The Orthopreneurs Podcast with Dr. Glenn Krieger

What if I told you the reason you’re getting better finishes with braces might have nothing to do with the technology—and everything to do with your training?

In this Five Minute Friday, I tackle one of the biggest mindset debates in orthodontics today: Are aligners actually inferior… or are most orthodontists simply undertrained in how to use them? After seeing a recent discussion sparked by Dr. Kyle Fagala in The Digital Orthodontist, I felt compelled to jump into the conversation and challenge some assumptions many of us still carry.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated with aligners, questioned whether they can really produce elite finishes, or found yourself defaulting back to braces because they “feel safer,” this episode will push you to ask a hard question: Is the limitation really the appliance… or is it the training?

💬Quotes

“If you give me Class I, Class II, growing, non-growing, extraction cases, I will give you a better result with aligners every time, at the same time, if not less.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

“Do you genuinely believe that aligners are not as good… or do you believe they are as good, you’re just not as well trained?”
 — Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways

Intro: The braces vs. aligners debate (00:00)
Why most orthodontists still feel more comfortable with braces (00:33)
Dr. Krieger’s 80% aligner practice philosophy (01:06)
Why aligners create less stress, fewer emergencies, and happier patients (02:26)
The precision advantage of aligners vs. wire bending (02:57)
Why some elite orthodontists still use “finishers” after braces (03:40)
The real issue: training vs. technology (04:32)
Why going “all in” on technology changes profitability and outcomes (05:19)
Final challenge: Are you resisting growth or pursuing mastery? (05:38)

🟦 Additional Resources

 I’ve seen firsthand how aligners can completely transform not only clinical outcomes, but the stress level, efficiency, and scalability of an orthodontic practice.

 If you truly believe aligners aren’t as good as braces, ask yourself why. And if the answer is training, then commit to getting better. The future of orthodontics belongs to doctors willing to evolve, adapt, and master the tools available to them—not just rely on what feels familiar.

And if you’re enjoying the podcast, do me one favor: tell three friends about it. That’s how we continue growing this community and helping more orthodontists build the practices—and lives—they truly want.

- 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, we dive into where remote monitoring is headed next—and trust me, the future is closer than you think. We discuss FDA-approved remote STL generation, AI-driven treatment adjustments, real-time patient monitoring, and a world where aligner refinements may become largely automated in the background. More importantly, we talk about how orthodontists can use technology to reclaim their most valuable asset: time.

Whether you're already using DentalMonitoring or you're still skeptical about remote care, this episode will challenge the way you think about patient visits, treatment efficiency, staffing, and the role technology will play in the next decade of orthodontics.

💬Quotes
“The problem for an orthodontist is not that a problem happened. The problem is discovering it too late.”
 — Philippe Sala

“We are a triage service. We tell you: focus on the bad and spend less time on the good.”
 — Philippe Sala

🎯 Key Takeaways

Intro (00:00)
Meet Philippe Sala and the vision behind DentalMonitoring (03:18)
Why orthodontics doesn’t need a perfect appliance—it needs better visibility (05:07)
The real cost of discovering treatment problems too late (06:01)
How remote monitoring changes patient management and practice efficiency (06:57)
The “triage” model: spend more time on patients who need it most (11:58)
What Monitoring+ is and why 3D treatment monitoring changes everything (14:12)
The future of weekly STL models and dynamic treatment tracking (15:00)
FDA-approved remote STL generation from patient scans (17:23)
How at-home scans can be used for retainers, aligners, and appliances (18:00)
The future of automated aligner refinements and continuous treatment updates (19:07)
The vision of achieving true one-set aligner finishes (20:53)
How DM Insights helps orthodontists benchmark performance (23:37)
Using data to improve hygiene, compliance, debonds, and treatment outcomes (24:24)
Turning practice analytics into actionable patient interventions (27:18)
Why technology adoption is really about buying back time (31:51)
The staffing crisis and why orthodontists must prepare now (39:20)
How remote care can improve quality while reducing stress and overhead (42:31)

🟦 Additional Resources

If you've been wondering whether remote monitoring is worth the investment, this episode provides a roadmap for what orthodontics may look like over the next several years.

Learn more about DentalMonitoring:
 👉 https://www.dentalmonitoring.com

Interested in Orthopreneurs?
 👉 https://www.orthopreneurs.com

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another orthodontist who's looking to improve efficiency, enhance patient care, and future-proof their practice.

- 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 the way you treat people when nobody’s watching says more about your leadership than anything happening inside your practice?

In this Five Minute Friday, I’m asking a question that might sting a little: Are you a pain in the ass? As orthodontists, leaders, employers, and colleagues, we spend a lot of time thinking about clinical outcomes, systems, and production—but not always enough time thinking about how people feel after interacting with us.

This episode is about self-awareness, humility, and becoming the kind of person others actually enjoy being around. I share why the small moments matter most: how you speak to a server, how you respond when things don’t go your way, how you show up online, and whether your interactions leave people better or worse than before. My challenge is simple: at the end of every day, ask yourself what you did well—and how you could have done it better.

💬Quotes

“This isn’t about how much community service you do. This is about how you act when nobody’s watching.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

“At the end of the day, when you put your head on the pillow, what did you do well today? And how could you have done it better?”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways

Intro: Are you a pain in the ass? (00:00)
How your behavior impacts the people around you (01:07)
High-maintenance vs. self-aware leadership (01:28)
Why seeking to understand matters (03:12)
The people who need this message most may be in denial (03:23)
How upbringing shapes behavior—and why we can unlearn it (04:37)
What really counts as doing good in the world (05:52)
Two questions to ask yourself every night (07:22)

🟦 Additional Resources

I’ve seen firsthand how self-awareness can change the way we lead, communicate, and show up for the people around us.

So tonight, before you go to sleep, ask yourself: What did I do well today? And how could I have done it better? Start there—and watch how your relationships, leadership, and life begin to change.

- 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 the biggest shift in orthodontics over the next 3 years may have nothing to do with brackets, aligners, or scanners… and everything to do with AI?

I’ve seen firsthand how AI can improve communication, streamline workflows, and completely change the way we run our practices. But this episode goes far beyond “write me a patient email.” Mike Vidikan and I sit down for a deep dive into the current state of artificial intelligence—from AI-generated videos and autonomous agents to the very real possibility of orthodontists building their own software, automations, and virtual employees.

If you’ve been curious, overwhelmed, skeptical, or excited about AI, this episode will help you better understand what’s real, what’s hype, and why ignoring this technology may be the biggest mistake practice owners make over the next decade.

💬Quotes

“AI is literally allowing us to innovate almost every aspect of what we do in our life—whether it’s home life or business life—it just allows us to innovate faster.”
 — Mike Vidikan

“The beautiful thing about AI now is your imagination becomes the limit… not the technology.”
— Mike Vidikan

🎯Key Takeaways

Intro & why AI matters to orthodontists right now (00:00)
How quickly AI is evolving—and why 2026 feels different (03:06)
The future of orthodontic-specific software and custom automation (07:35)
Why prompting matters more than people realize (16:37)
The major AI platforms orthodontists should know about (19:41)
ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini vs Grok vs Perplexity (20:55)
AI-generated presentations, documents, and content creation (23:41)
Why creating presentations manually is becoming obsolete (32:36)
AI video generation and the future of media creation (35:12)
How Orthopreneurs almost built a Ready Player One virtual summit (41:14)
What AI “agents” are and how they could replace repetitive office tasks (49:19)
The future of robotics and automation in orthodontics (54:00)
Could robots eventually place brackets? (56:01)
Why Mike believes AI will create more opportunities—not fewer jobs (58:42)
The importance of staying curious and adaptable as technology evolves (1:01:22)

🟦 Additional Resources

If you’re still treating AI like a gimmick—or assuming it’s something you’ll “learn later”—this episode is your wake-up call. The orthodontists who embrace these tools now will have a massive advantage in efficiency, communication, marketing, and decision-making over the next few years.

Start experimenting. Start learning. Start paying attention.
And if you’re not already part of the Orthopreneurs community, now’s the time.

👉 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 your marketing budget isn’t the problem — your tracking is?

In this Five Minute Friday, I’m breaking down the three things every orthodontic practice needs to make marketing actually work: a plan, a reliable way to track where patients came from, and a clear understanding of ROI. Too many practices are throwing money at PTAs, community events, online ads, referral gifts, and sponsorships without knowing what’s truly producing starts.

I’ll show you the exact question I ask every new patient, why your TC needs to hear the answer, and how a simple spreadsheet can help you stop guessing and start investing smarter. When you know where your growth is coming from, you can double down on what works, fix what doesn’t, and grow your practice with far more confidence.

Quotes

“You need to have a marketing plan. You need to write things down about how you’re going to market.”
 — Dr. Glenn Krieger

“You will not be guessing where you should be spending your money. You will be spending it smartly, and your practice will grow as a result.”
 — Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways
Intro (00:00)
Why most mature practices need intentional marketing (00:42)
Step 1: Build a real marketing plan (01:08)
Step 2: Ask patients how they actually found you (01:38)
Why the doctor should help identify the real referral source (03:00)
Step 3: Track ROI by marketing source (04:46)
How to decide where to double down (05:00)
The 3-part marketing formula: plan, track, measure ROI (06:28)
Airway meeting announcement and invitation (06:56)

🟦 Additional Resources
If you want to stop guessing where your marketing dollars should go, start with three simple steps: build the plan, ask the question, and track the ROI.

And if you’re interested in learning how orthodontists can responsibly play a role in airway and sleep-disordered breathing, DM me about the December airway meeting before it sells out.

- 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/