You seem to have done it all in dentistry. How do you spend your week?
Although I'm not inherently a regimented person, I've learned through the years that a regimented month, week, and day deliver results. So, my weeks are preblocked into three buckets. Bucket 1 is downtime with my better 9/10ths, Anastasia. We don't always get as much time as we'd like together, so we definitely schedule our quality time. Bucket 2 is content creation. Videos take story-building time, production time, and edit time. Bucket 3 is time on the road. Some weeks I’m on the road to practice dentistry back home in Amherst, New York, and some weeks I’m on the road speaking.
Can you tell us a little about igniteDDS? How and why did you start it?
igniteDDS is a community of young dentists and dental students I founded 10 years ago after teaching at Buffalo Dental School for 11 years. Long story short—one day after class a small group of students approached with questions. We went to lunch, which turned into dinner for 10. A semester later, we were 300 strong and had expanded to multiple schools. Today, we network with more than 50,000 young dental pros every day. igniteDDS is truly the greatest professional honor I could have ever imagined.
What keeps you from getting burned out?
First and foremost, I truly love what I do. I made a promise to myself years ago that the moment I stopped loving it all, I'd find a new path. Second, I have Anastasia. She's my rock, my cheerleader, and the person who understands that most often we all just need someone to listen. Last, those three buckets I mentioned that begin with our personal time: that makes things work.
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What is your best advice for a new dentist who is deciding how to start their career?
Narrow down who you listen to. Like every profession, dentistry has top the top two percenters, the top 10 percenters, and so on. Seek mentors who have no vested interest in the path you take who genuinely want to help you. Seek mentors who are highly successful doing exactly what you want to do. Seek mentors who care enough about you to share the truth, even when it challenges you.
What dental technology or materials stand out to you that have contributed to your success?
I like all technologies that visually help educate. Early in my career, it was our intraoral cameras. As I educated myself more, my DSLR for higher quality, and today I'd add my scanners. As they say—a picture is worth 1,000 words.
Editor's note: This article appeared in the December 2022 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.
