The powerful combination of dentistry and technology can do so many wonders for dental practice owners and their patients. In this episode, we talk to Edward Zuckerberg, dentist and - yes - father of Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, about how technology and the dental industry can work hand-in-hand in changing and evolving how we help patients. We also talk about why pursuing a career in dentistry nowadays might not be as alluring as it was before. With higher costs and lower returns, Ed and I lay down the factors that affect these outcomes for dentists and practice owners. Of course, let’s not forget the startups that Ed has launched and the impacts of the research they’ve done so far.
In this episode we discuss:
- [02:36] The story of how Ed discovered his knack for technology and how he envisioned using it in his dental practice.
- [10:34] The effects of the increase in education costs versus the compression in the stature and earning potential of the dental profession.
- [16:28] Reasons why you need to weigh your options in pursuing a career in dentistry.
- [21:17] How dentists and patients are affected by the current state and changes that the dental insurance industry is going through.
- [28:45] Should you work with preferred providers?
- [32:48] Understanding why you need skill sets in managing a business as a dental practice owner.
- [34:05] The interesting and game-changing projects and startups of Ed and how it reflects his passion for technology in the dental practice.
- [44:52] Ed shares the results of years of research done by one of his startups.
- [54:18] Long term impacts of the therapies they recommend based on their research.
- [55:46] Ed talks about the early days of Facebook and how Mark built his first social network in Ed’s dental practice.
- [01:03:39] How Mark’s success has changed their personal lives.
