The Orthopreneurs Podcast with Dr. Glenn Krieger

What if some of the best decisions you’ll ever make in your career come from learning which mistakes not to repeat?
After more than three decades in practice, I’ve made plenty of decisions that worked out — and plenty that taught me expensive lessons. In this Five Minute Friday, I’m breaking down five of the biggest mistakes I’ve made throughout my career so you can hopefully avoid learning some of these lessons the hard way.

💬 Quotes
“Life is about making three great financial moves and avoiding that one disastrous one.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger, sharing advice from Michael Cohen
“If you’re chasing money, that’s the wrong reason to do something.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways
Intro: The five biggest mistakes I’ve made in my career (00:32)
A mentor’s lesson: Make great financial moves and avoid the disastrous one (01:18)
Mistake #1: Taking unnecessary investment risks when you’re young (02:11)
Why capital preservation matters early in your career (02:40)
Mistake #2: Bringing an associate into your practice too soon (03:08)
Why adding an associate can change a practice you already love (03:25)
Mistake #3: Choosing the wrong reasons to enter a partnership (04:54)
Why strong relationships matter when partnerships get difficult (05:25)
Mistake #4: Expanding into additional locations for the wrong reasons (06:04)
The hidden responsibilities that come with opening another practice (06:32)
Why organizational support changes the satellite-office equation (07:17)
Mistake #5: Not specializing sooner (07:36)
Why becoming an expert in orthodontics ultimately appealed to me (08:17)
Why I still wouldn’t erase my years in restorative dentistry (09:20)
Final takeaway: Learn from my mistakes without having to repeat them (09:44)

🟦 Additional Resources
today. But that doesn’t mean you have to make every mistake I made to learn the same lessons.
Protect your capital. Think carefully before bringing in an associate. Choose partners for reasons that will survive the difficult times. Don’t expand simply because you think another location means more money. And above all, think seriously about what kind of career and life you actually want to build.
If you see me at an upcoming meeting, come say hi, pick my brain, and let’s talk. And if you’re interested in our upcoming Airway & Sleep meeting, visit opairway.com for more information.
👉 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/

CBCT technology has been a game changer in how we visualize, diagnose and plan treatment for our orthodontic patients. It can be said to be the foundation of what we do.

But there remain some doubts among some people as regards the effect of radiation patients are exposed to. This is despite numerous studies and research papers that show otherwise.

In this episode, I am joined by probably the most experienced person when it comes to CBCT technology. He does a lot of consulting and helps doctors use their CBCT systems more efficiently. He also lectures at orthodontic meets all over the country. 

In fact, he is one of our speakers at the OrthoPreneur Summit 2023 in Orlando. 

He helps us separate the facts from the myths and outlines the common mistakes he sees in the usage of CBCT.

Ty Ramsey also helps doctors with practice transitions by connecting them to firms that are the right fit for their needs.

Watch this video to learn more about CBCT and how Ty can help you in other areas of practice management. 

🎯 Key Takeaways

Intro (00:00)
Meet Ty Ramsey (01:06)
3 truths and a lie (05:12)
 Leveraging CBCT for practice growth (09:22)
Common misunderstandings about CBCT (10:32)
Mistakes doctors make using CBCT (14:32)
How CBCT improves our patients' lives (16:20)
Take the Ferrari out of the garage (18:21)
Practice transition and M&A consultation (21:54)

🟦 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.

👉 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 #DrGlennKrieger  #TyRamsey

What if expanding the palate is only one piece of the airway puzzle — but we’re treating it like the entire solution?
I believe orthodontists have an important role to play in airway and sleep-disordered breathing, but that doesn’t mean we should try to do everything ourselves. Expansion can be incredibly valuable, but treatment should start with the right diagnosis — and that diagnosis often requires an interdisciplinary team.
In this Five Minute Friday, I explain why my airway cases routinely involve ENTs, oral surgeons, and myofunctional therapists, and why I believe collaboration should happen before treatment rather than only after something doesn’t work. Every patient deserves to have their symptoms, anatomy, imaging, and other relevant findings evaluated so the team can determine what may actually be contributing to the problem.

💬Quotes
“For every patient, there are multiple treatment modalities, but only one correct diagnosis.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger, quoting Morty Amsterdam 
“The overwhelming majority of orthodontists are under-treating airway and sleep-disordered breathing. But there’s a right way and a wrong way. The right way is to be part of a team.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger 

🎯 Key Takeaways

Intro: A different conversation about airway and sleep-disordered breathing (00:38)
Why the airway conversation needs more diagnosis and teamwork (01:44)
Expansion can help — but it isn't the entire answer (01:50)
What true interdisciplinary airway care looks like (02:08)
Why treating airway alone can miss the underlying problem (02:50)
Multiple treatment modalities, but one correct diagnosis (03:13)
How I incorporate oral surgeons, ENTs, and myofunctional therapists (03:41)
Why airway treatment shouldn't simply be about expansion (04:40)
The philosophy behind the Airway & Sleep meeting (05:01)
What orthodontists can learn from myofunctional therapists and ENTs (05:19)
Why every patient needs an effective diagnosis (06:03)
How I work through an airway case with my interdisciplinary team (06:20)
Why diagnosis matters more than getting a same-day start (07:05)
The problem with treating first and referring only when necessary (07:19)
Airway & Sleep meeting in Scottsdale + opairway.com (07:32)
Final takeaway: Expansion is valuable, but teamwork is essential (07:53)

🟦 Additional Resources
If you’re treating airway and sleep-disordered breathing, don’t make expansion the diagnosis. Diagnose first, collaborate with the right specialists, and then determine what treatment actually makes sense for that patient.
That’s exactly why I created the Airway & Sleep meeting in Scottsdale. Bring an ENT. Bring an oral surgeon. Come learn what each member of the interdisciplinary team should be looking for, how we should communicate with one another, and how we can make better decisions together.
👉 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/

In Part 3 of my Living Your Best Life series, I’m breaking down an area that too many orthodontists avoid talking about: sales. Selling isn’t about pressuring patients into treatment. It’s about understanding why they came to you, uncovering what they actually want, and building a process that helps them confidently take the next step.
Most importantly, none of this happens by accident. Your team shouldn’t be practicing their sales skills in front of real patients. You have to train, role-play, evaluate your process, and continuously improve. Master mindset, teamwork, and sales, and you can build a practice that produces more while demanding less from you.
💬Quotes
“People don’t buy on your why. They buy their why.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger
“You don’t show up on game day and expect to be great. Greatness happens in practice.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways
Intro: Part 3 — Sales and making more money (00:36)
Why the way patients buy has changed (01:28)
The question every practice needs to answer: “Why should I buy from you?” (01:39)
Patients buy based on their why — not yours (03:26)
How to uncover what a patient actually wants (03:51)
Understanding the orthodontic sales funnel (04:14)
“Always be closing” — and why sales doesn’t mean forcing patients (05:23)
AIDA: Attention, Interest, Decision, Action (06:31)
Why orthodontic case acceptance should be higher (07:14)
Why case acceptance is ultimately a leadership responsibility (07:31)
Using proven sales principles and psychology ethically (08:31)
The five potential breakdowns in your sales funnel (10:09)
Why every new-patient phone call matters (10:33)
Practice zone vs. performance zone: Role-play before going live (12:01)
The trial close every practice should understand (12:35)
How to identify a patient’s readiness before the consultation (14:20)
Using a call scorecard to train your team (15:34)
Why the handoff from the front desk to the TC matters (16:17)
Why orthodontists should spend less time in the consultation room (17:00)
What makes an effective closer (19:09)
Uncover the need before presenting the solution (20:17)
Master mindset, teamwork, and sales to build your best practice (21:50)
Put in the work and live your best life (23:26)

🟦 Additional Resources
Take a serious look at your sales funnel. What happens from the moment a prospective patient first contacts your office to the moment they make a treatment decision? Where are people falling out — and has your team actually been trained to improve those moments?
Don’t expect your TC or front desk to figure it out on their own. Train. Role-play. Measure. Improve. Put in the work before your team enters the performance zone.
This wraps up my three-part Living Your Best Life series. We’ve covered mindset, teamwork, and sales — three areas that, when mastered together, can help you create a practice that makes more money with less stress, fewer hours, and a better life outside of orthodontics.

👉 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/

What if I told you one of the biggest financial decisions of your career shouldn’t start with “yes” or “no” — it should start with getting educated?
The OSO and private equity landscape is changing quickly, and I don’t believe orthodontists should make a decision based on fear, hype, or someone else’s agenda. If you’re considering an OSO, this could become one of the largest financial transactions of your life. You owe it to yourself to understand exactly what you’re evaluating.
In this episode of Five Minute Friday, I share my perspective after roughly six years of studying the OSO space and five years inside Smile Doctors. I break down why today’s environment looks different from 2021, how the cost of money and broader economic uncertainty can affect deal flow, and why OSOs and DSOs should not automatically be treated as the same thing.
💬Quotes
“I’m not telling you to say no, and I’m not telling you to say yes. I’m telling you to get educated.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger
“This could be the largest financial decision you do or don’t make for the rest of your life.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways
Intro: Why the OSO conversation needs more education and less absolutism (00:00)
How the OSO landscape has changed over the last five years (00:39)
Why the broader economy and cost of borrowing matter to private equity (02:04)
Why orthodontics and general dentistry can look very different financially (02:46)
Capital preservation and the risks of smaller or less-established groups (04:05)
Why the right OSO can make sense for the right doctor at the right time (05:21)
The questions I would ask before joining: de novos, JV structure, equity and specialty mix (07:17)
Why solvency and adaptability matter more than hype (08:24)
What future consolidation in the OSO market could look like (08:41)
Why changing capital costs may affect future multiples and deal flow (09:37)
My final advice: learn the facts and make your own decision (12:08)

🟦 Additional Resources
I created a neutral e-book designed to help orthodontists better understand OSOs — including the revenue cycle, pros and cons, common mistakes, and questions you should be asking before making a decision. If you want a copy, DM me on Facebook, tell me you heard this episode, and send me your email. I’ll make sure you get it.
Don’t let someone else make this decision for you. Get educated, understand the facts, and choose what makes sense for your future.
👉 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/