The Orthopreneurs Podcast with Dr. Glenn Krieger

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/

There's a lot of noise surrounding OSOs, DSOs, and private equity. In this episode, I sit down with Jay Hedrick, CEO of Smile Doctors, to cut through the myths and have an honest conversation about how these organizations really operate. Whether you're completely independent, already affiliated with an OSO, or simply curious about what these partnerships look like behind the scenes, this episode will give you the perspective most orthodontists never get: direct access to the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar orthodontic organization.

We dive into leadership, business strategy, private equity, equity opportunities, culture, joint ventures, de novos, and what it actually takes to build a sustainable organization that benefits doctors, teams, patients, and investors alike. This isn't a sales pitch—it's an inside look at how high-level business decisions are made and what every orthodontist should understand before making one of the biggest decisions of their career.

💬Quotes

"We like for the doctors to focus on giving a great patient experience and making an exceptional environment in their clinic... we'll work on driving more patients in and optimizing the business."
 — Jay Hedrick

"Don't chase the money exclusively. Figure out where you'll be happiest, where you're culturally aligned, and where you have the highest probability of long-term success."
 — Jay Hedrick

🎯 Key Takeaways

Intro (00:00)
Meet Jay Hedrick, CEO of Smile Doctors (00:37)
Jay's journey from engineer to leading a multi-billion-dollar company (03:41)
Are great CEOs born or developed? (07:03)
Why experience can be worth more than money early in your career (09:29)
What a CEO actually does every day (12:03)
Private equity explained in plain English (15:09)
Common myths about private equity and why growth—not cost cutting—is the real goal (16:55)
How equity events work and why they matter to orthodontists (20:37)
Why Smile Doctors adopted the Joint Venture (JV) model (27:02)
De novos, bolt-ons, and creating growth opportunities for doctors (30:46)
Patient-first culture inside an OSO (33:14)
Advice for orthodontists evaluating OSO opportunities (36:13)
How to evaluate risk, culture, and long-term opportunity—not just the highest multiple (37:36)

🟦 Additional Resources

If you've ever wondered whether joining an OSO is right for you—or you've heard conflicting opinions about private equity—I encourage you to listen with an open mind and focus on the facts.

As I mention in the episode, I've had hundreds of confidential conversations with orthodontists about OSOs, DSOs, practice transitions, and private equity. If you're considering your options now or years down the road, I'm always happy to share my perspective honestly and without pressure.

💬 Have questions about OSOs, DSOs, or private equity? Reach out to me directly—I'm always happy to have a confidential 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 Five Minute Friday, I’m challenging you to think beyond the traditional model of marketing to every parent in your community for routine pediatric orthodontic cases. When every practice is chasing the same audience with the same message, it becomes increasingly difficult to stand out—especially as the orthodontic market experiences slower or declining case starts.

You do not need to copy my niche. The goal is to identify the cases you truly enjoy, develop the expertise to treat them exceptionally well, and make sure your community knows you offer that service. When you become known for something specific, you can reduce competition, build a stronger referral network, charge appropriately for your expertise, and create a practice that is both more profitable and personally fulfilling.

💬Quotes

“What is it you can do that you love doing that is more than just treating the Phase I or the Class I crowded? Dive into that. Enjoy it. Become an expert on it. Become the best in your city at it, and then go get it.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

“When another orthodontist says, ‘I hate doing X, Y, and Z, but I know that Glenn does it,’ they’re happy because they have a referral, you’re happy because you got the new patient, and if you love doing it, you’re even happier.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways

Why competing for the same pediatric patients limits growth (00:30)
Finding fulfillment through specialization (01:45)
Why adult orthodontics can create more meaningful outcomes (02:02)
Building an interdisciplinary practice with trusted specialists (02:22)
How complex cases can generate peer referrals (03:48)
Charging appropriately for advanced treatment (04:36)
Choosing a niche that separates you from local competitors (04:50)
Why practices may need to diversify in a changing orthodontic market (07:04)
Turning your favorite treatments into a referral-driven specialty (07:52)

🟦 Additional Resources

Take an honest look at the cases that give you the greatest sense of purpose. Maybe it is adult treatment, surgical orthodontics, airway, aligners, impacted teeth, interdisciplinary care, or something completely different.

Whatever it is, develop your expertise, communicate it clearly, and become the orthodontist your community thinks of when that specific case walks through the door. Your niche should not only help your practice grow—it should make you more excited to come to work.

Reach out to me if I can help you identify where your greatest opportunities may be.

- 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/