The Orthopreneurs Podcast with Dr. Glenn Krieger

In this episode of Five Minute Friday, I’m challenging one of the most common tendencies I see among orthodontists: taking a proven system or technology and immediately trying to “make it our own.” We’re highly educated, driven, and clinically capable—but those strengths can become weaknesses when we assume we can redesign every workflow better than the people who built and refined it.

As staffing becomes more difficult, the practices that thrive will be the ones that implement technology before they are forced to. My goal is to help you build a more efficient, resilient practice—one that allows you to spend less time working inside the business and more time leading, growing, and enjoying it.

💬Quotes

“Don’t be too smart for your own good. Be intellectually humble and recognize that there are better solutions out there than you can come up with—and maybe you should embrace them.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

“Will you begin working on your practice instead of in your practice? Absolutely.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways

Why orthodontists try to outsmart proven systems (00:00)
The importance of having a written practice plan (00:41)
When intelligence becomes a business weakness (00:52)
Why you should not immediately customize established technology (01:16)
The Michelin-star lesson: trust the expert process (01:43)
Clinical expertise does not automatically equal business expertise (02:10)
Homework: identify the systems and policies that are not working (03:42)
Why the staffing crisis makes automation more urgent (04:07)
The wrong way to implement remote monitoring (05:17)
Follow the recommended workflow before making changes (06:17)
How inefficient customization increases doctor and team workload (07:03)
Preparing your practice to operate with fewer team members (07:15)
Using digital concierge and AI-powered solutions (08:28)
When a virtual assistant is—and is not—the right solution (09:17)
Why outsourcing can increase freedom, productivity, and profitability (10:08)
The financial case for outsourcing repetitive clinical tasks (10:29)
Final challenge: practice intellectual humility (11:21)

🟦 Additional Resources

I’ve seen firsthand how the right technology can reduce stress, protect your team’s time, and help you build a more profitable orthodontic practice—but only when you stop trying to reinvent it.

Review the systems and policies in your practice that are creating frustration, delays, or unnecessary doctor involvement. Then ask whether a proven solution already exists—and whether you are willing to implement it the way it was designed before attempting to customize it.

Reach out to me anytime if you’d like to continue the conversation.

- Airway Meeting: https://web.orthopreneurs.com/arizonasleepandairway2026

- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/

- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/

In this episode, I sit down with Lindsay Quinn, founder of Heartwise Collective, to explore how orthodontists can move beyond basic ChatGPT prompts and begin using AI as a true operational partner. Lindsay has spent 20 years in orthodontics and the last decade helping practices improve their systems and efficiency. In her own business, she used AI to double growth for two consecutive years without adding team members—and now she’s teaching orthodontic practices how to create that same leverage.

We discuss how AI can support every department of your practice, from marketing and financial analysis to treatment coordinator training, lead nurturing, and policy development. Lindsay also explains the difference between simply asking Claude or ChatGPT a question and building an AI system that understands your practice, brand, patients, and goals. You’ll walk away with practical ways to reduce stress, improve predictability, strengthen accountability, and spend less time rebuilding the same systems from scratch.

💬Quotes

“Don’t be in search of a problem because there’s an answer for it. Always start with: Do I have a problem, and how can I partner with AI to help solve it?”
— Lindsay Quinn

“The biggest advantage with AI is not us just building the thing, but you learning the skill set.”
— Lindsay Quinn

🎯 Key Takeaways

- Intro: Using AI to fill operational gaps in your practice (00:00)
- How Lindsay doubled her business without adding team members (01:38)
- Building AI systems instead of relying on isolated prompts (03:01)
- Creating an AI-powered marketing department (04:13)
- Using AI as a financial and overhead analysis tool (05:05)
- Avoiding AI overwhelm and shiny-object syndrome (06:11)
- Building an AI conversion coach for treatment coordinators (07:36)
- Why many orthodontic practices are leaving revenue on the table (08:36)
- The difference between a generic Claude prompt and a trained AI system (13:28)
- How AI projects, instructions, and knowledge bases work together (13:58)
- Understanding agentic AI and automated workflows (16:51)
- A real example of AI researching every meeting automatically (19:06)
- Why foundational systems still matter before adding AI (21:13)
- Warning signs that your practice systems are not working (22:13)
- The KPIs every orthodontic practice should begin tracking (23:33)
- The ACRE framework for writing better AI prompts (23:46)
- Using AI to reduce no-shows and improve lead follow-up (25:06)
- How AI can help practices build their own internal tools and apps (27:19)
- Why learning AI now may put your practice years ahead (29:02)

🟦 Additional Resources

If your practice could run more efficiently, predictably, and profitably—but you feel overwhelmed by where to begin—this episode will show you how AI can help close those gaps.

Lindsay’s AI group coaching program teaches orthodontic practices how to build their own systems, automate repetitive work, and develop the skills to keep improving long after the program ends.

To learn more about Heartwise Collective, email:
hello@heartwisecollective.com

- Airway Meeting:
https://web.orthopreneurs.com/arizonasleepandairway2026

- For more information, visit:
https://orthopreneurs.com/

- Join our FREE Facebook group here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/

In this episode of Five Minute Friday, I’m breaking down the different financial stages most orthodontists move through, from struggling with student debt and survival mode to having enough capital to access investments that may not have been visible earlier in your career. I share my own experience of rebuilding financially during orthodontic residency, the investing mistakes I made, and the lessons that changed how I think about preserving and growing money.

This is not individualized financial advice, but it is a challenge to become more educated, ask better questions, and surround yourself with experienced professionals and peers. The goal isn’t simply to earn more—it’s to use the income orthodontics provides to create greater freedom, security, and opportunity for yourself and your family.

💬Quotes

“Poor people see money as a means of survival. Middle-class people see money as a means of getting credit to buy things they can’t afford outright. And rich people see money as a way of making more money.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

“Until the amount you’re putting in is earning at least one-to-one interest, capital preservation matters. Rate of return doesn’t matter at all.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways

Intro (00:00)
Why traditional retirement projections may deserve closer scrutiny (00:22)
The three financial stages orthodontists commonly experience (01:46)
Dr. Krieger’s personal experience with survival mode (02:43)
How joining an OSO introduced new investment opportunities (03:31)
Commercial real estate, private equity, and access to capital (05:00)
Why new investors should prioritize capital preservation (06:46)
Understanding the one-to-one investment ratio (07:22)
Why orthodontists have a strong opportunity to build long-term wealth (08:58)
The financial argument behind earlier OSO affiliation (09:18)
Understanding the three-to-one investment ratio (10:01)
When it may be time to enjoy more of what you’ve built (10:40)
Learning from experienced investors and trusted peers (11:05)
Balancing stronger returns with responsible risk management (12:12)

🟦 Additional Resources

I’ve seen firsthand how dramatically your financial opportunities can change when you preserve your capital, educate yourself, and connect with people who have already traveled the path ahead of you.

Take an honest look at your current stage. Are you still building your foundation? Have your investments reached the one-to-one threshold? Or have you reached the point where your money is producing significantly more than you’re contributing?

Reach out to me anytime if you’d like to continue the conversation.

- Airway Meeting: https://web.orthopreneurs.com/arizonasleepandairway2026

- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/

- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/

In this episode of The Orthopreneurs Podcast, I sit down with my friend Djamil Abiyev, founder of Partners Dental Studio, to explore some of the most exciting innovations happening in orthodontics today. From custom 3D-printed metal and titanium appliances to digitally guided MARPE placement, airway workflows, and cutting-edge expansion protocols, Djamil shares how his team is helping orthodontists solve complex cases with greater precision and predictability. If you've ever wondered where orthodontic technology is headed next, this conversation will challenge the way you think about treatment planning.

But this episode isn't just about technology—it's about investing in yourself, believing in the value you provide, and having the confidence to charge appropriately for advanced care. We discuss why orthodontists shouldn't let lab costs dictate clinical decisions, how innovation creates better patient outcomes, and why embracing new techniques can transform both your practice and your patients' lives. Whether you're already treating complex airway cases or simply looking to elevate your clinical results, you'll walk away with practical ideas you can apply immediately.

💬Quotes

"Innovation is the key for any practice, for any company in today's society. We cannot be standing still—I want to know where we're going to be in one year."
— Djamil Abiyev

"I always say, I'll take care of all the challenging cases. Don't worry about the rest. I'm going to guide you, and I'm going to take care of your difficult cases myself."
— Djamil Abiyev

🎯 Key Takeaways

Intro (00:00)
Meet Djamil Abiyev (02:01)
Why innovation matters (03:21)
Custom digital airway workflows (06:45)
Tiger Screws & modern skeletal expansion (09:33)
The future of titanium appliances (15:50)
Charging what advanced treatment is worth (24:24)
Expansion, airway & patient outcomes (29:14)
Guided Bollard Plates (35:25)
Building an innovation-first practice (43:03)
What's coming next? (46:36)

🟦 Additional Resources

If you've been looking for ways to improve your clinical outcomes, embrace digital innovation, and confidently tackle more complex orthodontic cases, this episode is packed with ideas you can put into practice.

Contact Djamil Abiyev

📧 Email: Djamil@partnersdentalstudio.com
📱Text: 612-345-0165
💻 Website: https://partnersdentalstudio.com/
💻Website: https://www.gotbraces.com/about-us/
🔹 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PartnersDentalStudio

Whether you're interested in custom MARPEs, airway-focused workflows, titanium appliances, or simply want to see what's possible with modern digital orthodontics, Djamil and his team are an incredible resource.

- Airway Meeting: https://web.orthopreneurs.com/arizonasleepandairway2026

- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/

- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/

What if I told you that much of what you’re hearing about OSOs, DSOs, private equity, and debt is missing the context you need to make an informed decision about your practice?

In this episode of Five Minute Friday, I break down some of the fear, misinformation, and clickbait surrounding private equity-backed orthodontic organizations. After receiving dozens of questions about the financial health of OSOs—particularly following a recent article—I want to explain how debt, refinancing, equity, and partnership structures actually work in the private equity world.

This episode is not an argument that every orthodontist should join an OSO or DSO. It is a call to educate yourself, understand the structure of the deal, and stop allowing fear or industry rhetoric to make major financial decisions for you. My goal is to give you context so you can evaluate whether affiliation is right for your practice, your family, and your long-term goals.

💬Quotes

“You can disagree with the way things are headed, but to root for people in your industry to fail—good people, people who have families—I mean, that’s just disgusting.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

“Nobody knows where the future of any private equity-backed company is headed. All signs may point toward good things happening, but bad things can happen. That’s the nature of business.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways

The danger of rooting for your peers to fail (00:00)
Why Dr. Krieger’s OSO and private equity education is different (00:50)
Why smaller OSOs may carry significantly greater risk (01:44)
Capital preservation and evaluating the risk of a partnership (02:05)
Understanding cash, retained ownership, and parent-company equity (02:49)
Why parent-company equity can be an important part of the deal (05:01)
How leverage and debt are used in private equity transactions (06:55)
Why refinancing debt does not automatically signal financial trouble (07:39)
The difference between restructuring, failure, and ordinary refinancing (08:17)
Smile Doctors’ history of equity turns and what that means (09:21)
Why no one can guarantee the future of an OSO or DSO (10:24)
How to decide whether an affiliation is right for your practice (11:30)

🟦 Additional Resources

Before you make a decision involving your practice, your equity, and your family’s financial future, take the time to understand the actual structure, risk, and potential reward. Affiliation is not right for every doctor, every practice, or every stage of a career.

Reach out and DM me if you want to have an honest conversation about private equity, OSOs, DSOs, associates, satellite offices, or the future of your practice. I will never try to pressure you into a deal. My goal is simply to help you ask better questions and make a more informed decision.

- Airway Meeting: https://web.orthopreneurs.com/arizonasleepandairway2026

- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/

- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/