Dental Professional Confessional Dr. Timothy Chips and Dr. Mike Maroon

Dr. Bob Margeas, a professor at the University of Iowa, Editor-in-Chief of Inside Dentistry, speaker, and educator, shares how he’s able to juggle everything while maintaining his private practice, Iowa Dental Group. He confesses that he was fired not just from his first job but from his second job, too, and shares the funny encounter that happened 20 years later. Despite a rocky start, he didn’t stop – which has paid off in the form of massive opportunities, growth, and success. Listen in to hear what Bob would tell his younger self if he could – and get a peek into what he’ll be sharing at The Exchange.
Time Stamped Show Notes:
03:00 – Introducing Dr. Bob Margeas, a dental professional in Des Moines, Iowa, professor of Operative Dentistry at the University of Iowa, and Editor-in-Chief of Inside Dentistry 04:05 – What Bob did before dentistry 04:15 – He was a biology major and decided to take the test to get into dental school at the very last minute 06:30 – Bob’s dental confession 06:50 – At his first job, he did a filling for his girlfriend and gave her a discount even though his boss told him not to; he was fired from his second job, too 08:00 – When he was fired from his second job, he owed his boss $3,000; 20 years later he was at the Kois Center as a scientific advisor for composites and adhesives 08:30 – His old boss was at the Kois Center and heard Bob’s name at a symposium; they reunited and his old boss called him his “first associate” 09:20 – Until 2001 when he merged with the best dentist in Des Moines, he did well; but it didn’t take off until he found a mentor and was given an opportunity 10:10 – On making the jump to the aesthetic arena 10:35 – He was interested from the very beginning; in his first 5 years he had 500 hours and laid the foundation to be able to teach down the road 13:10 – If you have someone who believes in you, a lot can happen 13:20 – When aesthetic cases go wrong 13:25 – After 30 years of doing veneers, he still gets apprehensive when he’s going to seat 8-10 veneers; he doesn’t do them all at once 13:55 – If you’re not nervous, you’re not taking it seriously and that’s when things can go wrong 15:50 – On digital vs. analog impressions for implants 16:05 – The digital ones slowed him down because he works with just one dental assistant; he still uses analog dentistry 17:00 – Tim and Mike like digital; they say you can do 90-95% digital 18:08 – Bob has about $10,00-worthof parts and pieces for implants; the most profitable thing they do is posterior single-tooth implants 09:15 – When Bob got into implants and composites 19:30 – He started learning about implants in the 80s; he started placing implants in 2002-2003 and had a veteran as a back-up 20:30 – He restores implants and does about 200-240 implants a year 21:05 – He got into composites at the University of Iowa and took his first course in Chicago 3 times, then became an assistant 22:20 – He started lecturing in Canada in 2000 22:45 – On how he’s been so accomplished 22:50 – He was single and didn’t get married until he was 53; he had lots of time to write, research, and learn 24:02 – He got married in 2014 to a dentist; he now has two step-kids and flies back and forth from Iowa to Michigan where the family lives 25:20 – His practice is lean and mean; he implemented a bonus plan for his hygienists so they would be motivated to see more patients 27:20 – Now, there has never been a month where they didn’t hit bonus 27:50 – On the secret to success 27:50 – Happiness is the key to success; his goal is to educate the patient and have them accept the dentistry that they need 29:50 – When you feel bad for patients, bad things happen and you make bad decisions 30:45 – Advice for his younger self 30:50 – He would tell himself not to wait so long to start his own practice; he was an associate for a long time but you can make much more money

Dr. David M. Jenkins, a dentist who just opened his own practice, Smile Parlor, in Locust Grove, GA, shares how his football player mindset translated into dentistry. He explains why corporate dentistry just wasn’t for him and how he decided to make the shift and open his own practice. From wearing all the hats to now delegating responsibilities, David is committed to the process of creating something that is uniquely his own so he can best serve and inspire his community. Listen in to hear the challenges David has encountered – and learn some valuable insider tips from Tim and Mike.
Time Stamped Show Notes:
03:00 – Introducing Dr. David M. Jenkins; a dentist from Jackson, Georgia who graduated with his degree in dentistry in 2017 and worked in a corporate dental office for 2 years 03:55 – He decided to open up a private practice near his hometown in Locust Grove, Georgia 05:05 – He was a running back in college and is also going full-steam ahead in his dental career 06:20 – Why David got into dentistry 06:30 – He comes from a small town where personable experiences are important 07:35 – He wanted to do things following his own philosophy, not under the umbrella of a corporate company 08:00 – He felt a corporate job would never allow him to feel like he could truly call his work culture and philosophy his own 08:30 – He was inspired by the personable experiences he witnessed in other private practices and he wanted control of his own life and peace-of-mind 12:00 – The biggest issues David has seen 12:30 – When people first come out of dental school they can get dropped into a big corporate model that doesn’t first address patient-relationship basics 12:50 – He’s learned what not to do from working in a corporate environment 13:35 – Why David went to dental school 13:50 – He’s from a small town that lacked education and healthcare; he was inspired to do something about it 14:05 – He came across a pediatric dentist in college who said he should consider dentistry; he wanted to impact people in his community and be an example 14:55 – David wanted to show the kids in his hometown that athletics or a set career path aren’t the only two choices in life 15:40 – David’s biggest learning experience 15:45 – He thought he’d mastered dentistry, then something humbled him again; he got into deep oral surgery but needed to assess his bandwidth 16:30 – He learned to pick his battles and that saying “no” is sometimes necessary; he now knows what not to do and has a reference point for growth 18:05 – In sports, you take any challenge that comes your way and figure it out; in dentistry saying “no” doesn’t signal defeat 20:00 – As you get more experience, things become easier; Smile Source and mentors help new dentists learn and grow from others 21:30 – On how Smile Source has helped David 21:40 – He knows he’s not alone in his journey as a dentist and knows he has a supportive community 22:00 – On the challenges of opening up a new practice 22:30 – He’s been wearing all the hats but it’s time to delegate responsibilities; it can be overwhelming to manage all the start-up costs 24:00 – His leadership will play a role in how his team follows him; frustrations need to be in check and the team needs to be supported and encouraged 25:30 – It’s hard to fire people, but it’ll need to be done at some point; with experience you’ll learn sooner whether they’re a good fit for the team 26:45 – On laying out a 5 and 10 year plan 27:00 – Determine the things you want to learn, study them, and don’t get paralyzed by fear or perceived perfection 28:00 – Do continued education courses 30:30 – David’s regrets 30:45 – Some corporate models have moonlighting models, a plan B, but his didn’t; make sure you’re in the right practice for what you want, whatever it is 32:15 – He knows now how to set up each room to maximize the space 33:15 – He doesn

Trevor Maurer, the President and CEO of Smile Source, shares the story of what he did when he was stranded on an island – and what he learned about money management along the way. He also shares a funny sales story of when he pitched a product and showed how edible it was...except it wasn’t. Despite his silly blunders, Trevor has always had a desire to build and create, which is exactly what he’s done for big companies and is now doing for Smile Source.
Listen in to hear the advice Trevor would give his younger self – and learn the biggest challenges he sees dentists face.

Dr. Tim Bizga, DDS, FAGD, confesses the biggest dental “failure” of his career – and the lifelong lesson he learned from his patient afterward. When his patient’s husband told Tim that he’d be next if her procedure was successful, he saw it as a personal challenge to impress them. But what came next was totally unexpected and nearly brought him to tears. Tim shares what happened on that fateful day and what he learned about the power of being honest and transparent.
Listen in to hear Tim’s best dental story, too – and learn what he does to live a fulfilling and rewarding life that’s full of gratitude.

In this episode, Dr. Mark Murphy, DDS, Diplomate ABDSM, confesses that he used to have an egocentric teaching style. Young Dr. Murphy thought he was the greatest, but when a colleague pointed out that his presentation was more about showing off and less about actually teaching the material, he reflected on what he needed to change to better serve his students. Dr. Murphy also reveals that dentists often hinder their own growth by obsessing over perfectionism and never putting their continued education to practice.
Listen in to hear how Dr. Murphy’s very first implant went wrong – and hear his valuable tips about taking advice.

In this episode, your hosts Dr. Timothy Chips and Dr. Mike Maroon confess that, when they started their dental careers, it was anything but smooth-sailing. Dr. Tim shares why he calls his former self “Dr. Screw-Up” and reveals why – despite thinking he knew it all – he was totally unprepared to run his own business fresh out of dental school. Dr. Tim and Dr. Mike talk about the similar struggles they faced early-on, how they managed to get past them, and why it’s so important to find help, mentorship, and a supportive community.
Listen in to hear their vulnerable confessions, lessons learned, and advice for those going through financial struggles of their own.