
Advertise on podcast: The Lifestyle Practice Podcast For Dentists
Rating
4.9from
This podcast has
298 episodes
Language
EnglishExplicit
No
Date created
2019/08/14
Latest episode
2026/10/19
Average duration
14 min.
Release period
7 days
Description
The Lifestyle Practice Podcast was created to help dentists obtain their desired life by creating uncommonly successful dental practices. Ready to work with us? Visit thelifestylepractice.com for more information
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Check latest episodes from The Lifestyle Practice Podcast For Dentists podcast
330. The 3-Day Dental Workweek: How to Work Less Without Earning Less
2026/10/19
Can a dentist work three days a week without earning less? Dr. Derek Williams cut his Thursdays cold turkey, took a small dip in September, and then had the best month in his practice's 30-plus-year history.
In this episode of The Lifestyle Practice Podcast, Dr. Williams answers a listener's question: what does it actually look like to go from a four-day to a three-day dental workweek? He explains why he made the decision without a perfect plan, what happened to production and collections, and how his team learned to fit a four-day schedule into three highly productive days.
You'll learn how to remove the "fluff" from your dental schedule, how assistants can prepare better and turn over rooms faster, and why Dr. Williams treats the daily schedule like a game of Tetris. He also covers whether you should cut your team's hours, how hygienists can keep seeing patients on days the doctor isn't in the office, and how an overhead-based bonus system supports a shorter workweek.
If you're a dental practice owner dealing with burnout, an associate dentist planning your future, or a dentist who wants better work-life balance, this episode shows how dental practice efficiency can give you more time off without sacrificing your income.
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment:
https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching:
https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy:
https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access):
https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Visit our website:
https://thelifestylepractice.com
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Email Steve: [email protected]
Email Derek: [email protected]
Email Matt: [email protected]
Email Raheel: [email protected]
#DentistLife #LifestylePracticePodcast
329. How to Make Your Dental Hygiene Department More Profitable
2026/10/12
Growth Through Hygiene: How to Make Your Hygiene Department More Productive
When Dr. Raheel Haider took over his dental practice, the hygiene schedule was booked out for three months, the hygienist was bouncing between her own patients and new-patient perio exams, and the reappointment rate sat at around 20%. In this solo episode, he explains how he rebuilt the hygiene department into one of the most productive and profitable parts of his practice.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
Dental practice owners, associate dentists planning to own, and dental students who want to understand how hygiene drives practice growth.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- If your hygiene schedule is booked out for months, the fastest fix is more capacity. Hiring another hygienist lets new patients be seen in hygiene instead of waiting.
- New-grad hygienists are often easier to coach because they are eager, motivated, and open to mentorship.
- A $50-an-hour hygienist who sits idle for eight hours costs you $400. One extra new patient brings in revenue at the first visit and gives you a chance to diagnose treatment.
- Dr. Haider's team now tracks the reappointment rate daily and keeps it above 90%, up from about 20% when he took over.
- Roughly half of American adults have some form of periodontal disease, so many practices are underdiagnosing perio. AI voice perio charting can complete the chart, provide staging and grading, and print an educational sheet that helps with case acceptance.
- Build a same-day mentality across your team. Patients stop thinking about dentistry the moment they walk out the door.
- Require deposits for SRPs. Patients follow their money, and if they won't put a deposit down, don't schedule them.
- Don't cut your hygienists' hours when the schedule slows down. Fix cancellations and no-shows with better case acceptance, communication, and deposits.
- When fluoride isn't covered by insurance, you can charge your full office fee. Dr. Haider offers a 50% same-day discount to every patient, cash or insurance. Check your state's insurance laws before copying this.
- Curodont can reverse incipient cavities in about 30 seconds to a minute per tooth. Showing patients AI-highlighted X-rays dramatically increases acceptance.
- Aim for hygienists to produce about 3.3 times their pay. Paying hygienists hourly or a percentage of production, similar to an associate, creates motivation to produce.
- Even in a worst-case scenario where a hygienist only produces 1x their pay, you still gain new patients and long-term growth.
TOOLS MENTIONED
AI voice perio charting, Overjet and Pearl (AI X-ray detection), Curodont
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment:
https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching:
https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy:
https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access):
https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Visit our website:
https://thelifestylepractice.com
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Email Steve: [email protected]
Email Derek: [email protected]
Email Matt: [email protected]
Email Raheel: [email protected]
#DentistLife #LifestylePracticePodcast
328. Personal Finance for Dentists: Budgeting, Debt, and Selective Frugality
2026/10/05
A dentist asked Dr. Steve Van De Graaff a simple question: "Should I have a budget? I have a Tesla, and I'm starting to wonder if I should be spending my money differently." In this episode of The Lifestyle Practice Podcast, Steve answers three questions every dentist eventually asks: How should I manage my money? How can I save more of it? And what should I spend it on?
Steve starts with financial literacy basics: knowing your monthly expenses, building an emergency fund of six months of living expenses, keeping a cash reserve for your dental practice, carrying life insurance, and understanding the difference between good debt and bad debt. He explains why practice loans and a home mortgage can work in your favor, while credit card debt and high-interest consumer loans should be paid off fast.
Then he shares his philosophy of selective frugality: spend happily on what you value, and cut back on everything else. You will learn how to save money on the big three expenses (housing, transportation, and food), why you should annualize recurring costs, how to avoid lifestyle creep, and how to shift from a consumer mindset to building passive income and long-term wealth.
Whether you are a practice owner, an associate dentist, or a new grad paying off student loans, this episode will help you use money as a tool to build financial freedom and a life you actually want.
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment:
https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching:
https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy:
https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access):
https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Visit our website:
https://thelifestylepractice.com
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Email Steve: [email protected]
Email Derek: [email protected]
Email Matt: [email protected]
Email Raheel: [email protected]
#PersonalFinance #FinancialFreedom #DentistLife #LifestylePracticePodcast
327. How to Stop Procrastinating: The $15 Timer Productivity Hack for Dentists
2026/09/28
Do you put off small tasks until they weigh on your mind for days? In this episode of The Lifestyle Practice Podcast, Dr. Matt Vogt shares the $15 dial kitchen timer that transformed his productivity at his dental practice, in his coaching career, and at home.
Dr. Matt explains how to use a simple productivity timer to build focus, gamify your to-do list, and stop procrastinating. You will learn how timing yourself makes you aware of every distraction, why tasks expand to fill the time you give them, and how to finish dreaded admin work in minutes instead of days.
Whether you are a dental practice owner, an associate dentist, or a dental student, this time management strategy can help you build efficiency at procedures like crown preps without compromising the quality of care. It can also help you manage your practice more effectively and protect your time outside of work.
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment: https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access): https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Free ebook — "How to Achieve Financial Freedom in Seven Years or Less": https://the-lifestyle-practice.com/home-page-page
Email Raheel at [email protected]
Email Derek at [email protected]
Email Matt at [email protected]
Email Steve at [email protected]
#ProductivityHacks #StopProcrastinating #DentalPractice #LifestylePracticePodcast
326. Why Financial Freedom Isn't the Finish Line for Dentists
2026/09/21
In this solo episode, Dr. Derek Williams reflects on life after selling his dental practice and spending two years on the road in an RV with his family. After years of chasing financial freedom, he's now working through a different question: what do you do with freedom once you have it?
Key takeaways
Freedom in your practice creates room for the decisions that build wealth. Working three days a week gave Derek the time to invest in real estate and start coaching.
Most dentists plan how to reach financial freedom but never plan what their days will look like afterward.
Once more money stops changing your daily life, the question shifts from how to earn more to how to use it: giving, volunteering, family experiences, or buying back time.
Financial freedom doesn't remove difficulty. It gives you the freedom to choose which challenges are worth taking on.
Healthy influence means offering perspective without demanding that someone adopt it.
Your problems don't disappear when you reach the goal. The principles you practice now are the ones you'll rely on for the rest of your life.
Resources mentioned
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment: https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access): https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Free ebook — "How to Achieve Financial Freedom in Seven Years or Less": https://the-lifestyle-practice.com/home-page-page
Email Raheel at [email protected]
Email Derek at [email protected]
Email Matt at [email protected]
Email Steve at [email protected]
325. Stop Complaining About Dental Insurance and Start Playing the Game
2026/09/14
Dr. Raheel Haider takes a deliberately contrarian position on the most-complained-about topic in dentistry. Instead of joining the social media pile-on about denials, write-offs, and impossible reimbursements, he argues that a negative mentality about dental insurance spreads through a practice — to the front desk, to the billing team, to the patients — quietly costs the office production.
Key takeaways
Dental insurance is a feature of the field, not a bug — in network or out
Your team and patients mirror your attitude toward insurance
Complexity is the insurance companies' strategy; understanding it is your job
EOBs are the training data for fixing your estimates — and they're sometimes wrong
A patient should leave with either a zero balance or a credit, never a debt
Credits create goodwill; balances create bad reviews
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment: https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access): https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Free ebook — "How to Achieve Financial Freedom in Seven Years or Less": https://the-lifestyle-practice.com/home-page-page
Email Raheel at [email protected]
Email Derek at [email protected]
Email Matt at [email protected]
Email Steve at [email protected]
324. The Simplest Dental Team Training That Actually Works
2026/09/07
Dr. Steve Van De Graaff hosts an episode on the single most common struggle he hears from dentists: leading and managing a team. His answer isn't a culture overhaul or an offsite — it's a training you can run in fifteen minutes and start using the same afternoon.
The handoff has two rules. First, tell the patient what's coming next, so nobody sits in a chair wondering why they're waiting. Second, build up the team member taking over. "Erica's going to take care of you — she does the best cleanings." "Sarah's really good with insurance; she'll find a way to make this work." "Kate's in here with you today, and she's great with kids."
Why it works — three effects
Patient confidence. Patients stop guessing what happens next. Instead, they see a polished, organized office running a system, and they trust the practice more.
Team performance. When you praise a team member in front of the patient, you're really talking to your team member. It's a Dale Carnegie principle: give someone a reputation to live up to, then praise them when they get there.
Culture. When people build the habit of saying something good about a co-worker out loud every day, respect and teamwork rise with it.
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment: https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access): https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Free ebook — "How to Achieve Financial Freedom in Seven Years or Less": https://the-lifestyle-practice.com/home-page-page
Email Raheel at [email protected]
Email Derek at [email protected]
Email Matt at [email protected]
Email Steve at [email protected]
323. Why "Hire Slow, Fire Fast" Is Terrible Advice for Dental Practice Owners
2026/08/31
Firing a team member is one of the most uncomfortable parts of owning a dental practice — and according to Dr. Matt Vogt, most of the advice out there makes it harder, not easier.
In this episode, Matt takes apart the popular "hire slow, fire fast" cliché and shares a real coaching conversation with a client who recently acquired a practice. The client inherited a front office where four team members had no clear roles and no defined expectations — including "Kathy," an employee who'd been shuffled from position to position for years without ever being told what a good job actually looked like.
When the team pushed for Kathy to be let go, the client's gut said the same. But Matt's coaching reframed the situation: before you fire someone, you owe it to them — and to yourself as a leader — to give your absolute best effort. That means clear roles, clear expectations, real training, and honest accountability.
Dr. Matt's core philosophy: people fire themselves. When you've laid everything out on the table, and someone still can't rise to the standard, the decision becomes clear, guilt-free, and fair. And the bonus? The better you get at creating clarity, the less often you'll ever need to fire anyone.
Key takeaways:
"Hire slow, fire fast" skips the leadership work that actually solves the problem
Underperformance is often a symptom of unclear roles, not a bad employee
Trust your gut on fit — but do the systems work before deciding
Give underperformers a genuine, well-defined chance to succeed
Clarity removes the anxiety and second-guessing from firing
Systemize your office, and you'll rarely reach the firing point
Ready to build a practice — and a team — that runs on clarity? Take the free lifestyle and practice assessment and start a no-pressure conversation with Derek, Matt, Steve, or Raheel.
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment: https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access): https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Free ebook — "How to Achieve Financial Freedom in Seven Years or Less": https://the-lifestyle-practice.com/home-page-page
Email Raheel at [email protected]
Email Derek at [email protected]
Email Matt at [email protected]
Email Steve at [email protected]
322. How I Paid Off $300K in Dental School Loans in One Year (The Full Breakdown)
2026/08/24
Dr. Derek Williams paid off $300,000 in dental school student loans within twelve months of graduating — then got accused of faking it. In this episode, he addresses every criticism head-on and walks through exactly how it happened.
Fresh out of dental school in 2016, Derek bought a practice doing $570K at 50% overhead after evaluating close to 100 practices. In his first year of ownership, he nearly doubled production to $1.3 million — not through one big move, but through hundreds of small operational decisions: fixing the practice's visibility with a digital sign, going comprehensive with patient care, training an underdeveloped team, and bringing extractions, grafting, and implants in-house.
He's honest about the cost, too — the emotional weight of a brutal first three-to-six months, dropping his daughter at a new school with no friends or family nearby, and questioning whether he could even do it.
Derek also breaks down the tax timing that freed up early cash flow, the psychology behind choosing to pay off debt over investing, and how he rolled the momentum into real estate. The takeaway: paying off the loans wasn't his best investment — learning to build an exceptional practice was. The debt disappearing was just the first visible result.
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment: https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access): https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Free ebook — "How to Achieve Financial Freedom in Seven Years or Less": https://the-lifestyle-practice.com/home-page-page
Email Raheel at [email protected]
Email Derek at [email protected]
Email Matt at [email protected]
Email Steve at [email protected]
321. From $800K a Year to Bankrupt: What Went Wrong
2026/08/17
In this episode, Dr. Raheel Haider breaks down the exact red flags that turned an $800K practice into a bankruptcy — sky-high rent eating into profit margins, $10,000/month in marketing that wasn't converting, a saturated market with brutal competition, and a seller he didn't trust. This is a real case study in dental practice acquisition, practice due diligence, and the numbers every dentist needs to check before buying a dental practice.
If you're a dentist considering practice ownership, a dental student planning your future, or a practice owner trying to figure out why your margins feel this tight — this episode shows you exactly what to look for (and look out for) before you sign.
What you'll learn:
The 4 red flags Raheel found before walking away from an $800K/year practice
Why high fixed costs (especially rent) can quietly sink a profitable-looking practice
How to evaluate a seller's marketing spend and patient demographics before buying
Why trusting the seller's numbers isn't optional — and how to catch red flags in a P&L
The difference between "not defaulting" and actually thriving as a practice owner
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment: https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access): https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Free ebook — "How to Achieve Financial Freedom in Seven Years or Less": https://the-lifestyle-practice.com/home-page-page
Email Raheel at [email protected]
Email Derek at [email protected]
Email Matt at [email protected]
Email Steve at [email protected]
320. He Bought a 3-Chair Practice With ZERO Patients on Day 2 — Now It's Doubled | Dr. Eric Palmer
2026/08/10
Five and a half years ago, Dr. Eric Palmer bought a three-operatory dental practice about 20 minutes outside one of the most competitive dental markets in the United States. The practice had no insurance verification process, no real treatment plan presentation, and a hard credit check on every new patient. Today, that same practice has doubled its production and collections on the same three chairs, runs on a three- to four-day clinical week, and is being built out to eight operatories to support a future associate hire.
In this conversation, Eric and Steve walk through the entire arc: discovering practice ownership through a podcast episode during residency, finding an off-market practice through direct mailers to retiring dentists, navigating a financing gap when a home sale fell through days before closing, fixing broken front-office systems in the first weeks of ownership, and building a billing strategy that profits inside a low-fee-allowable PPO state using CEREC same-day dentistry.
Key topics covered:
Finding off-market dental practices for sale through direct outreach
Bridging a financing gap with seller financing during an acquisition
Fixing insurance verification and treatment plan presentation as a new owner
Managing staff transitions and turnover after a practice purchase
Billing profitably as an in-network PPO practice
Using CEREC technology to improve Class II procedure outcomes and reimbursement
Planning an 8-operatory build-out for future associate or specialist hires
Defining your lifestyle vision before choosing a practice ownership path
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment: https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access): https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Email Derek at [email protected]
Email Matt at [email protected]
Email Steve at [email protected]
319. 2026 Is Halfway Over: Are You Winning or Losing as a Dentist?
2026/08/03
2026 is officially halfway over — and if you're a dentist or dental practice owner, that means it's time for an honest mid-year check-in. In this episode of The Lifestyle Practice Podcast, Matt Vogt breaks down the real difference between dentists who are winning in 2026 and dentists who are losing, based on patterns he sees across practice ownership, dental practice management, and everyday life.
Dr. Matt shares three signs you're losing this year: being reactive to every up and down in your dental practice, blaming your team or "bad luck" instead of taking ownership, and coasting through your career without intention. Then he flips it — the three signs you're actually winning: staying the course through the ups and downs of practice ownership, taking extreme ownership of your results (including how you handle a tough Google review or patient complaint), and leading your day, your team, and your practice with real intention instead of drifting.
Whether you're a general dentist, a specialist, or a practice owner working on treatment acceptance, staffing, or burnout, this episode is a reset for the second half of 2026. If you want to build a practice and a life that actually feel like a win — not just look like one — this one's for you.
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment: https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access): https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Email Derek at [email protected]
Email Matt at [email protected]
Email Steve at [email protected]
318. The 3 Problems Killing Dental Practice Profits in 2026 (And How to Fix Them)
2026/07/27
Every dental practice owner is facing the same three problems in 2026: insurance reimbursements that haven't kept up with inflation, a staffing and retention crisis, and overhead that keeps climbing no matter what you cut. In this episode of The Lifestyle Practice Podcast, Dr. Derek Williams breaks down why these dental practice management challenges have gotten worse — and more importantly, what the highest-performing practices are doing differently to grow production, protect their margins, and build a team that doesn't leave.
You'll learn how one practice increased production by 40% without changing their insurance mix or seeing more patients — just by fixing how they diagnosed, communicated, and followed up with patients. You'll also get a practical framework for improving staff retention (without a bigger payroll budget) and a simple way to tell whether an expense is actually an investment in your practice's growth.
If you're a dental practice owner trying to increase profitability, reduce overhead, and build a team that sticks around, this episode gives you three action items you can implement in your practice this week.
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment: https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access): https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Email Derek at [email protected]
Email Matt at [email protected]
Email Steve at [email protected]
317. If I Had to Pay Off $450K in Debt Again, I'd Do These 3 Things Differently
2026/07/20
Dr. Matt Vogt is back for another episode of The Lifestyle Practice — and this one gets personal. After a chance dinner conversation with a pre-dental student staring down a $650K tuition bill, Matt found himself revisiting his own $450,000 student loan journey and asking a simple question: if he had to pay it all off again, what would he do differently?
In this episode, he breaks it down into three hard-won lessons:
🦷 Start or buy a practice sooner — ownership (in the right opportunity) is one of the biggest drivers of freedom and wealth in dentistry.
📈 Invest more heavily in yourself and your practice early — the CE, the hygienist, the growth moves that compound before life gets busier.
💸 Attack the debt even faster — delay gratification, stay hard-headed, and chase that indescribable moment when the balance hits zero.
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment: https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access): https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Email Derek at [email protected]
Email Matt at [email protected]
Email Steve at [email protected]
Grow smarter. Practice better. Live more.
#DentalPodcast #PracticeOwnership #DentalStudentLoans #DentistryBusiness #TheLifestylePractice #DentalEntrepreneur #FinancialFreedom
316. Before You Quit Dentistry, Watch This
2026/07/13
82% of dentists report major stress. 60% have considered changing careers or retiring early. If you've felt that way, you're not alone — but selling the practice isn't the only exit.
In this episode, Dr. Steve Van De Graaff breaks down a practical framework for beating dental burnout and rediscovering satisfaction in your work, without blowing up everything you've built:
Get specific — Burnout isn't one giant issue. It's several small triggers left unresolved. Make the list, then attack them one by one.
Fix the team tension — There's usually one person weighing the doctor down. Set expectations, have the conversation, make a plan.
Stop doing dentistry you hate — The pediatric appointment that changed everything, and why cutting the work you dread can transform your week.
Move away from low-fee dentistry — Renegotiate PPO fees, drop your worst plans, raise out-of-network fees, and stop getting paid nickels on the dollar.
Work less — Why dropping to a 3 or 3.5-day week almost never lowers income, and how two clients redesigned their schedules around their lives.
You are not trapped. Your practice should support your life — not the other way around. Dentistry is challenging, but it shouldn't be miserable.
Connect with us:
Take our FREE lifestyle and practice assessment: https://thelifestylepractice.com/practice-assesment/
Learn more about 1-on-1 coaching: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get access to TLP Academy: https://thelifestylepractice.com/coaching-services/
Get the TLP Student Academy for $20 (lifetime access): https://the-lifestyle-practice.teachable.com/p/studentacademy
Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tlp-podcast-for-dentists/id1476544801
Email Derek at [email protected]
Email Matt at [email protected]
Email Steve at [email protected]
Podcast reviews
Read The Lifestyle Practice Podcast For Dentists podcast reviews
JensenEmbrey 2025/07/22
GETS ME AMPED!!
My husband is currently in dental school right now, and literally just started a month ago - so he is super super new. I was an office manager at an o...
bhunsaker 2024/09/14
Life-changing
This podcast has motivated me in every aspect of my life, not just dentistry. Each episode contains actionable steps that increase productivity and su...
sjpoasul 2024/05/31
Life changing!!
I have been listening to TLP for years. I was waiting until I purchased my own practice so that I could start doing coaching. I bought my practice a...
Absolute value add 2024/03/27
The Michael Jordan of dental podcasts
As a second-year dental student in my school's dental business club, I can't overstate the impact of Justin, Derek, and Steve's dental business podcas...
Babyhitman 2024/02/27
Absolutely Amazing Podcast for every dental owner/preowner
Do yourself a favor, and listen to every single episode. If your life and practice don’t change for the better, I owe you a $1
99938384948393 2024/01/24
Morning Cup of Coffee
I don’t drink coffee, I never have. TLP is my daily morning espresso that gets me motivated to get after my day head on. I don’t own a practice,YET ; ...
carrierocks17 2022/12/03
Seven stars if I could
This podcast is a MUST for docs starting out! I can’t believe this content is free—these docs are incredible and committed to helping practices reach ...
EPRichC77 2022/08/03
Best Dental Podcast!
Been meaning to write this review for a while! This is by far my favorite dental podcast to listen to. Justin, Steve and Derek do a great job with c...
whitbish 2022/03/17
Best podcast!
My husband and I bought a practice this year and we have been binging this poscast. So helpful no matter where you are in your career but especially f...
sahil123454323324 2022/02/17
Motivational
This podcast provides so much guidance and motivation, and has helped me grow my practice and personal life significantly. I love what you guys preach...
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