The Millennial Dentist

On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist on Instagram Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray on Instagram

066 Finding Your Passion and Give Back with Dr. Joe Mehranfar Aug 21, 2018

Show notes

We are so excited to have Dr. Joe Mehranfar here today. Dr. Joe shares how he taught, obtained two master’s degrees, and didn’t always have the best grades before beginning dental school. He also shares how a mentor helped him become the implant expert that he is today. He tells the story of how he had 80 offices and almost lost everything before building his practice back up.

He also shares his experience when he first arrived from Iran, and how he eventually found his passion with teaching and giving back to the underserved and disenfranchised homeless community. He teaches at Brighter Way Live and is involved with the Dental Clinic at CASS. He shares his passion for dentistry and implants done the right way and giving back to those less fortunate.

You can find Dr. Joe Mehranfar here:

Mehranfar Dental Group

Brighter Way Live

The CASS Dental Clinic

Show Notes:

[01:40] Dr. Joe shares the winding road that he traveled to actually make it through dental school. He even obtained two master's degrees and taught anatomy.

[08:57] He became an assistant and learned how to do implants.

[10:03] He moved to Phoenix and started doing implants.

[11:03] Dr. Joe offered affordable implants and got over 100 patients right out of school.

[12:24] The impact of ego, experience, and nerves.

[13:09] He then partnered with ClearChoice and started lecturing about the product.

[14:10] After opening many practices, he ran out of money and went bankrupt.

[14:49] They had investors lined up, but it didn't pan out.

[15:25] Out of 80 offices, he was able to retain 8 of them.

[16:26] He was trying to build business and mailed booklets to people. He would bring offices patients and do the implant surgery.

[17:29] How dentistry is such a unique opportunity. Dentists can make money even after trying things that don't work.

[18:23] Dr. Joe moved here from Iran in 1984, and his first job was a headhunter. Where he learned people skills and building trust.

[20:51] Dr. Joe always enjoyed teaching and training.

[21:13] In 2015, Dr. Joe began giving back by volunteering for a homeless service called CASS. He now has a center inside the shelter.

[25:50] He often does 240 implants in three days with the help of other dentists. They have huge volume.

[27:06] How so many competitors work together for charity and the mission.

[28:53] The majority of the restorative is done by one of Joe's residents.

[30:45] Dr. Joe customizes the case with the amount of knowledge that the student has. It also helps the volunteering companies.

[31:35] Placing implants is super popular for dental graduates.

[31:58] Advice for young dentists to get involved with placing implants.

[32:27] The importance of teaching students how to treat people safely and not hurt anyone.

[34:01] Dr. Joe is also an expert witness for attorney's in town. His biggest thing is nerve injury.

[35:16] The best advice for young dentists is to take your time and build confidence and work on a couple of successful cases.

[35:49] Use the technology like cone beams and printers to make sure everything is safe, predictable and cost effective.

[37:14] The pros and cons of free hand and guided implant surgeries.

[38:43] Machines need to be calibrated so that everything is accurate.

[43:09] Dr. Joe loves surgery.

[43:42] Looking at the socket to see what size implant is needed. Dr. Joe gives his measurement technique.

[48:19] Get your tickets for DIA2018 at InfluenceDental.com.

Links and Resources:

MillennialDentist@gmail.com

On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist on Instagram Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray on Instagram

Westwood Dental Center on Instagram

Mehranfar Dental Group

Brighter Way Live

The CASS Dental Clinic

065 The Millennial Dentist’s favorite Canadian, Dr. Paresh Shah Aug 14, 2018

Show notes

Dr. Paresh Shah is here to talk about the importance of continuing education, treatment planning, and having a mentor. Dr. Shah was born in India, but has been in Winnipeg, Canada for 50 years where he has been a solo practitioner. He has recently added an associate to his practice. After being an associate, Dr. Shaw purchased a practice from a retiring dentist and built that practice up. He really became excited about dentistry when he found mentors and teachers and like minded people to grow with.

In this episode, Dr. Shaw shares a lot of great information for young dentists and dentists starting out. He talks about the importance of getting or buying a patient base when you first start out. He talks about how to use technology in a smart, efficient, and profitable way. We talk about how to find and communicate with labs and lot more great stuff on today’s show.

You can find our Dr. Paresh Shah here:

Westwood Dental Center

@drpshah_dmd on Twitter

Paresh Shah on Facebook

Show Notes:

[01:51] Dr. Shaw was born in India, but he has been in Winnipeg Canada for over 50 years.

[02:26] His family and his practice are in Winnipeg and his daughter is a dentist in Chicago.

[02:59] Dr. Shaw has been a solo practitioner, but he just got an associate.

[03:06] He does restorative dentistry, implants, cosmetic dentistry, and interdisciplinary care.

[03:20] He has a busy practice with three full-time hygienists. They have five rooms and their operation is very efficient.

[03:32] Dr. Shaw loves what he does. He used to be a super dentist and do everything, but now he focuses on what he does best.

[03:37] He has a great group of specialists that he works with.

[04:06] When Dr. Shaw first started in dentistry, he was an associate. Although, he almost became an oral surgeon.

[04:45] A distribution rep told him about a practice that was for sale, and he ended up buying his practice. He started with three chairs and no hygienist. He built the practice adding hygiene one day at a time.

[06:15] How corporate dentistry is entrenched in the US. If you work hard, and you are smart, you can buy a practice and pay the debt off.

[06:47] The importance of finding a practice that already has a patient base.

[07:20] Ask what the dollar value of those patients are?

[09:18] You can take the approach and build it and people will come, but to be successful you need a patient base.

[09:53] You could also transition the patient base of a retiring dentist.

[11:05] Find a mentor that will teach you how to diagnose and treatment plan and communicate with patients.

[11:54] Millennials want a practice that has a luxurious look.

[13:30] When you buy a new practice, there are aesthetic things you can do to make the practice look better.

[14:35] The point of buying an existing practice is cash flow.

[15:12] At first, Dr. Shah wasn't enjoying his work. Then he met a group of mentors and teachers and learned how to properly diagnose and treatment plan. He spent 5 or 6 years at the University of Minnesota.

[16:40] He saw the great lives and practices of these older dentists and their passion for dentistry.

[16:54] He is still friends with these guys. By surrounding himself with this group and taking several continuing education courses, he became enthusiastic about his practice.

[17:58] Like minded individuals can be inspiring.

[19:40] Hanging out with people ahead of you closes your information gap.

[21:07] Learning the foundation by going to the Kois Center and Spear Education.

[22:45] To understand and learn everything a young dentist really needs a continuum course.

[24:53] How you don't know what you don't know is absolutely true.

[25:45] The importance of updating and learning new techniques.

[27:38] How important it is to meet people and be exposed to people in other cities and other countries.

[28:34] The importance of creating a nonthreatening environment and creating accountability.

[30:15] The Seattle Study Club was founded by Michael Cohen. This is a university without walls that meets every four to six weeks.

[31:08] They sit down and have treatment planning sessions. There are about 270 Seattle Study Clubs around the world.

[31:34] The importance of finding a study club that wants to mentor you.

[34:04] Dr. Shah lectures about current techniques for doing everyday stuff. People have to have a foundation.

[36:30] How you can learn from your mistakes and decide what you can improve if something doesn't look good.

[37:43] He also shows advanced treatment plan cases in his study clubs.

[38:31] Digital workflow and new scanners and software. Dr. Shaw is trying to teach the digital workflow to get from here to there and be efficient about it.

[44:28] How important it is to not make learning experiences sales pitches. Dr. Shaw and a friend are doing a two-day program and will have the products of several different brands represented.

[47:33] Team members also need to be part of the education and the workflow training and creation.

[50:24] Dr. Shah incorporates changes and checklists for a reason. He doesn't change procedure without having a reason and sharing it.

[55:50] Buying a scanner, having a great lab, and getting a model printer is a great way to operate.

[56:32] The key to digital is time. You can pay for your scanner in a year.

[57:56] The value of saving time whether it's 15 minutes a crown or a week a year.

[01:01:53] Interview labs and find a good lab that you can communicate with. Dr. Shah found a great lab in Canada through Instagram.

[01:04:13] Send photos to your lab and keep the lines of communication open. You both need to be accountable with each other.

[01:05:44] In Canada, lab fees are disclosed separate from dental fees.

Links and Resources:

MillennialDentist@gmail.com

On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist on Instagram Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray on Instagram

Westwood Dental Center on Instagram

Westwood Dental Center

@drpshah_dmd on Twitter

Paresh Shah on Facebook

Kois Center

Spear Education

Seattle Study Club

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

064 Making Decisions for What Is Next With 3 D4 Students Aug 07, 2018

Show notes

This episode is live from Quito, Ecuador. Sully is joined by Morgan, Anna, and Tessa who are three UTHSC D4 students. We discuss what the future holds for these three D4 students and what their plans are. Getting through dental school can be hectic, but once the goal of graduating is over. It is time to begin a new career as a dentist.

We talk about associateships, opening a new practice, taking over a practice, working for the government, and finding mentors. Faced with all of these decisions, it is probably a good time to think about what these students actually want, where they want to live, and what type of practice they want. We talk about finding options and exploring what is and isn’t a good fit.

Show Notes:

[01:03] Morgan is a D4 student at UTHSC College of Dentistry. She is from Indiana.

[01:10] Anna is also a D4 at UTHSC. She is from Connecticut.

[01:26] Tessa is also a D4 from Knoxville, TN.

[01:58] Dental school was different than they thought it would be. The time commitment is much bigger.

[02:39] The computer system and the school system took awhile to get the hang of.

[02:55] After graduating, you realize how much you don't know.

[03:09] What is next and how to deal with that.

[03:30] For Anna associateship is an option. Where depends on the licensing. Finding a good mentor is also an option.

[04:33] Find where you want to go and then find a job. Or find a job and go there.

[05:28] It's okay to find an opportunity and learn and then move on.

[06:02] Find a dentist you know and get them to introduce you to their network.

[06:38] Dental reps can be great resources for finding dental jobs.

[08:17] Cessa is not sure where she wants to go and is thinking about some type of government job.

[09:20] Start to write down what you think life will look like in a year and 5 years. Put together your vision and your goals. This can push you faster by setting yourself up to accomplish things.

[12:22] Traveling dentists in buses who go to schools. Morgan is applying for pediatric dentistry residencies.

[14:20] A lot of people are going to specialize or at least going through the application process.

[15:21] How sharing your goals can motivate you.

[16:59] Just because there are a lot of dentists, it does not necessarily mean that it is saturated. You can separate yourself from everyone else.

[18:45] Branding and social media and building your brand as a student. Start building a portfolio in dental school.

[22:36] Consider getting a nice DSLR camera.

[22:57] How to get to know a dentist you may want to work with. Go out to lunch with the team without the doctor. This can give you a real perspective. Also dig in to see what you have in common and what their long term goals are.

[25:15] Set up a contract with a trial period. You either know if it is worth working for or that it is not working.

[27:42] Have structure in place before starting an associateship or it could end badly. Also try looking at x-rays together to see if your treatment ideas are similar.

[29:12] Anna asks about programs looking for associateships like Practice on Fire and DDSMatch.

[30:05] The big thing to figure out is where you want to live.

[30:15] Sit down and decide what you want and what you want life to look like.

[31:34] You are never going to be ready for running your own practice. It is sink or swim. You can build good support with office managers etc.

Links and Resources:

MillennialDentist@gmail.com

On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist on Instagram Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray on Instagram

Practice on Fire

DDSMatch

063 The Life and Dentistry Crew: Recap on first year of being a Dentist Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

Big Joe, Cole, and John Wesley of the Life and Dentistry Podcast joined me live at the TDA! We had an awesome conversation on their first year out of school, residencies, buying a practice, and what CE they have taken. This episode is a must listen!

If you haven’t checked out their podcast make sure to check it out. In this episode find out the #1 thing Cole learned from residency, how John Wesley found his practice in Cookville, Tn, and how Big Joe got us roped into being the official photographers of the TDA Meeting!

I think one of the best parts of this episode is the importance of having a plan when you go in as an associate towards the future. What is the practice worth? How long will you be an associate? How long does senior dentist want to work?

Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com

On Facebook @Millennialdentist

On Twitter @MillennialDDS

On Instagram

Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist

Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray

Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

062 The Boys are Back in Town…Sully, PeyRay, and Jeff Jul 24, 2018

Show notes

Taking a week off from the typical interview style podcast for some local discussion between Dr. Sully, Dr. PeyRay, and Dr. Jeff Trembley. These are some of my favorite episodes we just talk about real life problems we are dealing with and what we are doing to confront them!

In this episode, we talk about how Dr. PeyRay and Jeff have both signed up with consultants to help their practices. We are very interested to follow along with their experience and will be updating throughout the process. Dr. PeyRay has had some team turnover and his A/R has gotten a little out of hand so he is excited to have the consultant help him with his systems. Dr. Jeff is really trying to set the trajectory of his practice.

We also jumped into talking about dental insurance and what it looks like to move towards fee for service. This is something I have been wanting to do for awhile now and love hearing how it’s working with Dr. Jeff. As always this episode is just jammed packed with nuggets! Enjoy!!

Our website is http://www.millennialdentist.com

On Facebook @Millennialdentist

On Twitter @MillennialDDS

On Instagram

Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist

Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray

Dr. Jeff…@jftrembley

Dr. Sully’s website and blog is http://www.drsullysullivan.com

061 Why your Southwest, Delta, and Marriott Credit Cards Suck Jul 17, 2018

Show notes

We are live from Quito, Ecuador. We have been doing a bunch of dental work here. As many of you know, I am obsessed with credit cards and have been wanting to do a credit card episode for quite a while. Yesterday, we had an hour and a half bus ride with some students and the topic of credit cards came up. This was the perfect time to record this episode about credit cards.

Some of the things we talk about include how and why to use credit cards and how to maximize the use of credit cards. We look into which cards are the best and how to make the most of rewards and cash back programs. If used correctly, credit cards can be a tool to save on travel and purchases. After listening to this episode, you should be able to make better decisions about your use of credit cards.

Show Notes:

[01:27] Kelsey is an incoming D3 at UTHC. She has a Capital One Venture card.

[01:35] Austin is the husband of a D3 And was intrigued with this conversation.

[01:49] Travis Bradley is a freelance videographer, and he has a credit card from his local credit union.

[02:15] We are going to talk about how and why we use credit cards and how to maximize them.

[02:40] If you're not paying off your credit card every month, you lose all benefits of points and rewards.

[03:26] Kelsey's husband had the Capital One Venture card before they got married, and she was added onto it.

[03:55] They pay their credit card off every month, but they use it to buy everything. They paid for their honeymoon with their points. They mostly use the card to collect points for travel.

[04:04] Austin has The Discover it card. He and his wife both have it. There is no annual fee, and it matches your cash back during the first year.

[04:52] Travis has a credit union credit card.

[05:37] Questions to ask when getting a credit card. Does status matter? What are you trying to save for?

[06:15] Deciding what you want dictates the credit route you go.

[06:31] Common credit cards are the Discover it,The American Express Delta card,The AMX card, and the Southwest card

[06:58] There are cards that are bank specific and cards that a report specific.

[07:26] Sully believes that rewards cards are the worst ones that you can get.

[08:09] Your only earning one point per dollar unless you're using certain rewards cards for flights.

[11:26] Length of credit is one of the biggest things that impacts your credit score. Paying on time is also very important. Credit utilization ratio also matters.

[13:18] Adding a credit card increases your credit utilization ratio.

[14:13] Don't apply for credit cards before you make a big purchase. If you're not making a big purchase, you can take advantage of promotional rewards offers and then later down the line cancel the card.

[18:36] Cash back, international travel, and domestic travel rewards cards. Cashback cards are easy to use.These are things like Discover it, Chase Freedom, and Capital One Quicksilver.

[19:49] The biggest benefit you can get from a cashback credit card is about 2%.

[21:33] When using rewards for business expenses you want to take the tax deduction before you get the cash back.

[22:00] Sully is a Chase fan. He likes the Chase freedom card and the Chase Sapphire preferred card.

[22:46] The Chase Sapphire preferred is two points per dollar on all travel and dining, but it does have an annual fee.

[25:53] With the Sapphire preferred card you can transfer your points. You also get free TSA pre-checked.

[29:40] The Chase Sapphire Reserve card has a fee of $450 a year. But you get a $300 travel voucher. It's also three points per dollar on all travel and all dining.

[31:22] The benefit of Chase is transferring to partners this is also a drawback to the Capital One cards, because it doesn't have this benefit.

[35:51] In order to get the best credit card deal, you need to have some idea of what you want to get out of it.

[36:37] International travel is where you get the biggest bang for your buck.

[38:18] With Delta's point system you don't get a lot of bang for your buck.

[44:48] The danger of getting caught up in a rewards program. Be cautious you don't buy things you don't need just to earn rewards.

[45:26] It's a good idea to pay off your credit cards immediately.

[48:12] There is also a benefit to getting your Sapphire preferred card at certain times of the year. Bonuses and promotions change throughout the year.

[54:14] If you plan on financing a house don't cancel any of your credit cards.

[55:29] How important it is to understand what credit is used for. Buying points just to get point isn't a great idea. It's important to have an emergency fund and also be able to pay off your credit card monthly.

[56:02] It's important to understand what you're actually accumulating points for. When you have a goal in mind you can be so much more efficient.

[56:35] Understand that there are two parts to rewards. There is the accumulation of points in the usage of points.Some cards are better at one or the other.

[56:48] Keep an eye out for the differences between cash back rewards and miles.

[57:39] The companion pass. This is the Southwest promotion where if you earn 110,000 points in a calendar year you get a companion who flies free with you on every flight you take for that year and the following calendar year.

[59:52] To maximize your points you would do so much better by getting the bonus points and then transferring points from a Chase card, because 110,000 miles is a lot. [01:00:59] The best way to do it is to get a Southwest personal card and the South West business card that each come with a 50,000 bonus point reward.

[01:02:22] If done correctly, the companion pass is the crème de la crème.

Links and Resources:

MillennialDentist@gmail.com

On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist on Instagram Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray on Instagram

American Express Delta Card

Discover it

Capital One Quicksilver

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Companion Pass

060 ADA President Dr. Joseph P. Crowley A Value Proposition for Young Dentists Jun 26, 2018

Show notes

I am still live at the Tennessee Dental Association in Nashville.Today I am speaking with Dr. Joseph P. Crowley who is the President of the ADA. We talk about how there are so many opportunities for young dentists and how the ADA is working to remain relevant and to share its value proposition with up and coming dentists. Other things the ADA is doing is increasing diversity, making joining the organization easier, and better explaining the value proposition.

Dr. Joseph P. Crowley has been a dentist for 41 years. He has always liked being on the forefront of what was going on. Through incremental steps in his career, becoming President of the ADA was a natural progression. He recently sold his practice to focus on his role at the ADA where he hopes to increase branding, messaging, attendance, and the perceived value to younger dentists.

This episode gives us a front row seat of what is now happening and in the works for the American Dental Association!

You can find our Dr. Joseph P. Crowley here:

ADA President Dr. Joseph P. Crowley

Queen City Dentistry

Show Notes:

[01:10] Part of Dr. Crowley's role is spokesperson for the American Dental Association. He is reaching out in Tennessee to help increase diversity in dentistry.

[02:17] The group at Meharry Dental School is doing a lot of cool things, and it's a perfect time for the ADA to be part of that.

[02:47] Dr. Crowley has practiced general dentistry for 41 years. For the last 18 months, he has been out of practice because of his job as President-elect of the ADA.

[03:10] Being president of the ADA is a full-time job and Dr. Crowley sold his practice.

[03:42] When Dr. Crowley started out as a dentist he worked in a school-based clinic which taught him a lot about outreach and access issues.

[03:59] Dr. Crowley enjoys being on the front end of his profession. Becoming the president of the ADA was the end of several increment steps in a long career and progression.

[05:05] Having the opportunity to influence decisions is a pretty cool place to be.

[05:18] One of the goals of the ADA is to form the future of dentistry for the new generation.

[06:13] Dr. Crowley believes it's the ADA's responsibility to be the value proposition that people would want to be part of.

[06:48] The challenge of getting the message of the ADA to resonate with young people.

[07:11] Young dentists have more options now than ever.

[07:56] One of the advantages of the ADA is that belonging to an organization makes dentists as a group stronger.

[10:31] Millennial dentists are caring and engaged.

[10:53] Providing oral health as a part of total health is a whole new world in dentistry today. Dentist are now playing a bigger role in systemic health care.

[11:55] There's a trend of young people blaming the ADA for problems. They may need to do a better job celebrating victories.

[12:52] The true value of membership in the ADA. The ADA is a powerful voice when it comes to rules and regulations. People listen when you're representing a large group.

[13:39] The ADA lobbies with big numbers to protect dental interests. They need to be there as a voice, especially when it comes to new third-party pay plans.

[16:02] They are also working on a program that connects younger dentists with older dentists.

[17:41] Millennial's have learned collaboration and the practice groups will be an integral part of that. This will be the connect back to medicine.

[21:00] The combination of an older dentist and a younger dentist working together complements each other.

[22:51] Solo practices will still exist, but group practices and collaborative practices are the wave of the future.

[23:49] The importance of bringing dentistry to more people by working in an efficient way and utilizing technology.

[25:09] The ADA role and how it plays with dental insurance. The ADA will stand up against insurance companies who aren’t paying dentists fairly.

[29:52] The ADA library is the best dental library in the world. There is even an app for drug interactions.

[31:06] One of the things that Dr. Crowley wants to do is to keep the science resources high. Dentistry is a learned profession based on science based evidence. They also want to integrate dentistry and medicine.

[33:57] 40 million people a year who see a dentist don't have a physician. Dentists need to be able to recognize health problems.

[36:14] Federal legislation versus state legislation.

[37:22] Sleep studies are done in a physician's office, but then dentists can take over treatment.

[39:56] Dentistry needs to step up and solve some of the access issues.

[41:11] The ADA is looking for solutions and if they have members who support them, they can do even more.

Links and Resources:

MillennialDentist@gmail.com

Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist on Instagram Dr. Peyman…@drpeyray on Instagram