The Unconventional Path to Better Dentistry

The Business Skills Every Dentist Needs to Lead

Clinical skill may get you started, but leadership is what builds a successful practice. In this episode of Lasting Impressions, David R. Rice shares his perspective on the leadership, systems, and business mindset required to thrive in today's dental landscape. From building high-performing teams and creating scalable systems to navigating staffing challenges, shrinking reimbursements, burnout, and emerging technology, Dr. Rice shares practical strategies to help dentists lead with confidence, improve profitability, and build practices designed for long-term success. (00:00) Why Profitability Matters in Modern Dentistry (00:31) Introduction: David Rice on Leadership, Ownership & Practice Success (01:24) From Clinician to Practice Owner: David Rice's Journey (02:15) Building Great Teams and Finding Purpose Beyond Clinical Dentistry (02:55) The Leadership Gap in Dental Practice Management (03:26) Mentors Who Shaped a Vision for Success (04:32) The Biggest Challenges Facing Dentists Today (06:36) Investing in Teams, Education, and Systems (07:00) Creating Systems That Drive Consistent Results (08:12) Leadership, Accountability, and Sustainable Growth (09:10) Ownership Mindset vs. Leadership Mindset (09:38) Understanding and Preventing Dentist Burnout (11:30) Aligning Practice Goals with Personal Vision (13:02) Profitability as a Tool for Growth and Delegation (14:28) The Future of Successful Dental Practices (15:13) Technology, AI, and Digital Workflows in Dentistry (16:18) Choosing the Right Technology for Your Practice (17:26) Leadership Principles and the Self-Determined Future (18:41) Lightning Round: Ownership, Success Habits, and Collaboration (19:37) A Lasting Impression: Lessons from an Influential Mentor (20:21) Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts

Closing the Gap Between Clinician and Leader

Dr. Laylay Lohmann, Co-founder and Clinical Director of Apex Dental Partners and a 2023 Guiding Leaders graduate, explores what separates a skilled clinician from an effective leader and how closing that gap starts with personal accountability. She shares how improving patient communication and embracing technology helped her transform case acceptance, while empowering patients to better understand and take ownership of their oral health. Dr. Lohmann also discusses building confident clinicians, leading through change, and why meaningful growth requires moving beyond excuses and committing to continuous improvement. (00:00) Previously on Lasting Impressions (00:33) Introducing Dr. Layla Lohmann and the Future of Dental Leadership (00:56) Clinician vs. Leader: Understanding the Gap (01:16) Facing Reality: Case Acceptance and Personal Accountability (02:06) Leveraging Technology to Improve Patient Understanding (02:37) Growth Through Leadership Development Programs (03:19) Balancing Leadership Ambitions and Personal Life (03:58) Shifting from Excuses to Proactive Care (04:22) Building Confident Clinicians and Strong Communication (05:08) Redefining Partnerships and Practice Strategy (06:17) Mindset, Accountability, and Removing Internal Roadblocks (07:21) The Evolution of Dentistry and the Role of Technology (08:18) Trust, AI, and Modern Patient Communication (09:48) Educating Patients to Increase Case Acceptance (10:46) Why Patients Delay Treatment and How to Address It (12:00) Proactive Care, Training, and Technology Integration (12:59) Leadership Challenges and Staying Grounded (14:12) Learning Patience and Scaling Leadership Impact (15:18) Creating a Ripple Effect Across Teams (16:14) Empowering Teams and Building Trust in Healthcare (17:05) Quick Hits: Scale vs. Simplicity (17:52) The Most Underrated Leadership Skill (18:09) Emerging Trends in Preventive Dentistry (19:24) Oral-Systemic Health and Early Intervention Awareness (20:02) The Power of Proactive Patient Conversations (20:31) A Lasting Impression: Choosing Accountability and Gratitude (21:13) Commitment to Growth and Continuous Improvement (21:46) Closing Remarks and Where to Watch

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