Episode Details

Top Topics:

- From Childhood Dental Fear to Pediatric Dentist: How Trauma Became Purpose

- Nitrous Oxide, Crying Kids & Calm Parents: Inside the Real World of Pediatric Dentistry

- Mastering the Parent–Child Dynamic in the Dental Chair

- Mindset Over Miles: Turning a Long Commute into a Growth Opportunity

Quotes & Wisdom:

14:36 — Kimia: “Sometimes parents need more attention than the patient—and that’s okay.”

15:08 — Kimia: “These kids are hilarious; working with them is the highlight of my day.”

16:03 — Kimia: “The goal is that they have a blast at the dentist.”

23:12 — Kimia: “Mindset is the biggest one. If I treat the drive as productive time, it actually helps.”

23:24 — Kimia: “I changed small things—more sleep, breakfast, intentional listening—and the days feel better.”

28:23 — Kimia: “Behavior management is key. You have to love kids first—dentistry flows from that.”

29:33 — Kimia: “I’m entertaining the child and educating the parent at the same time—it has to stay light and fun.”

Questions:

03:49 — “Did you always know you wanted to go into pediatrics?”

06:42 — “What’s your algorithm for choosing nitrous vs local only vs deeper sedation for kids?”

12:46 — “Do you usually keep parents in the room during procedures?”

13:15 — “Teach me: what situations are better when the parent steps out, and how do you decide?”

20:38 — “What happens when an ortho wire/bracket loosens after an extraction and you get blamed—how do you handle it?”

22:24 — “Could a commute like yours lead to burnout, and how do you guard against it?”

28:15 — “How can a student recognize early that pediatric dentistry (or any specialty) is truly for them?”

Now available on:

- Dr. Gallagher’s Podcast & YouTube Channel

- Long Island Dentists Podcast #4

- Dose of Dental Podcast #191

My watch in this episode = Tag Heuer Aquaracer Calibre 16 Chrono

- 10.2025

#podcast #dentalpodcast #doctor #dentist #dentistry #oralsurgery #dental #dentalschool #dentalstudent #dentistlife #oralsurgeon #doctorgallagher