Episode Details

- Dental Schools Increase Class Size But Don’t Increase Clinic Chairs…

- Do Doctors Work For Patients or For Insurance Companies?

- How & When I Studied in Dental School

- Healthcare Truths That Might Shock You

Top 5 Viewers on this Episode on TikTok LIVE #48 Q&A:

1st - Leticia323, @leticiaf323

2nd – MonicaLB433, @monicaholly_12

3rd – bemorelikesuhaib, @bemorelikesuhaib

4th – Anthony, @anthonyanxya

5th - amanda, @bocab1tch

Questions:

00:45 - Maddie: "Would you say dental school / all of this has been worth it?"

11:52 - Selah: "Is it worth it to do research for dental school or is it just brownie points?"

22:41 - Jack Wolf 30: "If I’m interested in specializing, should I pick a dental school that has a residency program?"

31:03 - Let me know when I GAD: "What are some things I can do as a college freshman who wants to gain more dental experience?"

39:55 - Hannah: "How did you balance dental school and studying for the CBSE?"

Healthcare & Industry Issues

06:12 - T: "What’s your daily routine throughout dental school to stay on top of your studies and mental health?"

19:45 - Jack Wolf 30: "Thoughts on DSO offices?"

21:32 - HutchMom5: "Some people put off dental treatment because of what insurance dictates. Thoughts?"

25:41 - Be More Like Hib: "For people interested in OMFS that have been out of school for a while, what are the first steps?"

35:55 - P: "What advice do you have for someone with a low GPA due to circumstances that were out of their control?"

Clinical & General Dentistry

29:47 - Why: "How would you differentiate between a bruised ligament and a cracked tooth?"

50:03 - Alamiano: "Can I hurt my jaw from chewing gum where it hurts to bite?"

55:12 - KDS 2107: "Can a wisdom tooth be used to make a bridge?"

58:24 - User 5573: "If my wisdom teeth erupted and they aren’t causing pain, can I keep them?"

Quotes & Wisdom:

On the Reality of Healthcare & Career Choices

🔹 "I went to dental school because I wanted a solid, respectable career working with people. And I got there. But it's very different from what I thought."

🔹 "The crazy thing is—it’s not the surgery that’s different. I love surgery. But everything around it—insurance, payments, rules, red tape—makes it harder than it should be."

On Mental Health & Balance in Healthcare

🔹 "Your mental health is like armor. You gotta sweat out the stress of the day—whether it’s a workout, a run, or just something for yourself."

🔹 "If you’re not taking care of your mental health, you’re not taking care of yourself. And if you’re not taking care of yourself, how can you take care of your patients?"

On the Healthcare System & Corporatization

🔹 "The number one problem in healthcare today? It’s insurance. It’s no longer patient-centered care. It’s insurance-centered care."

🔹 "Providers are under the thumb of these corporate institutions. They don’t have freedom. They don’t make the rules. They just follow them."

🔹 "It used to be about taking care of patients. Now it’s about meeting quotas, hitting insurance approvals, and playing the system."

On Overcoming Challenges & Achieving Goals

🔹 "Every day, you need to be taking a step forward. Don’t even look back."

🔹 "You can only control what’s in front of you. So focus on that. Make move after move."

🔹 "Hard work stacks up. It might not show today, or tomorrow, but it will show up when it matters."

On Studying & Academic Success

🔹 "If you want to balance dental school and studying for the CBSE, there’s no secret. You just have to put in the time. Every single day."

🔹 "The best way to study? Cut out the d