In Your Face® Podcast

Dr. Chris Cetta is a board-certified orthodontist practicing with Blue Wave Orthodontics in Florida. He received his undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University in North Carolina and graduated from Rutgers School of Dental Medicine in New Jersey. Prior to specializing in orthodontics at Jacksonville University in Florida, Dr. Cetta was a practicing general and cosmetic dentist for several years.

Dr. Chris Cetta is the co-inventor of Precision Aligner Buttons™ by DynaFlex. He is also the host of the Illuminate Orthodontic podcast which focuses on innovators and inventors in the profession. He also plays bass guitar for two rock bands, including the all-orthodontist group Relapse.

In this episode…

One common mistake many inventors make when they have a great idea is that they start making a product prototype without thinking through its execution and without considering whether to patent it or not. See, having a great idea is not good enough because an idea is only as good as the force that propels it to become a fruitful and realized endeavor.

After coming up with his idea for aligner buttons, Dr. Chris Cetta knew he had a lot more to do and he continued to work hard into perfecting his invention. He not only got a patent for his product, he also took it to market and he worked on helping other orthodontists and inventors who were bound to go through the same process.

In this episode of In Your Face podcast, Craig Weiss and Blair Feldman talk to the inventor of the Precision Aligner Buttons, Dr. Chris Cetta, about how he created the product, the challenges he faced in the process, and why he decided to patent the product. He also talks about his podcast and the segment of orthodontist he wishes to represent and how the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to affect the orthodontic and dental industry. Stay tuned.

David Harris is the CEO of Prosperident, the world's largest firm investigating financial crimes committed against dentists. He is a forensic accountant, a licensed private investigator, and a CPA. He is the author of the book Dental Embezzlement: The Art of Theft and the Science of Control and over 30 articles in dental publications. 

In addition to being a prolific author, David is a frequent presenter at regional, national, and international dental conferences, and his vast wealth of experience coupled with his keen sense of humor make him both an engaging and entertaining speaker. David was a rule breaker in his youth and changed his direction and spent much of his adult life in the world of investigation and enforcement, where he now uses his unrivaled ability to understand the criminal thought process to help educate and protect dentists.

In this episode…

Dentists and orthodontists hire people to help them in running their dental practices so that they can concentrate on providing dental care services to their patients without having to worry about office administration duties. However, some employees often take advantage of their employers and embezzle the office’s money or assets. The dentists may or may not realize this until it's too late, and when they do, they often don’t know what actions to take. 

In this episode, Craig Weiss and Dr. Blair Feldman is joined by David Harris, a dentistry embezzlement expert, to talk about common types of embezzlement issues he often encounters in dental and orthodontic' practices, how his approach to the cases have evolved over the years, the kind of recommendations and advice he gives to his clients on how to fix the problem, and find out his best tips on how to avoid embezzlement problems. Stay tuned.

Vin Cardillo is a proven industry leader with 20 years of experience in leadership partner roles growing Dental Service Organizations (DSOs). He was ranked number 14 on the 2014 Inc 500 List of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the United States, with a growth of almost 13,000%. 

Vin is the Founder of Maeva Dental Advisors, which provides outsourced c-suite services to dental groups and single offices that have the intention of growing. Maeva positions its clients for long term growth by strengthening their operational systems and infrastructure. Vin also provides his expertise and operations, strategy and financing to private equity firms and other financial institutions looking to make an investment in a DSO. 

Vin earned a BA from SUNY Potsdam, an MBA from Clarkson University, and an Executive degree in Managed Care from the University of Connecticut. He has also served as the President of the Dental Group Management Association (DGMA).

In this episode…

In dental school, dentists and orthodontists are taught how to give beautiful smiles to their patients. However they weren’t taught how to manage things like payroll, admin, marketing, dealing with insurance, or finding the best team for their practices. These important aspects of a successful dental practice if left unchecked can make things a lot more difficult than is necessary for professionals.

Vin Cardillo of Maeva Dental Advisors realized that many dental and orthodontic practices needed help in these areas of their practice so he set out to establish a dental advisory firm to come to their aid. He now helps them to not only manage their practices but to also to turn them into saleable assets.

Join Craig Weiss and Dr. Blair Feldman in this episode of In Your Face Podcast as they talk to Vin Cardillo about his dental advisory firm, the c-suite services he provides, how teledentistry and technology can reshape the future of dentistry, and how to best manage a fractional employee. Stay tuned. 

J.W. Oliver is the Managing Partner of Support DDS, a dental outsourcing company that helps dentists find the best employees for their dental practice. The company creates career opportunities for the people of Zimbabwe, Africa by outsourcing their talents to the rest of the world.

J.W. who has spent 33 years in the dental field, is also the President of Wade AMG LLC, and the Founder of Haiti Vision 3.

In this episode...

Many dental practices are faced with challenges when it comes to hiring the right team members for daily office tasks, especially when they are just starting out. In many cases, the people in the United States who are qualified and available have to be paid a high salary which a startup may not be able to afford. 

To solve this common problem, J.W. Oliver helped co-found a business solution with the help of the thousands of highly-educated and qualified yet unemployed men and women from Zimbabwe. His Christian values propelled him to set up an outsourcing company that not only helped businesses in the US, but created employment opportunities in Zimbabwe as well.

In this episode of In Your Face podcast, Blair Feldman interviews J.W. Oliver of Support DDS about how the company started, the services they offer, how they compensate and work with their team members in Zimbabwe, and how his Christian beliefs helped him create a business that has the capacity to touch and change lives. Stay tuned.

Dr. Sam Daher is the creator of Steraligner, the most effective solution to clean and sanitize aligners and all types of retainers and removable oral appliances. He was one of the early adopters of Invisalign and incorporated it into his orthodontic practice, and became the top Invisalign submitter globally from 2009 to 2011, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 Invisalign Ortho Summit. 

Dr. Daher is an active member of both The American and Canadian Association of Orthodontists and a fellow of the World Federation of Orthodontists. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, and a guest speaker at his alma mater, the University of Montreal.

In this episode…

When it comes to cleaning aligners, retainers, and other oral products, many people are used to using off-the-shelf sanitizing products; some even forego this process totally. This poses a huge problem because oral products can become a breeding ground for germs and bacteria which can cause diseases. This is exactly why Dr. Sam Daher created his flagship product, Steraligner.

Dr. Daher is one of the early adopters of invisalign and he says that with the new coronavirus pandemic, keeping personal products sanitized has become more important than ever. 

Join Dr. Sam Daher in this episode of In Your Face podcast where he discusses the benefits of Steraligner and other related products, how orthodontists can encourage patients to try them, and learn more about The Daher Aligner Institute. Stay tuned.

Dr. Paul Homoly, CSP, is President of Homoly Communications. He has presented his work on treatment acceptance and leadership communication in different associations and organizations worldwide. He has also created speaker development programs for market-leading demo companies like Nobel Biocare, Ormco Orthodontics, Pacific Dental Services, Dentsply Sirona, and many others. 

Dr. Homoly had been a practicing dentist performing implant and restorative dentistry for 20 years, and he has also written five great books with some amazing titles such as 'Dentists: An Endangered Species', 'Isn't it Wonderful When Patients Say Yes', 'Making it Easy for Patients to Say Yes', 'Just Because You're Leading Doesn't Mean They'll Follow' and 'Just Because You're an Expert Doesn't Make You Interesting'. Additionally, he's authored two online in-office training programs on case acceptance, 'Case Acceptance Skills for New Dentists' and 'Making it Easy for Patients to Say Yes'.

In this episode…

Dental schools focus on teaching young dentists how to become experts in their field of study. However, there is one very important skill that they miss: communication skills. These young dentists are more than capable of providing excellent service but they aren’t able to relay this to their clients effectively. Many have already seen the importance of good communication in their practice and thus, decide to join programs that can help them improve. Enter Dr. Paul Homoly.

Dr. Homoly knows very well the importance of good communication. He struggled as a young man in dentist school to speak better and decided to work on his communication skills. He became a sought-after speaker and now his mission is to help fellow dentists improve the way they communicate with clients to better position themselves and their practice in the industry.

Join Dr. Blair Feldman In this episode of the In Your Face Podcast as he talks to Dr. Homoly about the work he does with dentists, the biggest communication challenges he has seen among dentists, the importance of non-verbal communication and presentation skills, and why dentists should consider entering his program if they want to get better at connecting with clients. Stay tuned. 

Mari Sawtelle Dunn is the Founder of Mari's List, a place for orthodontists to learn more about how to manage their inventory. She founded it in 2012.  Mari's List is also an orthodontic consultant company, a study club, and a buying group, which has grown mostly by member referrals to over 1800 orthodontist members in both the US and Canada. They currently have 120 partner vendors and offer exclusive group discounts that you can only get if you are a member. 

Mari has worked as a lab technician, sales representative, and Director of Business Development for a large 12-doctor practice. She lives in beautiful Texas Hill Country with her pack of poodles and French Bulldogs.

In this episode…

Mari Sawtelle Dunn was once hired by an orthodontist to manage their inventory. In the course of her work, Mari realized that the practice, as well as other similar practices focused mostly on large purchases and everything else, was delegated to another person. She, therefore, saw a need to help these orthodontists learn much more efficient ways of managing their inventory that will allow them to save more money for use in other areas.

Mari found a solution by creating Mari’s List, which has served the Orthodontic community since 2012.

In this episode, co-hosts Craig Weiss & Blair Feldman are joined by Mari Sawtelle Dunn to talk about Mari’s List, the benefits of being a member of the group, and Mari's involvement in Adam Schulhof's Take Back The Specialty project. 

Here is a glimpse of what you will learn

• What made Mari get interested in becoming an entrepreneur
• Why an entrepreneur should join Mari's list
• Do orthodontists pay different fees to the same vendors?
• How Mari is curating other products orthodontists need in their practices through Mari's List
• What Mari has learned over the years and what she's doing differently today compared to when she got started
• Mari talks about members of Mari's List who are not orthodontists and the kind of discounts offered
• How Mari's List helps doctors and orthodontists in their practices
• How being an entrepreneur has made Mari more sympathetic to the challenges orthodontists face in running their practices
• What is the future of Mari's List?
• Companies that Mari is excited to have on Mari's List
• Mari talks about her involvement in the Take Back The Specialty project by Adam Schulhof and how it works
• Lightning round with Mari Sawtelle Dunn
• What Mari is passionate about in life other than Mari's list

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Retainer Club
• Mari's List 
• Mari's List on Facebook 
• Emma Gets Braces by Dr. Baron Hall 
• Take Back The Specialty by Adam Schulhof 
• The 5 Languages of Love: The Secret to Love that Lasts 

Sponsor for this Episode

This episode is brought to you by Retainer Club, the easiest way for orthodontists to provide their patients with perfectly fitting retainers at a great price, while also sending you a steady stream of new patients in your office who are actively interested in getting treatment. 

Over 1000 patients already love Retainer Club and are using it's easy to use online services to regularly order and replace the retainers without the need to bother their offices. 

Orthodontists love Retainer Club because they feel confident that the smiles they created are being maintained for life and that their long term fans continue to refer new patients to their offices. To learn more about becoming a Retainer Club partner and to bring in more patients go to https://retainerclub.com/partner.

Dr. Blair Feldman and Craig Weiss are co-hosts of the In Your Face Podcast. They are also the Founders of the Retainer Club, an innovative company that helps orthodontists grow their practices.

Dr. Blair Feldman, DMD is an orthodontics specialist who has been in practice for more than 20 years. He is a former Adjunct Professor of Orthodontics at AT Still University in Mesa, AZ, and is a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, the American Dental Association, and the Arizona Dental Association. 

Craig Weiss is the former CEO of a company that he helped scale up to over a billion-dollar valuation. He is also the Founder & CEO of Aladdin Dreamer, Inc. a technology company that’s passionate about giving people better quality of sleep. Prior to starting Retainer Club and Aladdin, Craig was the CEO of NJOY Inc., Managing Member of  JCJ Capital Partners LLC,and Partner at Weiss & Moy, P.C.

Here is a glimpse of what you'll learn:

• What is scan day and how orthodontists can attract new clients for their practice using this event
• How scan day works and how The Retainer Club manages the process (with their partner clinics
• How to reactivate former patients through scan day
• The common mistakes practices encounter during scan day and the support that retainer club provides them
• The benefits of having scan day in your clinic and in being a partner clinics of The Retainer Club
• The technology behind Retainer Club’s 3D scanner and how practices can get the scanner
• Common challenges faced by orthodontic practices
• Blair talks about boiling mouth guards vs getting a custom-made mouthguard 
• How to do a community-based scan day

In this episode…

Managing client relations can be tough for orthodontists. Some patients stay but for the most part, patient retainment can be fleeting. But if you have a system in place that makes dental appointments hassle-free and convenient for them, the chances of them staying as your patient for the long haul increases.

The Retainer Club has created a revolutionary way of attracting and retaining new patients into your practice. How? Through their innovative events such as scan day and through the use of their 3D scanners.

Join Retainer Club founders Craig Weiss and Dr. Blair Feldman as they get interviewed by Rise25 Media’s Dr. Jeremy Weisz about the perks of hosting a scan day in your clinic, the benefits of being a Retainer Club partner clinic, and how you can best get your clients to stick with you for the long haul. Stay tuned.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• The Retainer Club
• The Mouthguard Club
• Craig Weiss on LinkedIn
• Dr. Blair Feldman on LinkedIn

Sponsor for this episode...

This episode is brought to you by The Mouthguard Club and The Retainer Club. Both services help drive new patients, reactivations, and referrals to your orthodontic office. The Mouthguard club provides personalized custom mouthguards that are perfectly fitted to your teeth. You can fully customize the design and even put your team logo on it.

The Retainer Club is the easiest way for orthodontists to provide their patients with perfectly fitting retainers at a great price, while also sending you a steady stream of new patients in your office who are actively interested in getting treatment. Over 1000 patients already love Retainer Club and use it's easy to use online services to regularly order and replace the retainers without the need to bother their offices. 
Orthodontists love Retainer Club because they feel confident that the smiles they created are being maintained for life and that their long term fans continue to refer new patients to their offices. To learn more about becoming a Retainer Club partner and to bring in more patients go to https://retainerclub.com/partner.