How Great Dentists Build Community & Lead Better Teams

Leading at Scale Without Losing the Human Side of Care

In this episode of Lasting Impressions Dr. Layla Lohmann shares how she helped build Apex Dental Partners from a single practice into a growing organization by focusing on prevention, patient education, and clinician support. She also discusses the leadership lessons from Guiding Leaders that helped her overcome a fear of difficult conversations — and how that shift changed the way she shows up for the doctors and patients across her organization. (00:00) Introduction: Leadership and Anxiety (00:34) Meet Dr. Layla Lohmann: Apex Dental Partners Journey (01:07) Early Career and Education (02:17) Starting in Dentistry: Corporate vs. Private Practice (03:39) Building Apex Dental Partners: Entrepreneurial Beginnings (04:27) Growth and Expansion: From One Practice to Sixty (05:26) Funding and Navigating Challenges (06:03) Evolving as a Healthcare Professional (06:29) Impacting Clinicians and Patients (07:11) Leadership Development and Guiding Leaders (07:25) Personal Motivation: Childhood and Family Influence (08:23) Leadership Lessons from Motherhood (08:55) Overcoming Roadblocks: Fear and Communication (09:18) Supporting Clinicians: Inspired by Glidewell (09:55) Creating Partnerships and Sustainable Growth (10:18) Fear, Motivation, and Mindset (11:00) Communication Styles and Mindset Shifts (11:29) Apex's Unique Approach to Practice Support (12:05) Reimagining Private Practice and Core Values (13:10) Collaboration and Patient-Centered Care (13:47) Proactive Dentistry and Patient Conversations (14:11) Trust and Communication in Patient Care (15:05) Clinical Integrity and Autonomy (15:27) Education vs. Treatment: Empowering Patients (16:09) Vendor Partnerships and Guided Conversations (16:38) Scaling Practices and Technology (17:17) Staying at the Forefront of Dental Innovation (18:08) Listening to Doctors: Balancing Practice and Leadership (18:32) Building Trust Through Partnerships (19:03) Transparency and Action in DSO Partnerships (20:11) Alignment, Expectations, and Professional Growth (21:19) Anxiety, DISC Assessment, and Self-Discovery (22:05) Case Acceptance and Team Feedback (22:35) Closing: Lasting Impressions and Glidewell TV

The Hardest Part of Dental Innovation: Unlearning What You Know

From "Case of the Week" to AI-driven workflows, our guest Michael DiTolla, DDS, FAGD, discusses how technology, education, and digital dentistry have transformed the profession, and why the future belongs to dentists willing to relearn what they thought they knew. (00:00) Opening and Introductions (00:33) Ironman Races and Weight Loss Contests (02:34) YouTube, Coffee Mugs, and Case of the Week (03:41) Dentists Love Seeing Other Dentists' Work (04:13) Megan's Co-Hosting and News Anchor Journey (05:05) Speaking Engagements and Chairside Live (06:12) Building a Dental YouTube Channel (07:14) Global Impact of Dental Education Videos (08:08) Reflecting on Career and Industry Impact (09:01) Solving the Temporary Crown Problem (10:09) Same-Day Dentistry and Workflow Changes (11:16) Three-Day In-House Lab Turnaround (12:02) Lab Delays and CAD/CAM Technology (12:47) Over-Prepping Veneers and Dental Hell (13:26) Buying a Practice and Focusing on What You Love (14:13) Early Invisalign Experiences (15:10) Smile Architect and No-Prep Veneers (16:18) Conservative Dentistry and Patient Acceptance (16:34) Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Life Changes (17:45) Filming While Sick and Mill Enthusiasm (18:03) Dentists Resisting Change and Technology (19:14) Unlearning and Relearning in Dentistry (20:10) Letting Go of Old Techniques (21:26) Committing to Change at Dental Meetings (22:02) AI and the Future of Dental Education (22:48) Digital Hub: The Intraoral Scanner (23:25) Patient Engagement and Wellness Scans (25:06) Time-Lapse Scans and Long-Term Care (26:14) Changing Patient Expectations (26:34) Choosing the Right Scanner (27:06) Patient-Facing Software and Technology Advances (27:41) Jim Glidewell's Vision and Dental Innovation (28:33) Building a Digital Practice Ecosystem (29:36) IT Support and Practice Management (30:20) Technology Adoption and Staff Support (30:56) Early Digital Scanners and Practice Evolution (31:52) Improving Clinical Outcomes with Digital Tools (32:34) Relearning and Embracing Digital Dentistry (33:05) Conservative Dentistry and Patient Reactions (34:06) Changing Lives with Sleep Apnea Solutions (35:10) TMJ Appliances and Product Trials (36:33) Laughter, Gratitude, and Lasting Impressions (37:07) Offering Hope and Connecting with Average Dentists (38:14) Glidewell as the Lab for the Average Dentist (39:13) Enjoying Dentistry and Avoiding Burnout (40:02) Doing What You Love in Dentistry (40:18) Mentoring and Hosting Dental Meetings (41:10) Dreaming of a Glidewell Three-Day Event (41:33) Hosting Meetings and Customer Connection (42:07) Closing Remarks and Farewell

The Unconventional Path to Better Dentistry

From private practice to becoming one of dentistry's most recognizable educators, Dr. Michael DiTolla shares how authenticity, curiosity, and a willingness to challenge convention helped shape his career and influence modern dentistry. (00:00) Living With Sleep Apnea and Oral Appliance Therapy (00:23) Welcome Back to Glidewell and Reflecting on Leaving (01:14) Choosing Between Glidewell and Sirona (02:25) Why Glidewell Always Felt Like Family (03:06) The Birth of BruxZir and Early Zirconia Challenges (04:11) The Monolithic Moment That Changed Restorative Dentistry (05:10) When Zirconia Was Too Ugly to Sell (06:38) From Ugly Duckling to Clinical Workhorse (07:10) Seeing Glidewell as a Customer, Not an Insider (07:30) Discovering Sleep Apnea Care in General Practice (08:27) Glidewell's Evolution Into a Technology Leader (09:00) How Marketing and Education Drove Industry Change (10:09) The Power of the Sledgehammer Video (11:16) Zirconia Filling the "Cast Gold Void" (12:01) Technology's Role in Saving Marginal Preps (12:51) Early Career Lessons and Bad Dental Habits (13:27) The Hygiene Department and Early On‑Camera Dentistry (14:04) The Hairpiece Story and Learning Authenticity (17:27) Choosing Confidence and Being True to Yourself (19:45) From Private Practice to Glidewell: The Origin Story (21:07) Early Leadership, Performance, and the Need to Be Heard (22:17) Why Dentistry Was the Chosen Path (24:02) First Clinical Collaboration With Glidewell (25:08) Why Every Dentist Should Work in a Lab (26:27) Being Recruited Full‑Time by Jim Glidewell (28:03) Creating Dental Education Before YouTube (29:23) Learning From On‑Camera Clinical Mistakes (30:21) Becoming an "Average Dentist" With Above‑Average Results (31:46) Facing Tough Feedback From Technicians (32:46) Searching for Better Prep Techniques (33:18) Discovering the Reverse Preparation Technique (34:35) The First Prep That Changed Everything (36:04) Dental School, Talent, and Under‑Reduction (37:57) Sharing a Technique That Changed Dental Education (38:59) Digital Dentistry Ends Guesswork Forever (40:12) Raising the Standard for Tooth Preparation (40:26) Preview of the Next Episode

Leadership, Artistry & Digital Freedom in Dentistry

Dr. Cary LaCouture shares how embracing technology through Glidewell.io transformed not just his clinical process, but the entire patient experience. He explains how fully integrated digital workflows can create immediate value, reducing restorative time, improving efficiency, and giving clinicians more freedom to focus on patients rather than process. (00:00) When Dentistry Changes a Life (00:31) Welcome Back (01:23) A Career Bridging Technology, Service, and Artistry (01:34) Rapid Fire: Gratitude, Samoa, and Superpowers (02:39) Being the First to Bet on New Dental Technology (03:26) Trusting Glidewell and Embracing Innovation Early (04:40) Leaving Old Systems Behind for Digital Workflow (05:37) Technology as Freedom for Dentists and Teams (06:09) Gaining Time Back With Same‑Day Digital Dentistry (07:37) Staying Open During COVID and Serving the Community (08:09) Overcoming Fear of Going Digital (09:09) A Same‑Day Implant Story That Says It All (10:06) Why Patients Expect Same‑Day Dentistry Now (10:37) Convenience Without Up charging (11:36) Humanitarian Missions (12:33) Delivering Care Where None Exists (13:25) Kenya and Building a Children's Cancer Hospital (15:14) Why Western Samoa Left a Lasting Impression (16:09) Dental Care as a Global Human Need (16:23) Seeing Dentistry Through a Photographer's Eye (17:03) Photography, Esthetics, and Facial Symmetry (18:06) Leading by Example and Shared Expectations (19:03) Advocating for Others and Developing Leaders (20:16) Lightning Round: Life Outside Dentistry (21:33) "Jump in the Beautiful Lake" Philosophy (21:49) Recording Family Stories as a Lasting Legacy (23:06) Closing Reflections and Gratitude

How Great Dentists Build Community & Lead Better Teams

Dental school teaches you how to treat patients. It doesn't teach you how to lead, hire, or run a business. Dr. Galler gets into the real side of dentistry. He dives into what it takes to build a team, earn trust, handle rejection, and connect with people in a meaningful way. Because the hardest part of dentistry isn't always clinical. (00:00) Previously on Lasting Impressions: The Scale of Impact (00:36) Advice for Young Dentists Who Want to Lead (01:39) How Dentists Can Truly Connect With Each Other (02:25) Building Real Support Networks in Dentistry (03:13) Why Being Heard Matters More Than Having Answers (04:19) Dentistry as a Business Without Business Training (04:48) Why Dental School Misses Leadership Skills (05:51) The Coaching Industry and Its Pitfalls (06:37) Accepting That You Don't Have to Be a "Perfect" Leader (06:47) Loving the Work So Much It Doesn't Feel Like Work (08:06) Preparing for a High‑Impact Leadership Keynote (09:59) Addressing Anxiety, Burnout, and the Dentist's Mind (11:29) The Hidden Mental Health Crisis in Dentistry (12:43) Why Dentists Are Often Distrusted (13:10) Media, Consumerism, and Dentistry's Image Problem (15:16) Rejection, Insurance, and Daily Emotional Drain (17:36) Cash‑Pay Dentistry and Systemic Pressures (18:46) If You Could Start Over: Lessons Learned (19:49) Lightning Round: Personal Insights (23:03) Defining a Lasting Impression as a Leader (24:22) Listening to Your People as a Leadership Superpower (25:16) Closing Reflections and Episode Wrap‑Up