession is headed, this episode will challenge a lot of assumptions.

You’ll learn:

1. Why many new dentists expect rapid financial success
2. The reality behind the “$300K dentist” narrative
3. Why communication skills matter more than clinical technique early in your career
4. The leadership gap that exists across dentistry
5. Why associates struggle between being liked and being respected by teams
6. The real financial pressures behind running a dental practice
7. How social media is shaping unrealistic expectations for dentists
8. What it actually takes to build and scale multiple dental practices

🔗 Join the community and submit your anonymous questions:

https://www.therealtalkofdental.com

🔗 Learn more about The Empowered LeadHERship Program for Women in Dental:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

🔗 Boundary Boss GPT:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/boundaryboss

We talk about:

00:00 Welcome to Real Talk of Dental | Dentist Career Reality

01:05 Dr. Anushka Gaglani’s Journey from Dentist to Multi-Practice Owner

03:35 Starting and Scaling a Dental Practice

05:40 The Reality of Dental Entrepreneurship

07:45 Leadership Skills Dentists Are Never Taught in School

09:15 Why Communication Skills Matter for Dentists

11:30 Emotional Intelligence in Dental Practice Leadership

13:40 Associate Dentist vs Dental Team Leadership Challenges

15:20 The Leadership Gap in Dentistry

17:20 Personal Development and Leadership in Dentistry

19:15 Managing New Generation Dentists

20:40 New Dentist Work Expectations vs Practice Reality

22:35 Social Media and Unrealistic Dentist Salary Expectations

24:15 The $300K Dentist Myth Explained

26:05 The Real Cost of Running a Dental Practice

28:40 The “Title Trap” in Dentistry Careers

30:10 Value Creation vs Titles in Dental Leadership

31:40 Finding Your Zone of Genius in Dentistry

33:10 Scaling Multiple Dental Practices

35:10 Entrepreneurship Sacrifices in Dentistry

36:40 Final Advice for Dentists and Practice Owners

Connect with Dr. Gaglani

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anushka-gaglani-dds/

Website: https://www.areodental.com/

Connect with me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandimarzolino/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandi.marzolino/

https://courageandjoyatwork.com/

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

Phone: 616-682-6222

Is there really a dental hygiene shortage… or are hygienists simply refusing to tolerate toxic environments?

In Episode 34 of The Real Talk of Dental, Brandi sits down with Kendra Flowers to unpack one of the most controversial conversations happening in dentistry right now. From the so called hygiene shortage to the growing tension between dentists and hygienists, this episode goes straight to the core of what is breaking inside the profession.

Kendra’s career spans assistant, hygienist, clinical operations, and now public health advocacy at Harmony Health Foundation. Her perspective is layered, battle tested, and deeply rooted in service. She has worked in underserved communities, witnessed Medicaid practices collapse under grant loss, and seen firsthand how production pressure is reshaping the heart of dentistry.

Together, they explore whether dentistry is losing its mission, why hygienists feel undervalued, and how COVID accelerated a professional reckoning. This is not surface level burnout talk. This is about identity, autonomy, access to care, and the future of oral healthcare.

If you have ever questioned whether the hygiene shortage is real, felt dismissed as “just a hygienist,” or sensed that the industry is drifting away from patient centered care, this conversation will resonate.

You’ll learn:

1. Why the “dental hygiene shortage” may actually be a workplace culture issue
2. How toxic environments are pushing licensed hygienists out of clinical practice
3. The impact of COVID on hygiene autonomy and workforce decisions
4. What hygienists are trained to do vs what they are allowed to do
5. Why Medicaid reimbursement and public health funding are reshaping access to care
6. The financial and systemic pressures dentists are facing
7. How DSOs are influencing productivity expectations
8. Why many hygienists feel reduced to “profit centers”
9. The growing autonomy movement in dental hygiene
10. How dentistry today mirrors medicine 50 years ago
11. Why student loan debt limits public health career paths
12. The real cost of losing heart in healthcare
13. What happens when production replaces purpose
14. How collaboration between dentists and hygienists could rebuild the profession

🔗 Join the community and submit your anonymous questions:

https://www.therealtalkofdental.com

🔗 Learn more about The Empowered LeadHERship Program for Women in Dental:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

🔗 Boundary Boss GPT:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/boundaryboss

We talk about:

00:00 The “war” between dentists and hygienists

02:30 Is dentistry losing its heart?

05:00 Production pressure vs patient care

07:30 Medicaid, grants, and access to care challenges

11:00 Public health dentistry and why it matters

14:00 Why younger professionals avoid policy involvement

17:00 Student loan debt and career limitations

20:00 The dental hygiene shortage truth bomb

25:00 Toxic work environments and hygiene autonomy

28:00 “Just a hygienist” and professional identity

32:00 Hygienists in leadership and business strategy

36:00 Why collaboration is the future of dentistry

38:30 Reclaiming purpose and doing good in dentistry

Connect with Kendra

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendra-flowers/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kendra.e.flowers/

Website: https://www.kendraflowers.com/

Connect with me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandimarzolino/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandi.marzolino/

https://courageandjoyatwork.com/

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

Phone: 616-682-6222

What happens when you realize, three years into your dental career, that chairside dentistry is not for you… and you feel completely trapped?

In Episode 33 of The Real Talk of Dental, Dr. Laura Brenner shares her unfiltered journey of leaving clinical dentistry after a decade of practicing. What started as quiet dissatisfaction turned into years of chronic low-grade depression, identity conflict, and the pressure to stay in a profession she had invested everything into.

Laura opens up about the culture of dentistry that tells us we are “lifers,” the shame that comes with questioning your career choice, and the internal battle between financial security and personal fulfillment. From her viral blog post “10 Reasons Your Dentist Probably Hates You” to building a non-clinical path through side gigs, coaching, and mindset work, Laura now helps dentists pivot safely and strategically without burning their lives down.

This episode goes far beyond burnout. It explores identity attachment, financial fear, scarcity vs abundance thinking, dental school conditioning, comparison culture, and how to rebuild confidence when you believe you have no transferable skills.

If you have ever thought, “Did I make the wrong career choice?” this conversation is for you.

You’ll learn:

1. Why leaving clinical dentistry feels like divorce from an identity
2. The difference between burnout and genuine career misalignment
3. How dental school culture shapes comparison and perfectionism
4. Why so many dentists feel trapped by golden handcuffs
5. The mindset shift from “I have no other skills” to “If I can do dentistry, I can do anything”
6. How to build a side gig while still practicing dentistry
7. Why quitting without a plan can increase anxiety and scarcity
8. The financial fear that keeps dentists stuck
9. Why happiness comes before success, not after
10. How abundance is more than just money
11. Why career pivots should be experiments, not catastrophes
12. What life can actually look like after leaving clinical practice

🔗 Join the community and submit your anonymous questions:

https://www.therealtalkofdental.com

🔗 Learn more about The Empowered LeadHERship Program for Women in Dental:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

🔗 Boundary Boss GPT:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/boundaryboss

We talk about:

00:00 The culture of dentistry and silent career regret

02:30 The viral blog post that changed everything

05:00 Realizing chairside dentistry was not aligned

08:00 Burnout vs career misalignment

12:00 The shame of wanting to quit dentistry

15:00 Financial fear and the golden handcuffs

18:00 Building a side gig while still practicing

21:00 Mindset work and transferable skills

25:00 Dental school conditioning and comparison culture

30:00 Scarcity vs abundance in high-income professions

34:00 Career pivots as experiments, not catastrophes

38:00 Life after leaving clinical dentistry

42:00 Why you are not alone in questioning your career

Connect with Dr. Laura

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-brenner-dds/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Drlolabees

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlolabees/

Website: https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/

Connect with me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandimarzolino/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandi.marzolino/

https://courageandjoyatwork.com/

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

Phone: 616-682-6222

What happens when you are the strong one in dentistry, the leader, the provider, the one everyone depends on, and you are quietly carrying grief no one sees?

In Episode 32 of The Real Talk of Dental, Dr. Parul Dua Makkar opens up about losing her younger brother to oral cancer at 34, followed by the sudden loss of her father just three years later. As a sole practitioner, mother, and healthcare provider, she found herself navigating profound personal loss while still showing up for patients, staff, and family.

From finishing her brother’s unfinished manuscript after his death to creating a legacy journal inspired by the questions she never got to ask her father, Parul shares what it looks like to process grief in dentistry while still leading at a high level.

This conversation goes far beyond death. It explores trauma stored in the body, identity loss after major life transitions, burnout driven by unprocessed grief, and the emotional isolation many dentists experience but rarely name.

You’ll learn:

1. Why grief in dentistry often goes unrecognized
2. How trauma and loss physically manifest in the body of healthcare professionals
3. Why overworking can be a coping mechanism for unprocessed grief
4. The emotional isolation of solo practice and leadership decision fatigue
5. How selling a practice or transitioning to a DSO can trigger identity grief
6. The impact of collective trauma post-COVID on dental professionals
7. Why burnout is sometimes grief in disguise
8. How writing, ritual, and legacy projects can support healing
9. The importance of seeking support instead of suppressing pain
10. How to hold joy and sadness at the same time without guilt
11. What sustainable emotional resilience looks like in dentistry

🔗 Join the community and submit your anonymous questions:

https://www.therealtalkofdental.com

🔗 Learn more about The Empowered LeadHERship Program for Women in Dental:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

🔗 Boundary Boss GPT:

https://leadhershipexperience.com/boundaryboss

We talk about:

00:00 The isolation of dentistry and why grief often goes unspoken

02:30 Losing a sibling to oral cancer and the guilt healthcare providers carry

05:00 Sudden loss, anticipatory grief, and the shock of losing a parent

07:30 Identity loss after death and becoming an “only child” overnight

10:00 How trauma and grief are stored in the body

14:00 Overworking as a coping mechanism in dentistry

17:00 The grief of career expectations and the fantasy vs reality of dentistry

21:00 Practice transitions, DSO sales, and identity shifts

23:00 Midlife grief, changing bodies, and evolving roles

27:00 Collective grief post-COVID and cultural exhaustion

31:00 Writing as healing, finishing her brother’s book, and creating legacy

35:00 Why burnout in dentistry is sometimes unprocessed grief

39:00 Healthy coping tools, support systems, and emotional regulation

42:00 Sustainable resilience and why grief should never be navigated alone

Connect with Dr. Parul

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drparulduamakkar/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PDMFamilyDental

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duagoodjob

Website: https://parulduamakkar.com/

Connect with me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandimarzolino/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandi.marzolino/

https://courageandjoyatwork.com/

https://leadhershipexperience.com/

Phone: 616-682-6222