Rethinking Pain Control: Using Visual Guides to Reduce Post-Op Callbacks
Oral Surgery Admin's Time Out: Practice Management Success Tips
Release Date: 06/26/2026
Rethinking Pain Control: Using Visual Guides to Reduce Post-Op Callbacks
Oral Surgery Admin's Time Out: Practice Management Success Tips
Managing post-operative pain without relying on opioids requires clear communication, yet patient retention of discharge instructions is often poor during stressful surgical days. In this episode of Oral Surgery Admin’s Time Out, host Linden Tucker (SOMSA) discusses how oral surgery practices use a physical tool—the —to standardize recovery protocols and reduce team frustration. The panel features the clock’s creator and design team, Dr. Jeff Berlin, Gerry Engelhart, and Rachel Gordon, alongside SOMSA members Julie Henriquez (McNally Brothers Oral Surgery), Wendy D'Oliveira (Wellesley...
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7 Things a Cybersecurity Expert Wants Every OMS Administrator to Know
Oral Surgery Admin's Time Out: Practice Management Success Tips
Cybersecurity expert Gary Salman discusses ransomware, AI in oral surgery, HIPAA risks, healthcare data protection, and why OMS administrators need visibility into cyber risk. Listen for practical advice every oral surgery leader can use today.
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Rethinking Pain Control: The Story Behind the Comfort Control Clock
Oral Surgery Admin's Time Out: Practice Management Success Tips
In this episode, pediatric dentist Dr. Jeffrey Berlin shares the origin story of the Comfort Control Clock, a simple analog tool that helps patients correctly alternate acetaminophen and ibuprofen after surgery. While serving on a multidisciplinary committee re-evaluating pain-management practices during the opioid crisis, Dr. Berlin recognized that alternating OTC medications was well supported by literature—especially in dental and OMFS research—yet difficult for families to understand. A moment of frustration in a PACU whiteboard session led him to sketch a rotating clock face that...
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The Administrator’s Secret: Automating Busy Work to Humanize the Patient Journey
Oral Surgery Admin's Time Out: Practice Management Success Tips
In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Boyce from to talk about future-proofing your oral surgery practice. The digital landscape is shifting fast, but the goal isn’t to replace your team with robots—it’s to use artificial intelligence to handle the mundane, repetitive tasks that drain your energy. Daniel explains how to bridge the gap between technical efficiency and authentic patient care. Key Concepts for the Modern Practice Agile Practice Management: Building a workflow that can adapt to digital changes within 24 to 48 hours is the best way to "future-proof." AI for Busy Work,...
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The People Part, Continued: Hard Conversations, Letting Go, and Leading with Clarity
Oral Surgery Admin's Time Out: Practice Management Success Tips
This SOMSA podcast episode, part of our New Admin Series, features a candid conversation between host Lucy and HR consultant Adrienne Twigg of Bent Ericksen & Associates, focused on managing difficult employee conversations and termination procedures within oral surgery practices. They dive into how OMS practice administrators can approach performance issues, interpersonal conflict, and behavior problems with confidence, empathy, and clarity. Adrienne emphasizes the value of preparation, documentation, and emotional regulation before any HR conversation. Lucy shares a specific,...
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The People Part: Culture, Mentorship, and Making Great Hires
Oral Surgery Admin's Time Out: Practice Management Success Tips
This SOMSA podcast episode, part of our New Admin Series, features a candid conversation between host Lucy and HR consultant Adrienne Twigg of Bent Ericksen & Associates, focused on managing difficult employee conversations and termination procedures within oral surgery practices. They dive into how OMS practice administrators can approach performance issues, interpersonal conflict, and behavior problems with confidence, empathy, and clarity. Adrienne emphasizes the value of preparation, documentation, and emotional regulation before any HR conversation. Lucy shares a specific,...
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The Future of OMS Marketing: Harnessing AI and Digital Strategy (podcast ep. 201)
Oral Surgery Admin's Time Out: Practice Management Success Tips
In this episode of the Oral Surgery Admins Timeout podcast, hosts Jamie Leos () and Nathan Greenberg () explore how modern marketing and AI are transforming OMS practices. Guest Chris Suchánek () shares insights from years of working with oral surgery practices, highlighting challenges in shifting from referral-based growth to direct patient acquisition. He explains why strong brand positioning, smart digital strategies, and mixed media campaigns are crucial for standing out in a competitive market. Chris also discusses how AI enables faster competitor analysis, tailored...
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Crafting a Welcoming Environment: Patient-Centered Oral Surgery
Oral Surgery Admin's Time Out: Practice Management Success Tips
"Patient-centered care" is more than a buzzword; it's a fundamental shift in developing treatment plans and providing patient care, and it benefits patients as well as the practices. In this episode moderated by Josh DeVries from Intiveo, our panelists explore curating the experiences of oral surgery patients. You'll hear practice leaders discuss innovations that transform the patient experience at their oral surgery practices, and you'll find out how they are using technology and compassionate care to make a difference in oral surgery.
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HR Series with CEDR HR Solutions: The Great Job Hop, Cultural Add, Interview Process
Oral Surgery Admin's Time Out: Practice Management Success Tips
Join host Jill Dunnam and co-host Halisi Tambuzi (CEDR HR Solutions) as they cover The Great Resignation... or The Great Job Hop, cultural fit versus culture add, plus the whole interview process, including two types of interview questions and interview methods... have you conducted working interviews?? Uh-oh!
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106 - Current Trends in Cyber Attacks with Black Talon Security
Oral Surgery Admin's Time Out: Practice Management Success Tips
Join host Jill Dunnam and co-host Gary Salman (Black Talon) as they talk all things cybersecurity. They cover the latest trends in cybersecurity; how long hackers scan networks and steal data before encryption and ransoming for it; what they’re doing with your patient data on the dark web, why a cybersecurity is best equipped to fully protect your practice; and practical, proactive steps you can take today to defend your network. For resources and transcript, visit https://bit.ly/somsa-106
info_outlineManaging post-operative pain without relying on opioids requires clear communication, yet patient retention of discharge instructions is often poor during stressful surgical days. In this episode of Oral Surgery Admin’s Time Out, host Linden Tucker (SOMSA) discusses how oral surgery practices use a physical tool—the Comfort Control Clock—to standardize recovery protocols and reduce team frustration.
The panel features the clock’s creator and design team, Dr. Jeff Berlin, Gerry Engelhart, and Rachel Gordon, alongside SOMSA members Julie Henriquez (McNally Brothers Oral Surgery), Wendy D'Oliveira (Wellesley Oral Surgery and Implant Center), and Susan Krpata-Young (47 North Oral Surgery). These administrators share how implementing a visual, dual-arrow clock face helps patients accurately alternate ibuprofen and acetaminophen every three hours after surgery. By giving families a tangible guide to take home, practices bridge knowledge gaps and lower the volume of post-op pain management phone calls.
Beyond patient comfort, the discussion centers on measurable practice efficiency. The administrators report saving an average of 10 minutes per patient by accelerating discharge education and preventing parking-lot callbacks. For a practice averaging 10 cases a day, chief strategy officer Gerry Engelhart notes this efficiency saves roughly 1.67 hours of staff time daily—amounting to an estimated $18,000 in annual wage recovery or providing the scheduling capacity to handle an additional surgical case per day. The panel also highlights how customization options, such as printing specific office branding or adding QR codes for digital instructions, turn the tool into a passive referral vehicle.
Tune in to hear practical strategies from your peers on structuring your discharge workflow, protecting your team from burnout, and minimizing after-hours pain calls.
Episode Sponsors
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