The Orthopreneurs Podcast with Dr. Glenn Krieger

I've seen orthodontists spend more time debating practice ownership, certifications, and what their competitors are doing than actually implementing the strategies that could improve their own practices. And here's what frustrates me: We have access to more education, coaching, resources, and proven business strategies than ever before. Yet so many people continue doing the same things while wondering why their results aren't changing.
In this Five Minute Friday, I'm challenging you to take a serious look at where you're putting your energy. I share a story about orthodontists rushing to join a website that distinguishes privately owned practices from corporate-affiliated ones, while often overlooking opportunities to improve efficiency, leadership, and profitability. I also explain why I believe the orthodontic landscape has fundamentally changed and why waiting for things to return to the way they were isn't a strategy.
But this episode isn't just about identifying the problem. I'm giving you a challenge: Think of one thing that could improve your practice and implement it within the next 24 hours. It doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. It could be a new question your front desk asks prospective patients, a simple marketing initiative, or a small operational improvement. What matters is developing the habit of turning ideas into action.

Orthodontics Has Changed. Has Your Practice? w/Brian Wright
https://youtu.be/geiB0bYAi_c 

💬 Quotes

"Being a good human being goes a lot further than talking bad about people."
— Dr. Glenn Krieger
"The way you do anything is the way you'll do everything. So start grooming yourself to do everything the right way."
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways

Intro: Why execution matters more than having good ideas (00:28)
The debate over private practice vs. corporate ownership (00:40)
Why speaking negatively about other orthodontists doesn't make you better (01:10)
What really influences patients when choosing an orthodontist (02:43)
Are you chasing distractions or opportunities to improve? (03:06)
Why orthodontists hesitate to invest in their own growth (03:38)
The psychology behind avoiding opportunities that require action (04:13)
Why the changing orthodontic market demands a different approach (04:51)
The importance of education, coaching, and continuous improvement (05:17)
Why doing the work matters more than simply knowing what to do (06:07)
Adapting to a new reality in orthodontics (06:30)
My challenge: Identify one thing that could improve your practice (07:20)
Why I want you to implement that idea within 24 hours (07:52)
What your everyday habits reveal about your leadership (08:24)
How small operational changes can create new opportunities (08:45)
A simple front desk question that could generate more consultations (09:08)
Final challenge: Did you actually implement something? (09:35)

🟦 Additional Resources
Here's what I want you to do.
Think of one thing you could implement in your practice that would make it better, more efficient, or more profitable. Then do it within the next 24 hours.
It doesn't have to be revolutionary. Maybe your front desk starts asking every new patient whether another family member would like an orthodontic consultation. Maybe you finally implement a trial close, improve a system, or take action on an idea you've been putting off.
The point isn't whether that one change immediately produces amazing results. The point is that you took action.
Stop waiting for the perfect time. Stop expecting someone else to solve your problems. And stop confusing learning about improvement with actually improving.
Once you've done it, send me a DM. Tell me what you implemented, whether it worked, and how it felt to finally take action.
I want to see you build a more successful practice and a better life. But you've got to be willing to do the work.

👉 Close More Cases Meeting:
https://closemorecases2027.com/home 
👉 Airway Meeting:
https://web.orthopreneurs.com/arizonasleepandairway2026 
👉 For more information about Orthopreneurs, visit:
https://orthopreneurs.com/
👉 Become an OrthoPreneur and join the free Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrthoPreneurs

Most of us have had the experience of calling a medical office or any other business and felt disappointed at how the person at the other end answered the call and how the conversation went.
Sometimes, it feels more like an interrogation than a conversation, like a drill sergeant talking to a recruit.
Yet this is our first impression of the business, and probably the last one.
A new patient call is a great opportunity to make a lasting first impression and have a conversation that leads to a relationship.
The phone call sets the tone for a new patient's experience in your practice.
But most of us are getting it wrong, even those who think their team is doing it right.
Today on the podcast, I have one of the best communication consultants in our profession.  
She is a trainer, coach, and president of Communicate Excellence who has helped many practices, including mine, drastically improve their communication. 
Amy's approach to communication, from phone to patient experience inside your practice, is truly amazing.
How does she do it?

🎯 Key Takeaways
Meet Amy Demas (00:00)
Why we all need coaches for different aspects of our life (05:37)
Why orthodontists need to overcome sunk cost bias (10:26)
Don't ride that dinosaur onto extinction (13:24)
Using small repeatable habits to improve communication (15:26)
Six sigma – reduce errors and variations to improve performance (18:16)
Common areas orthodontist practices can improve in their communication (19:52)
The Dunning-Kruger effect in ortho (26:37)
The #1 thing you must do in a new patient call (35:05)
Miscommunication and a lost quarter (41:50)

🟦 Additional Resources
If open bite cases are still among the cases that make you stop and think twice, this conversation is worth your time. Nicole brings years of clinical experience to a problem that can easily become unpredictable when the underlying etiology and mechanics aren’t fully understood.
And if staffing is one of the bigger challenges in your practice right now, pay attention to the second half of this episode too. Better clinical systems matter, but so does building a team of people who actually want to stay, grow, and contribute.

👉 Get in Touch with Amy Demas at: https://communicateexcellence.com/ 
or write her an email at: Amy@CommunicateExcellence.com 
👉 Airway Meeting:
 https://web.orthopreneurs.com/arizonasleepandairway2026 
👉 For more information about Orthopreneurs, visit: 
https://orthopreneurs.com/ 
👉 Become an OrthoPreneur and join the free Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrthoPreneurs   

#OrthoPreneurs #DrGlennKrieger #AmyDemas

I've seen orthodontists spend so much time chasing titles, awards, and outside recognition. Whether it's being voted the best orthodontist in town, displaying certifications, or comparing themselves to other practices, we've become obsessed with proving our success to everyone around us. But here's my question: Does any of that really matter if you're not building a life and career you're proud of?
In this Five Minute Friday, I'm sharing why I believe internal validation is far more valuable than external recognition. I talk about my own experience with local awards, ABO certification, and even competing in jiu-jitsu, and why I've learned to appreciate accomplishments that require genuine effort rather than recognition that simply looks impressive on paper.

💬 Quotes

"You will lead a happier, healthier, lower stress life if internal validation drives you much more than external validation."

— Dr. Glenn Krieger

"We need to navigate by the light of the stars, not by that of every passing ship."

— Dr. Glenn Krieger, quoting General Omar Bradley

🎯 Key Takeaways

Intro: Why external validation is overrated (00:27)
Why being voted the best orthodontist in town doesn't necessarily mean much (00:44)
The difference between genuine recognition and asking people to vote for you (01:11)
What jiu-jitsu taught me about earning recognition (01:34)
Why I chose not to renew my ABO certification (02:22)
Why difficult accomplishments mean more than easy recognition (03:29)
The value of working hard to earn your place in orthodontics (03:39)
What real, measurable practice success looks like (04:15)
Why chasing meaningless recognition can cheapen our profession (04:44)
Internal validation vs. external validation: Which one drives your happiness? (05:18)
What you'll actually remember about your career when you're 80 (05:35)
Choosing mentors who reflect the values you want to live by (05:53)
The difference between marketing an award and believing it defines you (06:30)
Why private practice vs. OSO/DSO ownership doesn't determine quality (06:55)
Final takeaway: Set your compass by what truly matters (07:28)

🟦 Additional Resources
I want you to ask yourself a simple question: Are you building a career that makes you proud, or are you building one that you hope impresses everybody else?
There's nothing wrong with awards, certifications, or recognition. Celebrate them. Use them in your marketing if they help your practice. But don't let them become the measure of your worth.
Instead, focus on the things that actually matter. Become a better orthodontist. Make a difference in your patients' lives. Build meaningful relationships. Find mentors who inspire you. And create a practice that allows you to live a happier, healthier, more profitable, lower-stress life.
Stop chasing every passing ship. Set your compass by the stars.
And as always, if there's anything I can do to help you along the way, reach out to me. I'd love to hear from you.
👉 Close More Cases Meeting:
https://closemorecases2027.com/home 
👉 Airway Meeting:
https://web.orthopreneurs.com/arizonasleepandairway2026 
👉 For more information about Orthopreneurs, visit:
https://orthopreneurs.com/
👉 Become an OrthoPreneur and join the free Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrthoPreneurs

In this episode, I sit down with longtime orthodontic industry strategist Chris Bentson to take a hard look at where our profession is headed. We talk about four consecutive years of relatively flat or declining growth, changing birth rates, increasing competition from GPs and large groups, and why the traditional model of building a practice primarily around adolescent patients may need to evolve.
But this isn’t a doom-and-gloom conversation. Chris and I dig into where the opportunities are—from adult orthodontics and minor tooth movement to digital workflows, remote monitoring, custom braces, outsourcing, AI, and creating a truly differentiated patient experience. We also talk about why simply buying technology isn’t enough. If you don’t implement it at scale, build your practice around it, and communicate its value to patients, you’ve added cost without creating an advantage.
We finish by looking at where AI and robotics could take orthodontics, what may happen next in the OSO/DSO world, and why the orthodontists who are willing to take calculated risks and think more like business owners will have enormous opportunities ahead of them. The profession isn’t disappearing. But the way we practice it is changing—and the sooner we embrace that, the better positioned we’ll be.

💬Quotes

“You just gotta be smarter and you gotta do it differently.” 
— Chris Bentson
“You gotta quit arguing about it as a doctor and you gotta decide what you want to look like and then just go.” 
— Chris Bentson

🎯 Key Takeaways

Intro + Chris Bentson’s 37 Years in Orthodontics (00:00)
Is Flat Growth the New Normal? (04:39)
Five Forces Changing Orthodontics (08:10)
The Demographic Problem Orthodontists Can See Coming (10:26)
“No Whining”: There’s Still Enormous Opportunity (10:51)
Why I Built My Practice Around Adults (11:36)
The Future Practice Could Have Far Fewer Employees (15:03)
Technology Isn’t Expensive If You Actually Use It (17:32)
Specialize Within the Specialty (18:02)
The Three Pillars of Digital Differentiation (21:41)
AI, Robotics & the Future of Clinical Orthodontics (24:00)
Your Future AI CFO or COO (28:27)
What AI Still Can’t Replace (31:47)
Where OSOs and DSOs Go From Here (36:17)
Stop Treating OSOs Like a Moral Question (46:35)
Stop Arguing With the Future (47:54)

🟦 Additional Resources
Take a hard look at your practice and ask yourself: Am I building for the orthodontic market that existed ten years ago—or the one that will exist ten years from now?
Look at your patient mix. Look at how many visits your treatment requires. Look at your staffing model, your technology adoption, your use of monitoring and outsourcing, and—most importantly—whether patients can clearly explain why your practice is different from the orthodontist down the street.
You don’t have to chase every new idea. But you do have to decide what you want your practice to look like and start moving toward it.
As Chris says, the opportunities are still there for the taking. The orthodontists willing to take a little more calculated risk may ultimately be the ones who enjoy this profession the most.
👉 BCP Advirsors: https://bcp-advisors.com
📞 800-621-4664

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👉 Airway Meeting:
https://web.orthopreneurs.com/arizonasleepandairway2026 
👉 For more information about Orthopreneurs, visit:
https://orthopreneurs.com/
👉 Become an OrthoPreneur and join the free Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrthoPreneurs

We talk constantly about increasing case acceptance because it’s one of the fastest ways to grow an orthodontic practice without spending more money to bring additional patients through the door. But before you can improve that number, you need to answer a surprisingly difficult question: What exactly counts as case acceptance?
In this Five Minute Friday, I break down the different ways practices can calculate case acceptance and the situations that can make the number confusing. What happens when someone is ready for orthodontics but needs periodontal treatment first? What about someone who starts six months later, a patient who isn’t financially ready, or a child who simply isn’t ready for treatment yet? Depending on how you define the metric, those patients can completely change your numbers.

💬 Quotes

“Whatever it is you choose, just do that all the time.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger
“You want to revolutionize your practice overnight. Pay fastidious detail to your case acceptance.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways
Intro: What does “case acceptance” actually mean? (00:32)
Why practices need a clear definition of case acceptance (00:42)
When does a patient who needs periodontal treatment count? (01:05)
What happens when a patient starts months later? (02:04)
The different ways practices calculate case acceptance (02:36)
Why consistency matters more than the specific formula you choose (03:10)
The macro-tracking analogy: Measure the same way every time (03:20)
Why long-term trends matter more than individual months (03:56)
Be honest about what your case acceptance numbers are telling you (04:24)
Why I believe 85–90% case acceptance is achievable (04:40)
Why orthodontic case acceptance should be relatively straightforward (04:58)
My personal definition of case acceptance (06:11)
Who I consider “ready to start” when calculating the metric (06:24)
A simple example of calculating case acceptance (06:37)
Why increasing case acceptance can grow your practice without more new patients (07:06)
The potential impact of a 15% improvement in case acceptance (07:35)
Final takeaway: Track it correctly, consistently, and closely (08:02)

🟦 Additional Resources
Before you worry about improving your case acceptance, make sure you actually know what your number is.
Define what counts. Track it the same way every single time. Look at your trends over months and years instead of celebrating or panicking over one month. Then ask yourself where you can improve.
Personally, I look at the number of patients who started treatment out of the number who were truly ready to start. If ten patients were ready and eight started, that’s an 80% case acceptance rate. Simple.
And once you know your real number, start working to move it.
If you want to go much deeper into the systems, psychology, and doctor-TC process behind increasing case acceptance, join me at Close More Cases, April 2–3, 2027.
👉 Close More Cases Meeting:
https://closemorecases2027.com/home 
👉 Airway Meeting:
https://web.orthopreneurs.com/arizonasleepandairway2026 
👉 For more information about Orthopreneurs, visit:
https://orthopreneurs.com/
👉 Become an OrthoPreneur and join the free Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/