Contact Point Podcast

You don't need all the tools, all the gadgets to be good. You need the right tools for the treatment you are offering. Dr Alessandro De Viggo has been using CEREC for over 30 years. He was the second patient ever to receive CEREC inlays in 1986, opened his practice in 1990 with two CEREC 1 machines, and has placed more than 30,000 chairside restorations. In this conversation with Simon, he unpacks what that teaches you about materials, protocol, and why simplicity beats complexity every time. They go deep on why CEREC was controversial when it launched, how the island of ceramic in a sea of composite actually taught us how adhesion works, and why enamic is still the only truly minimally invasive CAD CAM material. Alessandro explains why he works alone 90% of the time without an assistant, why moving around the patient changes everything, and why he lifts both hands when he preps to protect his back. He covers the role of 3D printing versus milling, why long term temporaries are not the same as permanent restorations, and why opacity and post processing are still issues with printed crowns. They also talk about why prevention should be monetizable, why dentists are bad communicators, the psychology student versus dental student wellbeing study, why the profession is becoming female, dental tourism and Turkish teeth, DSOs pushing dentists to drill more, scientific misinformation flooding the internet to block AI development, and why his AI telephone assistant has more empathy than most receptionists. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: 40 Years of CEREC & The Dentist-Patient-Machine Vision 00:06:57 The Birth of Adhesive Dentistry & The Sea of Composite Philosophy 00:11:55 Prevention Should Be Obsolete: The 1960s Vision That Failed 00:15:02 The Patient Paradox: Why Doing Nothing Costs More Than Treatment 00:18:46 I Am The Best Dentist: According To My Patients 00:21:09 The Dental Student Mental Health Crisis: Focus vs. Well-Being 00:24:09 Why Dentistry Is Becoming Female & The Salary Problem 00:28:32 Positive Stress vs. Negative Stress: The Alessandro Work Model 00:35:33 Controlled Failure: The Minimal Intervention Philosophy 00:40:07 The Enamic Advantage: The Only True Minimal Invasive CAD-CAM Material 00:43:52 The Dental Industry Problem: Creating Problems That Don't Exist 00:48:02 Turkish Teeth & Dental Tourism: The Real Story Behind The Headlines 01:25:57 DSOs & The Money Problem: When Healthcare Becomes Investment 01:42:35 3D Printing vs. Milling: The Honest Comparison After 30,000 CEREC Restorations 01:48:47 Working Alone: The Ambidextrous Dentist & The Two-Hand Back Saver 01:56:40 Staying Curious: The Secret to 40 Years of Passion in Dentistry 02:03:02 AI in Dentistry: The Telephone Assistant & The Future of Call Centers ▬▬ ABOUT THE GUEST ▬▬ Dr Alessandro De Viggo is a dentist based in Switzerland and one of the earliest adopters of chairside CAD CAM dentistry. He was the second patient to receive CEREC restorations in 1986, opened his practice in 1990, and has been working predominantly with digital workflows for over three decades. He was formerly editor in chief of the International Journal of Aesthetic Dentistry and is a regular contributor to the dental literature on digital dentistry, photography, and minimally invasive techniques. ▬▬ ABOUT THE HOST ▬▬ Dr Simon Chard is Past President of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, co founder of PÄRLA, and principal of Rothley Lodge Dental Practice. ▬▬ FOLLOW CONTACT POINT ▬▬ YouTube: @contactpointpodcast Instagram: @contactpointpodcast Listen on Apple, Spotify and all podcast apps.

The whole point of our career should be to stop a patient from having a full mouth rehab. It's actually a reflection of a failure. Dr Tif Qureshi has been in the same practice for 33 years. He's watched teeth move, veneers fail, and patients come back with the same crowding he straightened two decades ago. In this conversation with Simon, he unpacks what that teaches you about consent, retention, and why new patients might be your biggest risk. They go deep on why photography is the foundation of everything, how Little's study should change the way we treatment plan, and why every patient with misaligned teeth should be told they'll need a retainer for life whether they have braces or veneers. Tiff explains his tooth sat nav concept, why he tests vitamin D and HbA1c on every patient, and how the Dahl principle can stop someone needing a full mouth rehab if you catch it early enough. They also cover Weston Price, K2 deficiency and jaw development, why crowding might be nutritional, the insulin problem no one talks about, selling to a corporate and saying no make me, and why formal rehab is a reflection of failure not success. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Failure Reflection & Career Philosophy 00:11:00 The Power of Photography: Foundation of Modern Dentistry 00:23:00 New Patient Obsession vs Existing Patient Value 00:35:00 Little Study & Teeth Movement: The Hidden Truth 00:45:00 Early Intervention & The Dahl Principle 00:56:00 Retention Forever: The Consent Crisis in Cosmetic Dentistry 01:10:00 Weston Price, Nutrition & Jaw Development 01:20:00 Vitamin D & HbA1c: Blood Testing in Dental Practice 01:30:00 The Diet Revolution: Tif's Personal Health Journey 01:40:00 Composite vs Porcelain: The Pendulum Swings 01:51:00 The Dahl Effect: Underutilized Game Changer 02:00:00 Selling to Corporate: Life After Practice Ownership 02:10:00 Orthodontic Assessment: The Indefensible Records Problem ▬▬ ABOUT THE GUEST ▬▬ Dr Tiff Qureshi is a cosmetic and restorative dentist based in Kent and founder of IAS Academy, a leading provider of postgraduate training in minimally invasive aesthetic and orthodontic dentistry. He has been in the same practice for 33 years and is known for his work in progressive smile design, the Dahl principle, and integrating minor orthodontics with restorative care. ▬▬ ABOUT THE HOST ▬▬ Dr Simon Chard is Past President of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, co founder of PÄRLA, and principal of Rothley Lodge Dental Practice. ▬▬ FOLLOW CONTACT POINT ▬▬ YouTube: @contactpointpodcast Instagram: @contactpointpodcast Listen on Apple, Spotify and all podcast apps.

"I can easily say I made mistakes more than the total number of veneers that a young generation dentist placed in the mouth." Dr Galip Gürel wrote the book on porcelain veneers, and he has been refining how they're done for more than 40 years. In this episode he tells Simon how modern veneer dentistry came together. He learned "the kitchen" by sitting in on dental technician classes, borrowed wax rims from complete dentures to design smiles, and came up with prepping through the mock-up after watching farmers plough a field. Then we get the first proper look at Lupin, the automated veneer-prep robot he co-founded with Stefan Koubi. He covers how it preps to 100-micron accuracy, why the veneers can be made before the teeth are touched, and why he thinks it will open veneer work to every GP. We also cover: – Why no-prep veneers suit about 1% of patients – What enamel-only preps did to his debond and success rates – Why he has no social media, and paid a PR agent to keep him out of the press – Why he keeps "zero dentistry" outside the office Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Knowledge Thief & 42 Years of Veneer Innovation 00:02:38 From Kentucky to Istanbul: Learning Both Sides of the Kitchen 00:04:15 The Birth of Bonded Veneers: When Aesthetics Wasn't Dentistry 00:07:31 The Mock-Up Revolution: From Complete Denture Wax Rims to Composite 00:19:25 The APT Technique: Prepping Through the Mock-Up Like Plowing Fields 00:29:57 First Principles Thinking: Blocking Out Inputs to Innovate 00:30:21 Reverse PR & Word of Mouth: The Anti-Social Media Practice 00:36:42 Material Evolution: From Feldspathic Elegance to Zirconia Veneers 00:44:10 No Prep Veneers: The 1% Indication & Why Feldspathic is the Only Choice 00:49:36 The Rosé Moment: How Lupin Robotics Was Born in Marseille 00:52:28 COVID Catalyst: From Idea to 50 Engineers in Montpellier 00:54:44 Bootstrapped to Big Money: The Funding Journey & Invus Investment 00:58:17 Veneers Before Preps: The Revolutionary Workflow Flip 00:59:41 Fully Automated vs Hand-Guided: The 100 Micron Precision Difference 01:07:17 From Mannequins to Humans: The India Launch & 100 Cases 01:15:18 The 45-Minute Prep: Landing Like an Airplane & Future Speed Improvements 01:17:24 The Mock-Up Test Drive: Two Appointments Before Robot Prep Day 01:21:08 Zirconia Solves the Thickness Problem: Glass Coating & APT Bonding 01:26:50 The Business Model: 30% Revenue Share Instead of Selling Robots 01:34:02 Democratizing Veneers: Philippines, UK & The Future of Aesthetic Dentistry 01:42:07 Stealing Knowledge: The Gentle Thief Named After Arsène Lupin ▬▬ ABOUT THE GUEST ▬▬ Dr Galip Gürel is a dentist based in Istanbul and one of the most influential names in aesthetic dentistry. He graduated from the University of Istanbul, completed two years at the University of Kentucky, and has been in practice for more than four decades. He is the author of the Quintessence textbook on porcelain laminate veneers, and co-founder, with Dr Stefan Koubi, of Lupin, a company developing automated robotic veneer preparation. ▬▬ ABOUT THE HOST ▬▬ Dr Simon Chard is Past President of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, co-founder of PÄRLA, and principal of Rothley Lodge Dental Practice. Listen, or watch on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. Full us on socials @contactpointpodcast

From substance abuse to the top of American dentistry. From contemplating suicide to testifying before Congress. Dr Brett Kessler's story is not what you'd expect from the leader of 100,000 dentists. Contact Point – Dentistry's Next Decade. Hosted by Dr Simon Chard. Dr Brett Kessler is the immediate past president of America's largest dental organization, a general dentist, endurance athlete, and founder of Dentistry Reimagined – a coaching practice helping dentists design lives worth living. In this conversation he and Simon go deep on addiction, burnout, fluoride, robotics, and why the mouth needs to be reconnected to the body before it's too late. In this conversation: Why Brett entered dental school with a substance abuse problem and graduated with a worse one. The phone call to a state wellbeing program that saved his life and how the profession's own support network gave him a second chance. Treating homeless patients in recovery and how fixing their teeth kept them sober longer than anything else. The CNN story that went national and led to him testifying before the US Congress ten years after he wanted to die. Building a fee for service reconstructive practice inspired by Dawson and Pankey while staying sober one day at a time. The five year vision exercise that led him to run for national office and why he never thought he'd win the presidency. 82% of dentists showing signs of clinical burnout and why high achievers don't ask for help until it's too late. Meditation, journaling, breath work, and why his broken brain could not fix his broken brain. Mentorship, coaching, and the mindfulness practice he's done every morning for 28 years. Why dentistry is hard and why new graduates are barely competent when they qualify. The trust recession, solo practice isolation, and why $350,000 of debt is forcing young dentists into high volume models they hate. Selling his practice to a five practice group that failed and why he chose to keep advocating instead of going back chairside. The fluoride wars with RFK Jr., the Harvard study everyone quotes, and why 80 years of data still matters. Hydroxyapatite as an alternative and why holistic science is no longer fringe. The patient with bacterial endocarditis whose infected tooth was killing her heart valves and why dentistry didn't get paid. Oral Health 2050, the Boston Consulting Group, and designing the future of dental care delivery before someone else does it for us. Why healthcare is a right but oral healthcare is still a privilege and what the minimum standard for oral health should actually be. Seven to seven, not five to five, and why we need to stop selling ourselves short. Saliva as the new blood, the oral microbiome, and why prevention is about to shift from surgical to chronic disease management. Private equity, DSOs, unrealized expectations, and why depression is off the charts in dentists who sold. Robotics, Waymo, driverless cars, and why the culture isn't ready for autonomous dentistry yet but it's coming. AI as a digital assistant whispering patient history in your ear and how technology should enhance human connection, not replace it. The sacred cow of the doctor patient relationship and why every decision must center the patient. Dentistry Reimagined, executive coaching, and helping burned out dentists design a work life that feeds their real life. Physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and social wellness and why success is being a catalyst for positive change in the world. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: From Substance Abuse to ADA President & The Power of Recovery 00:08:38 The Sobriety House Project: Treating Addiction Through Dentistry 00:16:38 Rising Through Leadership: From Colorado to the ADA 00:25:11 The Burnout Crisis: 82% of Dentists Show Clinical Burnout Signs 00:28:18 Mindfulness & Recovery: The Daily Practice That Saved His Life 00:37:26 Why Dentistry is So Hard: High Achievers, High Debt, High Volume 00:43:26 Mentorship & Coaching: The Path Out of Burnout 00:51:01 The Fluoride Debate: Standing Up to RFK Jr. & The Science 01:03:51 The Mouth-Body Connection: Why Oral Health is Essential Healthcare 01:11:12 Minimum Standards for Oral Health: The Hip Replacement Analogy 01:16:46 Oral Health 2050: Designing the Future of Dentistry 01:27:12 Prevention Over Surgery: Saliva as the New Blood 01:33:35 DSOs, Private Equity & The Sacred Cow of Patient Relationships 01:45:49 AI & Robotics: The Digital Assistant Imagination 02:02:51 Dentistry Reimagined: Coaching for Your Best Life ▬▬ ABOUT THE GUEST ▬▬ Dr Brett Kessler is the immediate past president of America's largest dental organization, a general dentist with 30 years of clinical experience, and founder of Dentistry Reimagined. He is a recovery advocate, endurance athlete, and chair of Project Oral Health 2050. ▬▬ ABOUT THE HOST ▬▬ Dr Simon Chard is Past President of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, co founder of PÄRLA, and principal of Rothley Lodge Dental Practice.

No one wanted to do perio when she qualified. Now she runs the largest specialist perio clinic in the UK. Contact Point – Dentistry's Next Decade. Hosted by Dr Simon Chard. Dr Reena Wadia is a specialist periodontist, founder of RW Perio, and creator of Perio School – a global education platform training dentists and hygienists in periodontal care. In this conversation she and Simon go deep on building systems, the mouth-body connection, why every patient should see a hygienist, and how to turn the least glamorous specialty in dentistry into a thriving business. In this conversation: Why Reena hated perio as an undergrad and nearly went into prosthodontics instead. How she built the UK's largest specialist perio clinic with eight specialists and structured her week to work one clinical day. The patient journey system: building blocks, mystery shoppers, and training teams to excellence. Why she recorded SOPs at 36 weeks pregnant and how they've transformed onboarding. Hiring from other industries: the fashion stylist who became brand director and changed everything. Patient experience teams, brand strategy, and why Binky Felstead came in to talk about bleeding gums. Saliva testing, the microbiome, and why she doesn't believe diagnostics change treatment plans yet. HbA1c screening in the perio clinic: finding 14 undiagnosed diabetics in six months, including one patient who went from 11.1% to 5.2% after gum treatment. Causation vs correlation: what the evidence really says about perio and systemic disease, and why we need to be careful with the messaging. Why every single patient should see a hygienist at least once a year, and how to unlock your hygiene team to treat moderate periodontitis. The anti-optimization backlash, tracking, sleep apps, and the old ladies doing hydro aerobics on a French beach at 7am. AI, Harvard courses, patient complaints written by ChatGPT, and why she hired an expert to audit the business. Working three days a week vs getting the reps in: why comfort is the opposite of fulfillment. Trolls, Facebook forums, and the article on burnout that got her annihilated by keyboard warriors. Recession surgery, connective tissue grafts, and why crown lengthening is being done badly across the profession. The future of perio: regenerative medicine, personalized care, and why the human communication skills still matter most. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Accidental Periodontist & Building the UK's Largest Perio Clinic 00:05:26 The Discipline of Rest: Parenting, Presence & Value-Based Calendars 00:10:19 Systems That Scale: Patient Journey Building Blocks & Mystery Shoppers 00:18:10 The Hiring Challenge: Finding Talent, Attitude Over Aptitude & Team Evolution 00:22:57 Brand Director & Patient Experience Team: Reimagining Dental Practice Roles 00:26:48 The Perio-Systemic Link: Evidence, Causation vs Correlation & HbA1c Screening 00:39:45 Saliva Testing Debate: Why It Doesn't Change Treatment Plans Yet 00:45:55 AI in Dentistry: Harvard Course, Implementation & The Patient Complaint Spike 00:55:20 Gen Z, Work Ethic & The Comfort Crisis: Getting the Reps In 01:06:43 Dental Trolls & Facebook Forums: Standing Your Ground & Supporting Each Other 01:11:37 Unlocking the Hygiene Team: Every Patient Should See a Hygienist 01:16:05 The Future of Perio: Personalized Care, Recession Surgery & What's Already Possible ▬▬ ABOUT THE GUEST ▬▬ Dr Reena Wadia is a specialist periodontist, founder of RW Perio in London, and creator of Perio School – a global education platform offering diploma courses for dentists and hygienists. She is a regular contributor to the dental press and a leading voice in raising awareness of gum health and the mouth-body connection. ▬▬ ABOUT THE HOST ▬▬ Dr Simon Chard is Past President of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, co-founder of PÄRLA, and principal of Rothley Lodge Dental Practice. ▬▬ FOLLOW CONTACT POINT ▬▬ YouTube: @contactpointpodcast Instagram: @contactpointpodcast Listen on Apple, Spotify and all podcast apps. #ContactPoint #Dentistry #Periodontology #Perio #DentalHygiene #DentalPractice #UKDentistry #SystemicHealth #MouthBodyConnection #DentistryPodcast