The Orthopreneurs Podcast with Dr. Glenn Krieger

In this Five Minute Friday, I’m having a little fun with the frustrations almost every orthodontist knows too well. From referring dentists taking on cases they probably shouldn’t, to patients armed with questionable Google advice, to parents insisting their child wears elastics when the evidence says otherwise, I’m counting down a few of the things that make practicing orthodontics uniquely entertaining — and occasionally maddening.
This isn’t a deep clinical lecture or a practice-management masterclass. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best thing we can do is laugh at the situations we all experience. I share a few stories from my own career, including one unforgettable headgear compliance story, and talk about why boundaries, patient cooperation, and realistic expectations matter. If you’ve ever stared at a patient and thought, “There is absolutely no way you’re wearing those elastics,” this episode is for you.

💬Quotes
“If someone needs a mirror to put headgear in or to put rubber bands in, you know they’re not wearing them.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger 
“You don’t refer nearly enough patients to me for me to help you through this anymore.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger 

🎯 Key Takeaways
Intro: The things that drive orthodontists crazy (00:36)
Referring dentists treating cases beyond their limits (01:04)
Knowing when to stop bailing someone out (01:48)
When patients bring Google advice into the operatory (02:37)
A surprising adult maxillary protraction case (03:18)
Parents who only want after-school appointments (04:59)
The biggest frustration: kids who don’t wear elastics or aligners (05:53)
The legendary headgear compliance story (06:30)
Honorable mentions: plaque and patients who “don’t look” at their smiles (07:44)

🟦 Additional Resources
I’ve seen firsthand how much easier orthodontics feels when you realize you’re not the only one dealing with these frustrations.
So now I want to hear yours. What patient habit, parent interaction, referral situation, or everyday orthodontic annoyance drives you absolutely crazy? Share it in the Orthopreneurs community and let’s compare notes. Sometimes the best medicine is realizing we’re all dealing with the same stuff — and being able to laugh about it 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 this episode of The Orthopreneurs Podcast, I sit down with Dave Ternan, co-founder and CEO of Orthofy, to look beyond opinions and dig into the actual numbers shaping orthodontics today. With data spanning nearly 1,400 locations and roughly $10 billion in production, we talk about what’s really happening with starts, case fees, patient affordability, adult demand, and the changing demographics of the orthodontic market.
The numbers tell an important story. Starts have been largely flat over the longer term, adult demand has softened, and the core 11–16-year-old patient population is shrinking. That doesn’t mean orthodontics is doomed — far from it. But it does mean the old model of simply opening your doors and expecting year-over-year growth may no longer be enough. Dave and I discuss why differentiation, better systems, smarter pricing, and a tightly managed new-patient funnel are becoming essential for practices that want to grow.

💬Quotes
“This fourth or fifth year in a row of down or flat could be the new norm, folks, if you're an average practice… what got you here won’t get you there.” 
— Dr. Glenn Krieger
“I think the most important thing for a leader is to have the right people in the right seats at the right time.” 
— Dave Ternan

🎯 Key Takeaways
Intro: Why data matters more than opinions right now (00:01)
Orthofy’s footprint: 1,400 locations and nearly $10B in production data (05:40)
Average case fees are rising — but still trailing inflation (07:27)
Why affordability matters more than shortening payment plans (10:09)
The historical trend: starts from 2019 through 2026 (13:24)
Why 2026 demand has begun to soften (18:22)
Adult starts as a signal of consumer confidence (21:17)
The shrinking 11–16-year-old patient population (22:28)
Why the old orthodontic practice model may no longer be enough (23:24)
Differentiate your practice before the market forces you to (24:20)
Why every orthodontist needs to understand their sales funnel (27:02)
How to reduce leakage from new patient exam to start (28:36)
AI’s next phase: moving from isolated tools to intelligent systems (35:16)
Using AI to predict patient behavior and personalize at scale (39:18)
Why patient affordability is becoming increasingly important (44:37)
The leadership lesson: right people, right seats, right time (46:53)

🟦 Additional Resources
If your practice has been flat or down, don’t beat yourself up. The data shows you’re not alone. But once you know the environment has changed, doing nothing is a choice. Look at your differentiation. Study your new-patient funnel. Make treatment affordable without destroying your economics. Build better systems. Put the right people in the right seats. And start using the technology and data available to you.
If you’d like to learn how Orthofy could help your practice improve starts, collections, patient affordability, and revenue-cycle management, visit:
🌐 Orthofi.com 
And have them assess your historical performance and opportunities for growth

👉 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 the biggest thing holding your orthodontic practice back isn’t your team, your market, or your overhead—it’s you waiting until you feel “ready”?
In this episode of Five Minute Friday, I’m challenging one of the most common patterns I see in orthodontists: delaying the very tools, technology, mentorship, and support that could make practice easier, more profitable, and less stressful. Whether it’s remote monitoring, aligners, consulting, masterminds, or better systems, too many doctors wait for the practice to improve before investing in the things that could actually create that improvement.
💬Quotes
“You are your own worst enemy. Get out of your own way.”
 — Dr. Glenn Krieger
“The most incredible achievers in our industry are the ones who said, ‘Help me.’” 
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways
Intro: Are you waiting until you’re “ready”? (00:00)
Why orthodontists delay tools that could make practice easier (01:13)
Why figuring everything out yourself makes no sense (02:07)
What high-performing orthodontists do differently (02:27)
Why investing in yourself can produce enormous long-term ROI (03:34)
Technology, aligners, and remote monitoring: stop making excuses (04:03)
Why high-performing peer groups accelerate growth (04:59)
The real cost of waiting for “one day” (05:55)
Why spending strategically can improve profitability (08:14)
Final challenge: Are you your own worst enemy? (09:10)

🟦 Additional Resources
I’ve seen firsthand how much faster a practice can grow when you stop trying to figure everything out alone and start using the resources already available to you.
Look honestly at your practice this week. What technology, consultant, system, mastermind, or investment have you been putting off because you keep telling yourself you’re “not ready yet”? Pick one opportunity that could realistically lower your stress, increase your profitability, or shorten your learning curve—and take the next step.
If you’re stuck and want to talk through what that next move should be, reach out to me directly. Sometimes the biggest breakthrough comes from simply getting out of your own way.
- 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/

We explore the latest tip on closing open bites more predictably using dental TADS. 👉 Become an OrthoPreneur today: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrthoPreneurs
In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Nicole Scheffler. She is one of the amazing speakers lined up for the Orthopreneur Summit in September.
Dr. Nicole Scheffler received her dental and orthodontic training from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. She practices full-time in Boone, North Carolina.  
She lectures a lot on closing anterior open bites all over the country and the world.
Back in the year 2000, when nobody was doing TADS in the US, Dr. Nicole went to Belgium to learn how they were placing TADS and how the patient experience was. She came back and approached ORMCO, and that’s how VectorTAS came about.
Nicole recommends closing open bites with dental TADS in conjunction with an open bite splint to intrude the posterior because it’s just as stable as jaw surgery.
We also talk about creating a vibrant office culture where staff want to come to work. This is important as we all know getting and keeping dental assistants who are the right fit is key to the success of your practice.

💬Quotes
“Back in 2000, nobody was really doing TADs in the U.S., so I went to Belgium to learn how they were placing them and what the patient experience was like.”
— Dr. Nicole Scheffler
“Closing open bites with dental TADs in conjunction with an open bite splint can give us stability comparable to jaw surgery.”
— Dr. Nicole Scheffler

🎯 Key Takeaways

Intro (00:00)
Dr. Nicole Scheffler’s background and journey in orthodontics (01:38)
The importance of the pedo-ortho relationship (06:48)
How Nicole became focused on anterior open bites (10:30)
When orthognathic surgery enters the conversation (14:31)
Understanding the etiologies behind anterior open bite (16:14)
Aligners vs. TADs for closing open bites (20:27)
How to find and retain great assistants (22:53)
Advanced Dental Assisting Academy (24:33)

🟦 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/

What if I told you there’s a guaranteed way to make your orthodontic practice more profitable—and it starts with identifying just ONE number?
Most practice owners know they want more production, better profitability, or higher case acceptance. The problem is that knowing you want growth isn’t the same as knowing exactly where to focus. In this Five Minute Friday, I’m challenging you to stop trying to fix everything and identify the one KPI that could make the biggest difference in your practice right now.
💬Quotes
“What is that one KPI you need to work on, and what are you going to do right now to solve it?”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger
“You’ve got the power. You’re smart enough. You were driven enough. Are you still driven enough to get it done?”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

🎯 Key Takeaways

The challenge: Find the one KPI that matters (00:00)
There’s a way to make your practice more profitable right now (00:49)
Why you can’t simply cut your way to profitability (01:13)
Use AI to identify growth opportunities (01:31)
Case acceptance, overhead, new patients—or something else? (01:56)
Find the one KPI you need to fix (02:02)
Why knowing the answer means nothing without execution (02:17)
Stop waiting and start working on it now (02:31)
The final challenge: Are you still driven enough? (03:04)

🟦 Additional Resources
I’ve seen firsthand how focusing on the right number can change the trajectory of a practice—but only if you actually do something with it.
So here’s your assignment: identify the one KPI that needs your attention most. Then sit down, use AI, talk with your team, and figure out what you can do to move that number. Don’t put it off until next week or when things “slow down.”
You’ve already proven you’re smart enough and driven enough to get where you are.
Now ask yourself: Are you still driven enough to get to the next level?
Go get it.
- 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/