Most dentists think we need to do it all. We are prideful. We think we are the best. We assume everyone else should just figure it out. We are wrong. People do not need more operators. They need leadership. Leadership is not doing the work. Leadership is showing people what good looks like and guiding them there. You cannot expect a new hire to know what to do. You cannot expect them to know the difference between right and wrong. You have to onboard them so they understand what is required...

When you solve one problem, you create another. We see this all the time with doctors learning aligners. First, they want help with case selection. Then they want help with case acceptance. Then they want help with setup. Then delivery. Then refinements. Then finishing. That is not a bad thing. That is progress. The same thing happens with patients. You propose aligners to improve oral health. You solve the alignment problem. Now the patient notices things. The shape of their teeth. The...

I have expanded my team and I am nervous. We are no longer just helping solo docs with aligners. We are now supporting associates at DSOs too. This hits deep for me. I used to be an associate at a DSO with no mentorship and no guidance. I had to find it and build it myself. DSOs have resources. They just struggle to deploy them in a way that actually helps doctors. That is the gap we are filling. Supporting doctors clinically while working with leadership to scale aligners responsibly. What...