Libsyn Directory

The Power of Coaching: A Rural Dentist's Path to Personal and Professional Growth

Release Date: 11/06/2024

Transforming Dental Practices with Advanced Hygiene Techniques

Love Your Practice

In this engaging episode of 'Love Your Practice,' Dr. Laura Mach, a general dentist and life coach, discusses empowering women dental practice owners to lead with intention and love their work. Dr. Mach introduces a special small group course focusing on inspiring employees and using emotional intelligence in leadership. Additionally, Dr. Mach interviews Tosha Kozloski, RDH; a hygiene consultant who has revolutionized her dental practice by implementing microscopy and ozone therapy. They discuss the profound impact these techniques have on patient care, behavior, and overall practice...

Loving Yourself: The Foundation for Confident Leadership in Your Dental Practice

Love Your Practice

Hey there, it's Dr. Laura Mach, and welcome to this solo episode of the "Love Your Practice" podcast. Today, I want to share some insights with you on how to be an effective leader in your dental practice by regulating your own emotions. The most important factor in being able to lead your team successfully is how you feel about yourself - being calm, confident, and knowing you deserve happiness. I'll discuss how an ancient part of the brain called the amygdala can sometimes overreact to non-dangerous situations in the modern world, leading to unnecessary feelings of defensiveness or panic....

The Power of Appreciation: Strategies to Motivate Your Team

Love Your Practice

Welcome to the Love Your Practice podcast with Dr. Laura Mach. In today's episode, Dr. Mach has a fascinating conversation with her guest Beth Heilman about leadership strategies for female dental practice owners. Beth Heilman, known as The Burnout Breakthrough Coach for Dental Professionals, spent over two decades in the trenches as a burned-out dental office manager before cracking the code on how to ditch stress, reignite passion, and build a career that doesn't drain the life out of you. Now, as a certified life and health coach and the owner of Dental Life Mastery, she helps dental...

The Power of Coaching: A Rural Dentist's Path to Personal and Professional Growth

Love Your Practice

In today's episode, we have a special guest - Dr. Kaitlin Haag, a general dentist and practice owner from rural Nebraska. Dr. Haag shares her remarkable journey from being a student in the Rural Health Opportunities Program to unexpectedly becoming a 50% owner of a dental practice right out of school. She openly discusses the challenges that came with taking on significant responsibility early in her career, from managing substantial loans to dealing with the departure of senior partners who were expected to provide mentorship. Despite the obstacles, Dr. Haag found ways to keep her work...

Breaking Barriers: Drs. Laura and Erin's Journey as Female Leaders in Dentistry

Love Your Practice

Welcome to another episode of Love Your Practice. I'm your host, Dr. Laura Mach. In today's episode, I'm thrilled to welcome back a very special guest and dear friend, Dr. Erin Sheffield. Erin and I go way back, having known each other for nearly 20 years. Our paths first crossed when I started a Yahoo group for pre-dental Mormon women, seeking to connect with like-minded individuals. Erin's leadership skills shone through early on as when she was the President of the Women in Dentistry Club at BYU. Recognizing her potential, I encouraged her to apply to the University of Iowa Dental...

Spit Happens: How Salivary Testing is Changing Dentistry Forever

Love Your Practice

In this podcast episode, I welcome Sarah Mueller, a dental hygienist with a unique career path, now working with Swish Bio on salivary testing. Sarah shares her journey from clinical practice to leadership roles and emphasizes the transformative potential of salivary testing in dentistry. She explains how this testing identifies specific pathogens, allowing for tailored patient care. Our discussion covers the challenges of implementing new technologies in dental practices and the importance of adaptability and strong leadership. Sarah also highlights educational initiatives and onboarding...

From Pain to Purpose: How One Dentist Found Joy Beyond the Drill

Love Your Practice

In this episode of "Love Your Practice," I interview Dr. Jennifer Stafford, a seasoned dentist specializing in TMJ, orthodontics, and sleep-related issues. Dr. Stafford shares her journey from general dentistry to her current specialties, driven by her personal experiences with migraines. She emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and mentorship. The episode also delves into the transformative power of coaching, highlighting how it helped Dr. Stafford shift her mindset, overcome feelings of inadequacy, and find greater fulfillment in her work. Our discussion underscores...

Breaking Barriers: Dr. Cori Morris's Unconventional Path to Dentistry

Love Your Practice

In this podcast episode, I chat with Dr. Cori Morris about her unique path to becoming a dentist and her experiences running her own dental practice. Dr. Morris talks about how she made the switch from teaching to dentistry, motivated by a desire to help her husband with humanitarian dental work. Even though she faced some skepticism and challenges along the way, she managed to finish dental school and get her own practice. Dr. Morris opens up about the difficulties of taking over an outdated practice, the need to modernize the space, and how crucial it is to be confident in treatment...

Hygienists as Partners in Oral Health: Lessons from Brandi Hooker Evans

Love Your Practice

I'm thrilled to share the latest insights from the Love Your Practice podcast featuring a captivating discussion between myself and Brandi Hooker Evans. In this episode, we explored the essential aspects of elevating oral health care through a patient-focused and teamwork-oriented approach. Brandi and I highlighted the importance of building strong relationships with patients in dental practice and the crucial role of hygienists in understanding and supporting patients' needs. We also delved into the potential consequences of patients making uninformed decisions about their oral health and the...

Leadership and Communicating Effectively with Team Members

Love Your Practice

Are you struggling to make important decisions to move your practice forward? This happens to all of us, and my guest on this episode, Dr. Seema Amin, opens up about her doubts and struggles with making necessary staffing changes in a timely manner. Dr. Amin has practiced dentistry for 26 years, starting in an associateship and then buying her own practice in 2011. She discusses her transition to practice owner and the challenges of moving into the “employer” side of managing the business, making decisions on her own, and managing people. Buying her dental practice, Dr. Amin was scared but...

More Episodes

She openly discusses the challenges that came with taking on significant responsibility early in her career, from managing substantial loans to dealing with the departure of senior partners who were expected to provide mentorship. Despite the obstacles, Dr. Haag found ways to keep her work engaging, like expanding into pediatric airway treatment.

However, as a young female dentist, Dr. Haag also struggled with feelings of inadequacy, negative self-talk, and the pressure to balance patient care with the business realities of insurance plans. She shares how learning to recognize and challenge her own limiting thought patterns was a turning point, enabling her to recommend ideal care more confidently and find greater satisfaction in her work.

Dr. Haag's story highlights the unique pressures faced by women in dentistry and the importance of seeking support rather than struggling in isolation. Her insights on managing self-doubt, communicating with patients, and finding work-life harmony will resonate with many listeners.

Stay tuned for an enlightening conversation about navigating the challenges and triumphs of building a rewarding dental practice as a woman. Dr. Haag's journey reminds us that who we are is truly enough.

Highlights from this episode: