Living Well with Dr. Michelle: Where Dentistry Meets Whole-Body Health

I just have to go find an answer if I don’t have one. And I
started finding out that the things that I’d been trained and taught forever
weren’t necessarily all true. And there was a huge correlation between
overall health and dental health that I had no clue about. And that’s what
completely changed my practice because I started finding these answers,
treating things in a different way, looking at everything in the mouth in the
in the view or scope of how does this affect overall health. And our entire
practice started growing because all of a sudden people said, “This is
the kind of dentistry that I want to have. I want to make sure that nothing
I’m doing is going to be taking me down the wrong road here.” >>
And vice versa. I have been sick for forever. I’ve seen every doctor and you
know my story. I’ve seen every doctor, no answers. Maybe it’s in my mouth.
And I have since found out that 60 to 80% of chronic disease is related to
the mouth. >> Welcome to the Know Your Ship podcast presented by EHUB.
I’m your host, Frank Dolce. >> Are you nervous? >> No. >>
Are you anxious about this? >> No. >> Are you sure? >> Yes.
A lot of people who sit in this chair with me get anxiety. >> Yeah, I
just do this so much. It’s just it’s just a conversation. We’re just
chatting. >> It is. That’s exactly how I think about it. >> And
this is a conversation with the one and only >> Dr. Michelle
Jorgensson. >> Uh you didn’t but you didn’t grow up at Jorgensson.
>> No, I was a Kohl’s growing up. >> A Kohl’s. And is that a
Kohl’s from Utah? >> Yes. Yep. I grew up in Utah. >> You’re a
Utah girl. >> I am. Oh, nice. Okay. Where do the What’s the uh where does
Kohl’s come from? >> It’s a great question. A lot of our ancestorries
in Britain and England, but um we actually ended up in Emery County in the
middle of Utah in the middle of nowhere because my father is a dentist as
well. He graduated from dental school in the late ‘7s when interest rates
were skyhigh and there were no jobs for dentists. Oh, >> so he had a
buddy who had moved down to Emery County and at the time they were building a
new coal burning power plant because all the hills surrounding those valleys
are full of coal. >> So they were building a new power plant and the
business was booming. There were, you know, more people there that had
insurance, dental insurance, because they were all working to build this
plant. And he said, “I have so much business. Can you just come down and
help me?” So my dad went down, moved the family down, thought they would
spend a year and stayed there for 20. So it was certainly not anywhere. Yep.
So, it was not the place that our family was from. We had no family
connections or ties there whatsoever. >> But it was a fabulous place to
grow up. >> I’ll bet. Yeah. >> Was it like the story book, you
know, your dad your dad is was he the only dentist in town? Like he was the
dentist, but then he had some medical background and people were coming, you
know, he was like the small town dentist. Everybody’s coming to him like,
“Hey, I have this issue and I have a foot thing and can you fix
that?” And >> not as much. There were a couple of dentists. It was
so open. >> But he did that for us. I mean, I’ll always remember that
one day we had this we had a canal in our backyard and this was the days
when, you know, the canals were open and you know, you don’t worry about your
kid dying. You just you just think they’re going to survive. Exactly. So, we
were always we were always playing in the canal and my brother got cut by
something glass and his knee was open and, you know, flayed open and bleeding
and my mom called my dad. He just brought home some sutures and stitched them
up at home. I mean, that’s just how you take care of it. Why would why would
we need to go to the doctors? >> My dad was an auto mechanic. Uh and he
taught he well he was a teacher. He taught auto mechanics. He grew up like
working on cars and stuff. So he was he knew how to do that. They called it
industrial arts back then. >> And so when we would get injured like
that, our solution was mostly like, you know, some mechanical like a duct
tape. Just put duct tape on it. >> You know what? It probably worked
too. >> Yeah. Or tie it up. Here’s a >> you know here here’s put
this on here and just tie it really tight and it worked. Yeah. >> Bailing
bailing twine. >> And we we all a clamp you know we all survived.
>> Yeah. That’s exactly me. Yeah. We just didn’t go to the doctor.
>> No. >> Just didn’t do that. >> I know. Well, let’s
before we get really deep into this. Can you just give me the third Let’s get
Let’s let our listeners know. Give us a 30,000 foot of what you are today and
what your practice consists of today. >> Yep. So, I am what I call a
health-based dentist and there’s a story for how I got there, but I have a
large dental practice, multipety practice. So, we see everybody from, you
know, the day you’re born all the way till the day you die and we take care
of everything in between with sleep and TMJ and surgery and orthodontics and
everything, but it’s all focused on how does it improve your health. >>
So, that’s really where I started. And as an outshoot from that, we started
creating products that I couldn’t find in the market that I wanted to
recommend to people and I couldn’t find them. And so I actually had a lot of
influencers and people that were in those product businesses as patients. So
I started asking them, well, how do I do this? And happened to ask one, do
you want to partner on a couple of products? And that is really what took off
with the product business because we started that product bit that product
together. Her company is Just Ingredients. I know you’ve talked with her
before >> and Carlin. Yep. And we started we started a dental care
product line together and that is what took basically the product company and
took it to where it’s at today. We’ve since added many things to that beyond
just the line I do with her. But so really I say I have two full-time jobs. I
take care of the dental aspect and then I have a a product and information
and education business along with books. So >> Okay. So, how what are
your regular dental hours? >> So, actually I had my last clinic day two
weeks ago. >> No more. >> No more. No more. I was only seeing new
patients for the last couple of years because that’s really my forte is being
able to look at somebody and saying, “Uh, these are all the pieces you
need to put together.” But I’ve worked very hard to train other doctors
to be able to do that because now my next mission is to help change the
definition of wellness, the way we define it and the way we pursue it
globally. So that’s my new mission. And so that will be products, that will
be books, that will be information and right now pitching a show to a big
network. So a lot of information, a lot of just getting out there and helping
the world to live well. >> How do you feel about leaving the dental
practice? It’s been very surreal. >> So, I’m still there, you know. I’m
still there. I still do all the training. I still do all of that, but it has
been a very odd thing. I’ve actually just these last couple weeks even
sometimes wake up in the morning and I think I could do anything today and I
don’t really quite know what to do. I don’t I don’t know what to do with
myself. And it’s so odd because it’s been 28 years since I could say I could
do that on a Wednesday, you know, and it used to be, you know, for for 28
years I’ve had to say, “Oh, let me go check the schedule. I need to
actually book that out about four months because that’s how far out I’m
booked, you know, and and I have to make sure that, okay, what days am I
working? Let’s get on.” I don’t have to do that anywhere. And it’s so
odd. >> Yeah. Your your dad’s a dentist. Yep. You’re in Emery County.
How did that influence you as you were growing up? Did you have this sense
early on like the health services world is somewhere where you wanted to be
or or did you just think, yeah, my dad’s a cool dentist and I have other
plans? >> Well, I thought dentistry was gross because they didn’t wear
gloves and spit, you know, spit. So, I thought it was really gross, actually.
>> Did they wear masks? >> They did not. They did not wear
gloves. >> That’s my Alexa. No gloves. No mask. So my dad would scrub
blood out from underneath his fingernails after surgeries. So I did not want
to be a dentist because I thought that was disgusting. >> But
thankfully they kind of joined the new age, new era, whatever, and started
wearing gloves. And so I thought, well, maybe this maybe I could do this. But
from early on in my schooling, I remember even like first grade, >> I
was waiting for all of my classmates. If they weren’t quite done with a book,
then I would slow down. Or if they weren’t done with a math assignment, I
would slow down. And my mom pulled me aside. and I’ll always remember this.
And she said, “Michelle, you don’t need to wait for anybody. >> You
don’t need to wait for anybody. You go and do your thing. You if you have
abilities, you need to go and that’s what you’re supposed to do.”
>> And so that was first grade. And from that point forward, I just
kind of told everybody, “Well, just watch me, you know, I’m not really
kind of going to wait.” And so I was always pushing the boundaries of
things in school. My school was little, which actually was amazing because it
gave me a lot of opportunities because I could be in everything. I could do
everything. I even started like I was in every club and I started two extras
in my senior year in high school, you know, just I was always that kid. I
drove my mom insane because she always had to do all the barbecues and you
know everything. And so that was just and that’s the way I still live my
life. But um I knew I had to do something that was extra if that makes sense,
you know, that I just that I could push myself and challenge myself to do. So
as a senior in high school, I thought, yeah, this is medicine, medicine of
some variety. So, I went and asked every doctor in my neighborhood, would
they continue? Would they be a dentist or a doctor? I asked every dentist in
my neighborhood, would they be a dentist or a doctor? >> Mhm. >>
They all said, “Be a dentist.” >> Everyone. >> The
doctor said, “Be a dentist. The dentist said be a dentist.”
>> But why did they say that? >> Because they said, “You’re
a woman, and if you actually want to have a family and children and a life,
then be a dentist.” They the doctors all said, “Your dad has a much
better life than we do. We’re on call. We have, you know, overnight hours. We
have all these things that are really challenging.” And they said,
“If you really do want to have a family and be a mom and things as well
as have this career, dentistry is the way to go.” So I said, “Got
it.” So I went and started undergraduate school and finished four years
and two years and then went to dental school. So I actually graduated dental
school at 23 and now I think back I think >> what in the world >>
exactly what was I doing? >> Well, it’s because your mom gave you that
advice. Do you think she regrets that? She was like, “Man, when I told
the show, >> but I think I do because I graduated from here graduate
school in in 23 and I thought now I have to be old and responsible for the
rest of my life.” >> Like when did all of those fun years? Where
did they all go? They just went to school. >> Do you feel like that
now? >> You know, sometimes now. Yeah. Yeah. I’ve had to be old and
responsible a really really really long time. So, yes. >> Tell me about
uh this was this was growing up in Emery. Where did you go to undergrad?
>> BYU. >> Okay. >> Yep. >> Two years. Did you go Did
you finish in two years because you couldn’t stand BYU? >> No. It’s
because I I wanted to see if I could. >> No, I wanted to see if I
could. >> That was it? Yeah. >> You just wanted to see if you
could do it. Do you have brothers and sisters? >> I do. I have four
younger brothers. >> Oh, yep. How was that? Why didn’t we get into
that? How was that growing up with four younger brothers? >> Well, I
was the second mom for sure. And the brother just underneath me, he and I are
like oil and water. And so we fought terribly. In fact, he has scars on his
face still from my rings because that was my one weapon. >> I would
scratch his face with them. And you know, because I had to stand up for
myself, you know, I had to do this. They burned down my treehouse. >>
Um, >> I don’t know the circumstances, but it sounds very reasonable to
do that. Like >> I may have done something like that. >> Yeah,
exactly. So yeah, it was it was a little contentious perhaps growing up, but
three of them, two of them are orthodontists and one of them is an oral
surgeon now. So >> Oh, you’re kidding. So they all went into the
>> All but one. >> Yep. >> And did they follow your lead or
your dad’s lead? >> Um, they all went to the exact schools I went to.
>> Oh, really? Yep. >> Did they finish undergrad in two years?
>> No. >> So you still do you still hold that like holidays come
around, you’re like two-year graduate? >> Well, no, because my brother
who didn’t go to dental school, he got a bachelor’s degree. He always comes
back and says, “You don’t even have a bachelor’s degree.” >>
Oh, >> because I didn’t. >> You see, >> I didn’t finish my
bachelor’s degree. Yeah. >> So, yeah. He says, “You know, you
don’t have anything. You don’t got anything on me. No, >> you don’t
even have a bachelor’s degree.” >> How many women were in dental
school at that time? >> Yeah. So, there were very few uh when I was
even when I was applying, I went I had this undergraduate class and I went to
a dentist’s office to shadow and learn more about it. They have you do that.
And the dentist looked at me and I was the only woman in there and he looked
at me and he said, “What are you doing here?” I said, “Well,
I’m going to be going to dental school.” And he said, “No, go girls
don’t do that. Girls go like, you must be in the wrong class. They go their
hygienists. They’re assistants. They’re not dentists.” >> Mhm.
>> And I said again, “Well, watch me, you know, here we go.”
Oh, yeah. >> So, there were 13 in my class. 13 women in my class of 86.
>> Uh-huh. >> So, it was definitely small numbers. We lost, I
think, two women during the course of the four years of dental school. So we
were down to 11 by the time I graduated. So there were not very many.
>> It was from Pickicket. >> Did you love dental school? >>
Um yes and no both. Uh the guys all said the only reason you’re here is
because they have quotas and you that’s the reason that they accepted you.
And I said again, okay. So I graduated second out of the 86. There was only
one guy who had no life and he beat me. But um I actually had a life. I was
married. And >> you were married to end in dental school. >>
Yeah, I got married. I got married after my freshman year at BYU. >>
Did you what? >> Yeah. Yeah. I don’t do anything, you know. >> Oh
my gosh. I know. I’m I’m getting the I I understand the pattern here now.
>> It’s a little >> one is like you’re it started with your mom
and then like you have this internal drive and then people keep saying to you
like you’re only here because or you can’t do this and then it’s like this.
>> Okay. Then I have to prove wrong. We go. Did somebody say to you you
can’t write a book? Because I mean that was Here it is. >> Well, that’s
my sixth book actually. So, that’s number six. But, uh, yeah, this is the
first traditionally published book. So, Yep. >> the other self-pub
published. >> The other was self-published. >> Gotcha. Well,
we’ll dig into the books at some point. >> Yeah, >> that was just
a little prop. >> So, yeah, dental school was great. Um, but it was
very interesting for sure being a minority, you know, minority, but it but it
it felt very much like that. Um, but it’s all just about doing your best and
showing them what you got and and that was so that was great. I did love
dental school and I thought that that’s what I would do forever. That that I
would go be a dentist and that that’s all I would do because that’s what my
dad’s done. He’s still practicing in his mid-70s. He works in a prison in a
maximum security prison actually. >> Where is he still down in >>
He’s in Arizona. >> Oh, okay. >> Yeah. >> He works in a
maximum. >> Yeah. >> Well, why not? >> I guess those guys
need dental. >> They need dental care, too. >> Yep. So, he’s seen
a lot of broken jaws when they get in prison fights and things like that. So,
anyway, >> it no offense, it feels like I need to have your dad on the
podcast. Like, I his life experience has to be >> they’ve been pretty
interesting, too. Yep. >> Yeah. >> Yep. So, that’s what I thought
I would just do forever is just be a dentist. >> So, okay. So, you got
in you jumped into practice. Did you jump in with somebody or did you start
your own practice? How did you >> Did you go back to Emery County? like
>> no there was not a lot of actually I married a boy from Emery County
so my husband’s from there as well but a funny story so he was at BYU also
but we didn’t know each other he was three years older we never went to
school together we lived in different towns because the high school there
covers like 45 square miles you know it’s a huge draw to the one school
>> so he lived in another end of the county than I did we didn’t know
each other and um it’s the way it works so he was at BYU and went home on
Christmas and was complaining to his dad, “I don’t know how to meet
girls up there.” And his dad, who was my math teacher in high school,
>> said, “Well, I know this girl.” >> Yes. This is the
part of the story that I wanted. >> Yeah. >> Said, “I know
this girl.” And he said, “She’s super safe because she has a
seven-year plan.” And I did. I had a seven-year plan. In seven years, I
was going to graduate from dental school, right? So, she he said, “She
has a seven-year plan. She’s really safe. So, you just ought to look her
up.” So, this was back in the day where you could just call directory at
the university and ask for a name and they just hooked you to their phone.
So, we had a phone in my dorm room and so he just called the directory and
said, “Is there a listing for Michelle Kohl’s?” And they just
connect him to my phone. I mean, you can’t do that today. >> No.
>> So, yeah. So, he it rang in my dorm room and I answered the phone
and he didn’t introduce himself. He said, “Hey, I just wondered who was
your favorite math teacher?” So thankfully I said his dad because I
actually had two great math teachers. One in junior high too that I really
loved. So thankfully I said his dad, Mr. Bill, and he said, “Oh, I’m Mr.
Bill’s son.” So we chatted for about an hour. >> And then he said,
“Well, let’s why don’t we meet?” You know, I said, “All right,
well, let’s meet in my dorm.” He said, “Well, why don’t we go to
why don’t we meet at the North Door?” Cuz we didn’t know each other. We
didn’t know what each other looked like. And you couldn’t look each other on
Instagram back then. No. >> So I said, “Well, I don’t know what
you look like. How do we know where to meet?” And he said, “Well,
let’s meet at the north door.” And I said, “Well, which one is
that?” And he said, “Don’t tell me you’re one of those ditsy girls
that doesn’t know her directions.” >> Oh, man. >> Now I do.
Now I do. But I didn’t then. But you didn’t. I did not. So he had to explain
which door it was. So we met, we started dating, and we were engaged in a
month. >> Oh my god. >> So this is I was not safe after all.
>> No. No. >> Not at all. >> No, I was not safe. >>
But that’s that’s worked out. >> It’s worked out. We’ve been married
for I can’t even do the math now. 33 years. >> Amazing. >> So,
Yep. >> And he works in the practice. >> Yes. He says he’s
officially retired and now golfing for for his career. >> Oh, man. I
I’d like to do that. Exactly. I’m terrible. Like, oh, I want to be better at
golfing. You need time. I know. >> That’s the key to golf is time.
>> Is there any correlation between poor dental health and poor golf?
Because if I just need to fix up some >> That’s a great question. You
know, there probably is some correlation there with some airway. We could do
a cone beam CT scan, find out if you’re getting enough air, if you can focus
properly. Yes. >> I see. I’m sure there’s some things we could do.
>> I can see a new book project right there. Exactly. >> Okay.
>> You go into practice and uh you’re in Utah County. >> Yeah,
Utah County. I started working for another for another dentist >> and
within about four years, I had organized every closet in the office. I had
completely created an entire team training manual. I had because I just
>> I just don’t sit very well. >> And you were a dentist.
>> Yeah. But I just if I had any time then I had to go fix stuff. So I
knew I had to have my own practice because I could only fix somebody else’s
practice so much. >> Mhm. >> So So then started a new practice.
But my father was that was when my mom decided she was done with living in the
middle of nowhere. And my youngest brother had just graduated high school.
And so they moved and we started the practice together. >> Oh. >>
So it’s the two of us that started it together. >> Amazing. Yeah. How
about that? That is great. Okay. And uh and you you had an interesting
experience for those first several years in dentistry and your >> Yeah.
>> gender. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yep. So I was the only woman dentist in
the county that I was practicing in for 10 years actually. And some, you
know, I would go to meetings and if you go to dental meetings where teams are
there, there’s a lot of women because if you think about it, the only guy in
the office is the dentist usually, right? Everybody else is women. So you go
to a meeting that has everybody, you know, dental assistants and
receptionists, there’s plenty of women. If you go to a a meeting that’s just
dentists, there’s no women, especially in Utah. So I would go to these
meetings and people would ask me whose wife I was. >> Yes. So how did
you manage that experience? Like is that was that a source of do you was that
upsetting to you or did you just >> my philosophy has always just been
watch me you know just it and so I just usually laugh and >> you took
it more like a challenge. >> Exactly. Oh, just watch, you know, do your
practices. And so really, it was interesting because early on in practice, we
decided >> that we wanted to take everything that everybody hated about
dentistry, and there’s a lot >> like, you know, the smells, the pain,
the discom, you know, there’s like so many things people don’t like about
going to the dentist. I mean, people tell me I would rather have a baby. I’m
like, I have had a baby and that is better >> than going to the
dentist. >> That can’t be better. So, we decided we were going to
change everything. Every negative, we were going to change it up. So, like
the smells, we baked bread and cookies all day long. So, it smelled great
when you came into the dental office. We had massage chair pads on the
chairs. We had makeup and hairspray to freshen up with after. Like, we had
all of these things to make it a better experience. >> Gotcha. Way way
before your time. >> Way before our time. And the cool thing is we
actually had some, this was a cool story. We had some really cool recognition
for this. Um, we entered the best of state competition and we won for like
health businesses, something like that, but it put us into this category of
all consumer services, merchandising and consumer services. So, we were
invited to this, you know, back in the old days, it was televised, you know,
nothing’s televised anymore. This televised event, you know, downtown Salt
Lake where it was a dinner and awards ceremony. And so, we thought we were
just getting the award for that. We didn’t know that there were big
categories of all of the companies that were underneath merchandising and
consumer services. So huge car dealerships, huge hotels, you know, all those
things under the underneath the same category. And we were in that category
as well. >> So they got up and there was, you know, some fancy guy
announcing the winner and they announced us as the winner over all of these
big hotels. And we were shocked. We didn’t even know that it was a thing that
we could win. So we went up, we got this huge heavy statue and my dad is is
terrified of talking like and so he pushed me to the front. He said,
“You’re talking. You’re up. >> You’re talking.” But that was
such a cool validation that we were doing something great. >> Yeah.
>> That was appreciated. >> Yeah. Absolutely. And so that’s where
I thought I would just say that we would just do this really cool dentistry
and take really great care of people, but that’s not what happened. >>
Win win awards and stuff. Okay. Before we get on to the that’s not what
happened section, >> what are all the terrible things about going to
the dentist that you hear? >> So, the smell. Okay. So, what are the
smells? Is it the smell when they’re drilling out your tooth and you have
that >> Yeah. >> smell? >> Well, I I will always have the
smell on my head because it’s like when I would walk in my dad’s office and
it’s that dentist office smell. >> So, it’s something called eugenol,
which they use in dry sockets. Like if you have teeth that didn’t heal,
right? It’s like >> it’s an actual thing. >> Uh-huh. It’s like
kind of this clovey smell mixed with like the smell of the stuff they use to
polish teeth and like it’s just >> it is a very >> disinfectant
smell like all mixed up together. >> Yeah. >> And so you just
like you walk in and it makes your teeth hurt when you smell it, you know?
>> Exactly. >> Mhm. >> So smells. >> Okay. >>
Obviously sounds people hate that, you know, noise, that kind of thing.
People don’t like that. >> But how do you dampen that? had noise
counseling headphones and TVs. This was long before I mean everybody’s doing
TV now on the ceilings, but we were like the first people doing this.
>> You know, the dentist I visit regularly regularly. I’m there every
six months. >> Very good. >> I don’t get noise cancelling
headphones and I don’t have a TV. >> I have a >> We’re getting
jipped. >> I have a hygienist who is very nice, conversational.
>> There you go. But that’s that would be I would put that on my list
of things I don’t not enjoy but are difficult at the dentist is because you I
can’t answer. >> You can’t talk back. >> No, you have all these
things in your mouth and how are you so Okay, so that’s an interesting
experience. But I still love my dentist even without the >> That’s
good. >> Okay, so that’s another thing. >> The sounds and you
have TVs, noise cancelling headphones. What are some of the other >>
discomfort obviously? So we work really hard to try to make I mean you can’t
get away with everything you know but we try to do a very very very good job
of uh you know completely painless shots and you know those kinds of things
we g we give a lot of things after carew wise that are going to help after so
that there’s no pain after you go home that kind of thing from the pain
standpoint >> how do you manage I mean I think people everybody has
some level of anxiety going to the dentist So, do you how do you approach
that? >> Yeah, we have supplements that you take that actually
anti-anxiety. They’re they’re all natural supplements that you chew them up
beforehand >> when you walk in. >> Uh-huh. And it literally puts
your brain into this kind of delta wave pattern that’s like this relaxation
pattern. >> Oh. >> So, yeah, we like I said, we’ve looked at
every single thing about >> Oh, go ahead. >> Well, women women
complain that like their hair is messed up and they look like all the makeup’s
like all washed off when we’re done. So, we had hairspray and makeup so you
can refresh yourself when you leave. I mean, just we have hot towels at the
end. So, you know when you get a hot towel like in a fancy restaurant or
airplane, we have we have hot towels on a silver tray that we give to you
when you’re done so you can freshen up with. And >> yeah, I feel like I
need a cool towel. I’m just sweating after a dental appointment. I need to
>> or that too. >> Okay. What about the decor? I mean, walking
into the dental office, I can picture it right now. some generic prints,
>> smile pictures on the wall, and a stack of a couple stacks of
magazines in the waiting room and, you know, standard kind of chairs and
stuff, weird places to sit and friendly receptionist. Okay. Do you manage any
of that differently? >> Absolutely. So, we have videos playing in the
waiting room that are all about things people ask us questions about all the
time. >> So, that while you’re sitting there, because we try not to
make you wait. That’s one of our goals, too, that you shouldn’t have a
waiting room even at all. >> Um, but you know, there’s videos so that
you can learn things when you’re there. We don’t have any magazines at all.
We have books like my books. People can read all those things that are there
as well. And no pictures of, you know, fake smiles on the wall. It’s it’s all
it’s usually nature based in most of our practices because we’re all kind of
about, you know, tapping into nature and all those kinds of things. And so
you just feel like, oh, it’s like kind of like a nice hotel feeling >>
when you walk in, like, oh, this feels like I’d like to stay here a little
bit. >> Awesome. Okay, so you’re you’re changing the practice of
dentistry with all of these experiences you’re providing for your patients.
That’s amazing. And you’re going through uh and you’re going to be a dentist.
You’re just going to be a happy dentist for the rest of your life. In the
midst of this, are you learning anything about what’s happening in somebody’s
mouth is affecting their health? Are you noticing things like this as you’re
practicing? >> Yes and no. I’ve always been a question asker. So, I
would see things like people had really worn off teeth in the front on the
bottom front. >> I have that. >> And I can tell you what it’s
for. I can tell you what it’s from actually right now. But, um, so I would
see that and people would ask, “Well, what’s this from?” And if I
didn’t know the answer, I would have to go find the answer. So, I was always
doing that, but it really wasn’t related to overall health. It was still very
focused on dentistry. You know, you have worn out teeth. >> What do I
do for your teeth? >> How can I help you prevent that and fix it? You
know, it was just really dental focused. >> And really, that’s the way
that the profession trains you to think. Dentistry, honestly, it’s like your
dad a little bit. It’s it’s a mechanic’s job. you know, it’s really you have
a hole in your tooth and we clean it up and fill it up. You know, it’s it’s
mechanics work and it it’s a lot of hands-on things that you do, but it’s not
a lot of going deeper into the wise about where how things got to where they
are at today. It’s fixing you up and sending you’re on your way and then you
come back in six months again, you know, and we do it again again, you know,
it’s just this big cycle. >> So, that really wasn’t even on my radar
because it wasn’t on the radar of dentists in general. like no, no one was
talking about that. >> So, no, I wasn’t thinking about that, but my own
health and you had an experience. >> Yep. And that’s what opened my
eyes to all of it. Yeah. So, I was busy practice, four young kids, you know,
running around, barely keeping our head above the water, but it was going and
doing what we needed to do, you know, it was all good. >> Is your
husband working in the practice at this point? >> Yep. So, my husband
was working. He does he was doing all the finances, all the accounting, all
the back work, you know, all the backside of things. He’s actually an
engineer and at about well I have twins and when my twins they’re my oldest
when they were about 2 years old he was working he was consulting engineer
traveling all over the place and I had this busy practice we had twin
toddlers we just said something’s got to give here and the dental practice we
still you know we owed a million dollars on this thing and that was you know
20 years ago and it when you you know you basically you go where the debt is
and you figure okay we got to make that work and so he left his engineering
ing job and came to take care of all the backend pieces so that I could be
the front end, you know, face of the practice and he’s just stayed there and
thankfully he’s stayed there because he’s he’s taken on a lot of roles and