Clear aligners, digital workflows, and orthodontics shape the future of dental care. Dr. Leon Klempner and Amy Epstein, hosts of the Golden Age of Orthodontics podcast, explore innovations like clear aligners and lab partnerships with Darren Buddemeyer, CEO of DynaFlex. How do technology and trust-based relationships drive practice efficiency? You will hear the answer to that question and discover how labs evolve from vendors to partners, supporting orthodontists with advanced tools and collaboration to thrive in a competitive landscape.
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IN THIS EPISODE:
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
What follows is an AI-generated transcript. The transcript may contain errors and is not a substitute for watching the video.
Golden Age of Orthodontics Episode 76 - Darren Buddemeyer Transcript
(00:00:00) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: Unless you've been asleep at the wheel, you know that orthodontics is changing fast. The digital workflows, AI and the new pressures from practice consolidation and corporate competition could feel totally overwhelming. Today we're speaking with the CEO of DynaFlex about how labs can transition from being a vendor.
(00:00:19) To a partner and actively support orthodontists during these changes. Stay tuned. Our Golden Age of Orthodontics podcast sponsors make it possible for us to bring you new episodes. Kayle Owen is revolutionizing orthodontics by turning the chaos of conventional braces into custom control. Their custom digital solution helps you achieve consistent results.
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(00:01:38) To find out more about our podcast sponsors, visit ppl practice.com. Forward slash Partners.
(00:01:46) Narrator: The future of orthodontics is evolving and changing every day, but although the way to achieve practice growth has changed, there's never been a better time to be an orthodontist. Let's get into the minds of industry leaders, forward-thinking, (00:02:00) orthodontists and technology insiders to learn how they see the future of the orthodontic specialty.
(00:02:05) How will digital orthodontics, artificial intelligence, clear aligner therapy, remote monitoring, in-house printing, and other innovations change the way you practice? Join your host, Dr. Leon Klempner and Amy Epstein each month as they bring you insights, tips, and guest interviews focused on helping you capitalize on the opportunities for practice growth.
(00:02:26) And now welcome to the Golden Age of Orthodontics with the co-founders of People and practice, Dr. Leon Klempner and Amy Epstein. Welcome to the
(00:02:36) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: Golden Age of Orthodontics. If you don't already know me, I'm Leon Klempner, a retired board certified orthodontist. Director of Orthodontics at Mount Sinai Hospital here in New York, part-time faculty at Harvard and Montefiore, and of course CEO of people in practice marketing.
(00:02:53) I practiced for about 40 years on Long Island before co-founding people in practice with my partner. (00:03:00) My daughter and my podcast host, Amy Epstein. Welcome Amy.
(00:03:04) Amy Epstein - Host: Good to be here. I'm always, I probably say it every time, but you know, the retired part is hilarious because there's nothing retired here. Nothing you're doing right now.
(00:03:16) It speaks about retirement. Anyway, uh, I'm Amy Epstein and I am the co-host of the Golden Age and Co-founder of People in Practice. I have an MBA in marketing and. 20 years of marketing and public relations experience that I work to bring to orthodontists to help them market their practices, talk about how they're different, uh, and position them against competitors so they can capture more market share.
(00:03:44) Before we jump into today's interview, I wanna talk a little bit about our sister podcast, which is called Practice Talk. It's hosted by a people in practice, senior growth consultant named Lacey Ellis, who has been with us (00:04:00) for quite some time. If you haven't met Lacey or heard her on the podcast, you want to, she, well, first of all.
(00:04:09) She's just about the nicest human. That's just, we'll start there. She's the nicest human. She's also one of the smartest humans. She brings 20 years of orthodontic experience to people in practice and to practice talk. She's one of the very few people who really understands the full picture of things.
(00:04:30) She has been chairside. She's worked at the front desk. She's led. Ortho practice marketing. She's worked as a consultant. She's a fantastic graphic designer as well. She says that's her love language. Um, so in a nutshell, she really knows what practice teams are going through. And in this podcast you really get a sense of, um, you get a chance to hear voices from orthodontic practices elevated in (00:05:00) conversation with Lacey.
(00:05:01) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: In addition to being one of the nicest and kindest human beings on the planet, Lacey's one of the best podcast hosts in the business as well. Present company, accepted, of course,
(00:05:12) Amy Epstein - Host: present. Company accepted. Go ahead.
(00:05:15) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: In her podcast, you're going to hear from unsung heroes. Of ortho practices, the treatment coordinators, the clinical assistants, the lab techs, the office managers as they talk about day-to-day real issues that they deal with.
(00:05:29) In one episode, I rec I recently listened to, um, an orthodontic receptionist, discussed how they completely rebuilt their schedule after losing two full-time team members and they still maintained a steady production. Don't miss that one. Practice Talk is designed to help teams thrive with practical advice.
(00:05:50) I think it would be especially productive if you and your staff listen to it together. Uh, we'll put a link down into the show notes.
(00:05:58) Amy Epstein - Host: Alright, so let's (00:06:00) shift gears to today's guest, someone who's been driving a lot of the innovation behind the scenes. In orthodontics, we are thrilled to have Darren Meyer, the CEO of DynaFlex, one of the most respected ortho and dental sleep medicine labs in the country.
(00:06:16) Under his leadership, DynaFlex has expanded its digital workflow capabilities. Clear Aligner systems, advanced Lab Technologies, all while building a strong people first culture. Under his leadership, DynaFlex has become a trusted partner to practices worldwide, providing high quality products, seamless digital integration, and exceptional client support.
(00:06:41) Whether or not you are currently working with DynaFlex, Darren has a lot to share about what's working in practices today and importantly where our industry is heading. Welcome Darren to the podcast.
(00:06:53) Darren Buddemeyer - CEO of DynaFlex: Well, thank you Amy. I appreciate that warm introduction. Thank you, Leon. I, I appreciate the opportunity to be here with, (00:07:00) with both of you today and look forward to going down this little journey of, of the podcast and.
(00:07:07) I have to say this is my first, you know, big exposure in a podcast world, and, uh, I'm, I'm so grateful that, that you and I, and and Leon are working together to make this happen
(00:07:19) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: for us. Thanks, Darren, and welcome again, Amy, you may not know this, but Darren and I have a long history together. I was a client of DynaFlex when I was in private practice, and it was actually Darren, who correct me if I'm wrong, encouraged me to start a side career in public speaking.
(00:07:37) I still give those lectures to my, uh, residents and local study clubs, uh, particularly talking about early treatment, but DM me if you're interested. So, Darren, do you remember that? Oh, absolutely. Yep.
(00:07:50) Darren Buddemeyer - CEO of DynaFlex: Never forget it had to give that little push. You were doing this, it must have been
(00:07:53) Amy Epstein - Host: a while ago if you had to push him to give a lecture.
(00:07:56) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: Yeah. Not that big a push. When was that, Darren, (00:08:00) do you remember?
(00:08:01) Darren Buddemeyer - CEO of DynaFlex: Oh goodness. That had to be 20 years ago, 25 years ago.
(00:08:05) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: Well, anyway, I do appreciate that, and I do value the relationship and friendship that we've had over the years. Absolutely. So let me ask this question, because I've seen DynaFlex grow from what I would consider relatively small, traditional lab.
(00:08:21) So what I would now consider a very innovative organization that now has partnerships with ortho practices all over the world. Mm-hmm. You really grew the business. Always admired that. And as you may know, uh, I'm a student of leadership. I know that kind of growth doesn't happen by accident. Our last podcast, we featured Scott Law, the CEO of Smile Doctors, and we discussed leadership, vision, culture, similar topics, and for orthodontists, I feel it's undervalued in many ways, and I also think bring it to the forefront is important.
(00:08:55) So I have a two part question to you. For you. Uh, could you (00:09:00) share a little bit about your journey with DynaFlex and secondarily. What business decisions, leadership philosophies, or cultural shifts have been most critical to that kind of growth?
(00:09:13) Darren Buddemeyer - CEO of DynaFlex: Yeah, those are are great questions and the journey at DynaFlex has been incredible.
(00:09:19) I mean, it's been so enjoyable and not just from, you know, I'm running a business and, and. Our business is competing on a very high level, but, uh, you know, interacting with our teams and our people and seeing them grow and develop and, and, you know, trying to help them through their journey, um, you know, to support, uh, through.
(00:09:47) Whether it be human resources, whether it be innovation, whether it, it, it just be, you know, being there for the team and, and supporting them and helping them along the way. Um, (00:10:00) you know, my journey started a long time ago. Leon, as you know, I've, I've been at DynaFlex, you know, from day one, and, and you probably don't even know, I started at DynaFlex when I was 14 years old.
(00:10:13) Um, my, my dad was, you know, hardcore blue collar and you had to brain palm a paycheck and, uh, sounds a little crazy in these times, but that's just the way it worked back then. And so I worked in the lab at 14. The problem was I couldn't drive, so the only way to get to work was find somebody who would take me.
(00:10:34) So I put an ad on the local paper, the little, uh, you know, inexpensive local paper. And a lady answered and she lived close to me and she worked close to what was originally the very small orthodontic lab that we were. And, um, I paid her 10 bucks a week and she took me back and forth to work. And so I was taking my baseball uniform with me and she would drop me off.
(00:10:59) And (00:11:00) so, uh, you know, I started at, at the very, very bottom of the orthodontic lab business, and I'm, I'm proud of that, to be honest with you. I think it's a, it, it probably shaped me to who I am today and how I care about our teams and our people and how I try to support them. I'd been in the trenches with them for many years.
(00:11:22) I'd done their jobs. Um, and I think that's a good thing. I think that, um, you know, they respect me for that and. Uh, you know, and the other part of that is I can look at the work we're producing and say if that's good work or not, you know, so, and as, and as you know, we talked about a little bit about being a modern orthodontic lab, which, you know, that's a lot to unpack in today's times with digital orthodontics and all of that.
(00:11:49) Um, is still a custom medical device manufacturing facility and that means a lot of hands and a lot of people. Who care. (00:12:00) And you know, having the great team and people who care, giving them support and the training that they need to be outstanding at their job every day. And I think that's one of the reasons why we've been successful.
(00:12:12) Um, you know, we try to give them the education and the knowledge from the doctor's perspective. We bring in doctors to talk to our teams of technicians. Um, so they understand these are medical devices going into patient's mouth to change their life. Uh, it's not much different than going, you know, other medical devices in, in the industry.
(00:12:34) And I think that separates DynaFlex, uh, you know, in a sense that, that, you know, being a FDA registered facility with, uh, ISO 1345 Medical Device manufacturing, um. It really means something to people and, and those medical devices are very important. And Leon, you and I both know in this industry. Especially on the lab (00:13:00) side, you can be a mom and pop working outta your garage at home with the dog sitting there on your lap.
(00:13:05) Or you can be an FDA registered facility with ISO 13 4 85 and all the, um, you know, the people that it takes to, to have a QMS system in place and do things, what we feel like is the right way. Mm-hmm. So, um. I think that, you know, besides that, um, you know, when I talk about supporting the teens of people, we also created a CDT program.
(00:13:30) You know, there's very few dental technology schools in America left, and, um, we've partnered with, um, the TRICARE services down in Lackland Air Force Base, and they have a full program for CDTs. We brought them to our facility and said, do this for us. And so our, our top tier technicians, they're actually going through a CDT program and, and they've made it a long way through.
(00:13:58) Some of 'em have already passed the (00:14:00) practicals. Um, they still have a ways to go on, on some of the others, but we have multiple technicians now involved and, you know, an education level they never thought that they would really get. Mm-hmm. And we're providing that in no charge and making sure that our, our teams of people.
(00:14:17) Are well educated, well trained and understand, um, you know, the, the importance of those devices that you and your colleagues deliver for many years. You know, it's not just a piece of plastic and some wires going in somebody's mouth. It's a true medical device. Mm-hmm. And I think that's helped us become the lab that we are.
(00:14:38) Um, when it comes to modernization of that. It's a totally different look than it was when I started in the business. Uh, you know, we have CAD cam teams of people and so, you know, most labs, it's bench side technicians where they're working and they're using their hands and they're, you know, doing (00:15:00) the best to their ability of manufacturing, plus from device.
(00:15:05) But on the other hand, now we have to do it digitally. We have to do it through, uh, CADCAM technology and, and 3D printers. So, um, and we can talk further later on about that. Um, but you know, in my background, starting in the lab business, you know, it's near and dear to my heart. Uh, I'm a very competitive person.
(00:15:26) I wanna win. I want to make the best devices in the industry, and I wanna support our team so that they can do that as well.
(00:15:33) Amy Epstein - Host: Yep. That's great. And you, you know, you're, it's a good segue. So you're a competitive person. Let's talk about competition a little bit. Um, you said it's a very different look than it was when you were 14 and you started at DynaFlex.
(00:15:48) I imagine, um, the competitive landscape is part of the reason why everything looks very different than it did back then. You know, even five years (00:16:00) ago, things look very different now. So, you know, between the rise of DSOs, uh, and Osos and Rapid advances in technology, we know private pr, you know, there are clients to private practices are being forced to rethink how they operate.
(00:16:17) Um, but I'm curious from your perspective, because you have an interesting position. You sit. Kind of at the intersection of product and technology and practice support. So how, from your vantage point do you see technology creating those opportunities and efficiencies, um, that will allow private practices to continue to thrive in this new landscape we're dealing with?
(00:16:48) Darren Buddemeyer - CEO of DynaFlex: Yeah, that's, that's another great question, Amy. Um. From our perspective, it's about the efficiencies, right? We want to deliver the most efficient, um, (00:17:00) method, uh, and process possible. So when we talk about digital workflow solutions, uh, DynaFlex was at the forefront of that, um, change in, in the industry. Um, you know, we run a very large 3D printing operation that support our practices.
(00:17:20) We have multiple integrations throughout the building. Um, and so you have now, uh, you know, full digital workflows and I think. As time goes on and, and doctors are coming outta school and, and, you know, really getting, uh, involved in their practices, they're looking at efficiencies too. So we have to be in a position to support them and mm-hmm.
(00:17:45) And help them. And with that, we've created our own software that supports and helps them. Um, about eight years ago, I decided I wanted the best, uh, digital submission platform that, um, (00:18:00) is available to our clients. It's free of charge and it, it allows practices to send us those, um, their, uh, prescriptions and models or, or scans within seconds.
(00:18:17) And, you know, you're taking very little time from the days where Leon was sending us the models and maybe fitting the bands and you drop it in the mail and you hope that gets that. Uh, you know, nowadays it's instantaneous and DY infusion's fully integrated into our system. So we know that those scans and, and you know, those, uh, prescriptions have been sent to us automatically.
(00:18:41) Mm-hmm. And it's a, it's a really efficient system to help doctors. Um, and, you know, a lot of doctors, and I, and I understand it and you know, we've had, uh, as you said, things have changed in the last four or five years. It's hard to find quality help. A lot of practices struggle with finding the, (00:19:00) the, the help that they need to expand and to grow.
(00:19:02) Mm-hmm. Um, you know, to fulfill their needs as a business. And so we wanna make it as fast and efficient as possible for those, those practices to be able to work with us and utilize DynaFlex services. And DynaFusion has become that, uh, you know, mainstay. Digital submission platform for us that is, is so vital now to our success.
(00:19:27) And, uh, doctors all over the world are submitting cases nonstop. It's, it's fun to see, uh, and it's constantly being involved and it's growing and, uh, we're, we're utilizing it.
(00:19:38) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: So Darren, you clearly are keeping up with the advancements on your side to address the needs of ortho practices as they incorporate.
(00:19:47) New technology, but there's another step here that I want our listeners to know about, which is that you've moved beyond the aspect of just being a lab and that you become more of a partner. I (00:20:00) can really speak to this from personal experience. 'cause when I look back and think back to the early nineties, I remember coming to you with an idea.
(00:20:09) And I was having problems as many of our listeners probably are with our young developing class three patients who wouldn't wear their reverse headgear. And it would frustrate me, of course. Uh, and my other option, my, was to really put 'em on recall and wait for them to progress progressively get worse.
(00:20:30) Amy Epstein - Host: I think I was one of those patients, by the way, in the nineties. No, I wasn't.
(00:20:34) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: No, you, no, you did wear it. You were okay. Not the best, but you were. Okay. The point being is that I had this idea they were not wearing the appliance, and rather than just putting them on recall, I. Developed something, I had an idea of what I thought would be a more acceptable class three appliance.
(00:20:54) I called it the modified tandem appliance, and I ran it by Darren and they developed it for (00:21:00) me as a prototype. I tested it out on some of my patients and I was able to get excellent compliance and I was able to get comparable clinical result. I know that, uh, you've done similar things with my friend Michael Williams in Florida.
(00:21:14) The series 2000 appliance, you've also developed the bracket system with Tito Norris. That's not typical lab work. So, uh, I wanna know how that proprietary product development aligns with your broader philosophy.
(00:21:30) Darren Buddemeyer - CEO of DynaFlex: Well, yeah, I remember those days well, and, and we developed a modified tandem appliance and, um, it worked out extremely well and, and not, and what was fun was it was successful for you.
(00:21:41) But you never know if it's going to be successful for a lot of doctors. And it was, it was a tremendous success for a lot of of doctors. Um, and, uh, you know, we're still making those appliances today. We feel like innovation is the key to our long-term success. I mean, there's no doubt and (00:22:00) you have to, you have to be able to somewhat see the future, um, and really plan, you know, three to five years out and what's going to happen and what technology needs are gonna be, and software needs.
(00:22:13) Certainly software is incredibly important now in any business aspect to utilizing AI and all the tools we utilize every day and extremely important. Um, and I think innovation helps us stay, um, ahead of the competition. And it's a very competitive world. DynaFlex is a privately held company. We can be against a lot of companies that are in publicly traded and much, much, much bigger.
(00:22:39) And, and I love that. I, I'm always the underdog and I like that position. And, uh, we're working really hard to, to beat out of the competition and, and all those. Aspects. Um, so we love when doctors bring us ideas just like you did, and we love to partner with (00:23:00) them and work with them and see what we can develop.
(00:23:02) At any given time. We probably have five to 10 projects going on. Um, doctors are typically tinkerers, they like to play and invent, and they have great ideas. Uh, some of 'em are extremely creative thinkers. And, um, we appreciate that and we, like when they come to us and bring us their ip, it could be as small as a tiny little, um, you know, elastic part, or it could be as big as an appliance that changes class three, um, or class three.
(00:23:35) So, um, and then when it comes to, you know, really understanding the market. What's hard is not every product is gonna be successful, right? Not every appliance is gonna be successful. And so there are a lot of times when you do clinical trials and um, you know, you've invented or a doctor has, has, uh, you know, worked with you (00:24:00) to bring something to the market.
(00:24:02) And, um, you know, it doesn't always work for everybody, but that's what makes orthodontics so interesting. And as you know, in the, in the world of orthodontics, there's. There's multiple different ways to, to come to the end of a, of treatment and, and get a beautiful result for that patient. Uh, we, we want to partner and, and help those practices be successful as well.
(00:24:26) So,
(00:24:27) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: do you know what my biggest mistake was with the modified tandem appliance?
(00:24:31) Darren Buddemeyer - CEO of DynaFlex: What's that?
(00:24:33) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: I didn't patent it. I published it instead.
(00:24:38) Darren Buddemeyer - CEO of DynaFlex: Yeah. I mean, I made no money,
(00:24:40) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: but whatever. Right, right. Yeah. I've had orthodontists always the philanthropist using this all over the world, so it feels good to get those emails and appreciation.
(00:24:50) Amy Epstein - Host: So, um. Darren, I wanna go back for a second and talk a little bit about, um, digital workflows and how (00:25:00) they are reshaping how practices are operating. Um, and, you know, labs have in, you know, sort of chickened egg here, but you've had to evolve alongside them. You're also pushing some of that evolution through your own innovation.
(00:25:17) Um. You move forward with adopting 3D printing AI automation before they were really mainstream. Can you share lessons learned from being ahead of that curve?
(00:25:33) Darren Buddemeyer - CEO of DynaFlex: Yes, I can. And, and actually I love talking about this topic, um, because when, whenever there's the new technology, there's a belief that it's going to do so much more than sometimes it does.
(00:25:47) And there's always a learning curve. And that happened with 3D um, with metal printing actually. So, so when you're doing 3D metal printing, um, you know, we are actually (00:26:00) printing. Uh, you know, the band for, uh, some appliances or we're pulling, turning a whole quadrant where, you know, we've got some, some bilingual contact areas.
(00:26:12) It is a great way to, um, to utilize fixed appliance. This really, really is, and it's growing rapidly for us. Uh, it's one of the fastest growing areas in our, in our laboratory business. We have, um, you know, a 24 7 team in that department that's working and, and these printers are running all the time for us.
(00:26:35) Um, and it solves a lot of problems for doctors when, when I say, you know, digital workflows and efficiencies, what, what we have to do is make it as easy as possible for doctors to just take a scan and set. And I think that's what a lot of doctors appreciate nowadays. If they're not doing the separator appointments, they're not trying to fit bands and send those to the lab anymore.
(00:26:59) They're (00:27:00) really just able, and for a lot of reasons, it's, it's better for them, but just scan and send. And, and scan and send is great. And, uh, it, it helps the efficiency of the practice. But when you're actually trying to fit a band, when a contact points are extremely tight, that's hard to do. Now we do a good job at it.
(00:27:20) We do as good or better than any other large commercial lab, but it's very challenging. And so, um, when you look at 3D printing, that takes that efficiency to another lab. It really does help us, us and the practices, uh, realize that efficiency, because all you have to realize in the lab businesses, every case is date dependent, right?
(00:27:45) So it's all about lead time. And, and we, we preach this at DynaFlex all the time. If we deliver a quality appliance on time, most of the time our customers are gonna be really happy. We've gotta do those two things. We gotta do those two things (00:28:00) extremely well. So, I mean, we track lead times to the Y degree to make sure that we're within the tolerance for our cl for our clients.
(00:28:08) Um, and so digital workflow helps us and helps them get that case back in their office in a faster pace. And that's what it's about, satisfying the needs of the client. So, um, when they scan and send, we send it into the digital workflow. Arced can folks, uh, you know, create it on the system, on the software or within the software I should say.
(00:28:35) And, um, that appliance is ready. Typically the next deck. So goes to the lab, you know, whatever it gets in RPE or you know, some other type of attachments on it. Uh, and it's pretty much ready to go out within a few days. And so, you know, our lead times are staying extremely short because of utilizing digital technology, which in turn makes our clients very (00:29:00) happy.
(00:29:00) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: So, Darren. I'm looking at the clock and I see your time is running out, but I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up this final question for you because it circles back to something you said earlier. Amy and I talk a lot about innovation, technology, efficiencies, but at the end of the day, the bottom line, or what I think really matters to orthodontists is yes, production and growing the practice, but also knowing that they're not alone and they can trust the people that they work with.
(00:29:29) I just finished a course with the a a o with a leadership course given by Simon Sinek. Um, I think all orthodontists really should take this course because leadership is something I feel is very undervalued and misunderstood. Um, Simon talks a lot about trust in the people we work with, how foundational it is to the growth of any business.
(00:29:50) So I would like to know your thoughts on trust, trust-based relationships, particularly in the context of the people that you work with. (00:30:00)
(00:30:00) Darren Buddemeyer - CEO of DynaFlex: Yeah, that's extremely critical. Um, they have to have the, uh, that level of trust that, um, you know, you are going to be there for them. Um, we, whether it's in the orthodontic laboratory side where, you know, 10 appliances go perfect, and that 11 one 11th, one doesn't.
(00:30:19) Is, is the lab gonna take care of me? Are they gonna get this thing back to me? Can I get my patient back? Um, and you build that trust over time, but you also build that trust through your people. As you know, now we have a large team of outside sales, uh, folks that do a great job for us, and creating a culture within DynaFlex that not only is for the internal, uh, teams, but also our external teams.
(00:30:46) That, um, that culture of, of, you know, trust and, and partnership in that practice means more than just knocking on a door and trying to sell them something. Of course we have great products. Of course, we work really hard on our (00:31:00) proprietary items like Morris brackets and, and others that, you know, are critical to our growth and development.
(00:31:06) But it's really the people and that culture has to permeate throughout the whole business so that when they are sitting in front of a doctor and and staff and they're talking to them, they can feel that culture. They know DynaFlex is going to do whatever it takes. And you know, I say this all the time, but you know, we have to love our customers.
(00:31:26) We have to love all the people that are part of our team. And, um, it's really important that, that that message is very clear throughout the whole company. And, uh, but it's, and it's true. I mean, we do a lot of reward and recognition programs that really try. To engage our team members and more we engage our team members, the more they engage those clients and let them know.
(00:31:50) Now, Leon, what you experienced on the lab side is we have phenomenal people that have been at DynaFlex for a long time that you can call and you (00:32:00) can ask questions. We see thousands and thousands of cases every week. There might be a case that's throwing you off, you're not sure about where to go next, or you're not sure where to start.
(00:32:11) And our people, you know, uh, gosh, John's been there for, you know, 45 years. Um, they've talked to doctors routinely and they've really done a great job of building that trust with the doctor and, um, and their staff and, and letting them know that, um, we can be a solution. For them, we can help them through those, those difficult cases or ones that maybe they hadn't seen you for and come up with an appliance design or a process that we know is gonna work well in.
(00:32:42) In those cases, of course, you know you're still the doctor and we respect that, but we can also offer advice on appliance designs and it types. Uh, I think that builds a lot of trust with our clients as well. And I know there's somebody there to call and talk to, or we have a whole team of (00:33:00) technical advisors in all the departments that can help people.
(00:33:04) Amy Epstein - Host: That's, uh, you know, people in practice was founded on that very same principle, which is, you know, you have a partner that could be part of your practice. Really? Yes. Just with specific expertise and that you can call on. Or email. Mm-hmm. Or that feels like someone you can trust. And so, and that's why we're called people in practice.
(00:33:24) But it seems like we have very aligned, no pun intended, uh, philosophies there with regard to who we hire, how we invest in our teams, and how the culture around supporting our shared customer, the, the yes orthos and their teams. So,
(00:33:41) Narrator: yes.
(00:33:42) Amy Epstein - Host: Well, Darren, thank you so much for being here today. It's been a pleasure talking to you.
(00:33:45) And, and hearing about DynaFlex and your journey, um, with the company, if we have listeners who would like to reach out to you for questions or mm-hmm. Further information, what's the best way that they can do that?
(00:33:57) Darren Buddemeyer - CEO of DynaFlex: Uh, the email they can use is (00:34:00) [email protected]. Uh, perfect. And that's, that works very well for me.
(00:34:06) Amy Epstein - Host: Great. Um, and I know that you have a couple of, uh, conferences coming up mm-hmm. That, that we just wanna mention. One is the Norris Experience, which is on October 31st through the 1st of November in San Antonio. And also exceptional aesthetics and predictable systems In December the fifth and sixth in Nashville.
(00:34:28) Darren Buddemeyer - CEO of DynaFlex: Those are great courses hosted by Dr. Tito Norris and Dr. Chad Foster At a very high level, they give a term this job, uh, and we get rave reviews from those courses. So, um, they're, you can see it online, but, um, they do a great job first. We love partnering with, with Chad and Tito and the great educators.
(00:34:49) They had a lot of knowledge and a lot to share.
(00:34:52) Amy Epstein - Host: Great. Well thank you again, Darren. Visit the website if you wanna learn more about DynaFlex or about these conferences, (00:35:00) and we hope to see you again soon.
(00:35:02) Darren Buddemeyer - CEO of DynaFlex: Great. Thank you guys so much. Really appreciate it.
(00:35:04) Amy Epstein - Host: Absolutely. You can subscribe or download other episodes of the Golden Age of Orthodontics and Practice Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube.
(00:35:14) You name it, wherever you get podcasts. And if you enjoyed one of our shows, we'd appreciate it if you would tell a colleague. Lastly, for more information about people and practice, you can visit our [email protected].
(00:35:30) Dr. Leon Klempner - Host: So I think we're hearing a common thread that we've heard on the last podcast with Scott Law, and we're hearing now with Darren.
(00:35:38) Successful businesses invest in their teams. They trust their teams, and they help them grow. These are areas that I didn't value when I first started. In practice, I viewed employees as just a line item in the p and l report. Good people are worth the investment in helping them grow. (00:36:00) So listen to the previous podcast.
(00:36:03) We know that at People in Practice, we strongly believe in this principle with our team, and it also applies to your orthodontic practice as well. I wanna give a shout out to our podcast sponsors, KLO and Orthodontics and Grin, who make this podcast possible. We couldn't do it without them. And if you're interested in learning more about custom digital solutions or remote monitoring technology, just go to our partner page on our website, ppl practice.com.
(00:36:29) And if you'd like to contact me directly with any marketing questions or podcast topics that you'd like to hear about, just shoot me an email [email protected]. And lastly, remember for forward-thinking orthodontists. It's never, ever been a better time to be an orthodontist. We're in the golden age, so take advantage of it.
(00:36:51) I'll see you next time.
(00:36:56) Narrator: Thank you for tuning in to the Golden Age of. Orthodontics, (00:37:00) subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or visit our website at the golden age of orthodontics.com for direct links to both the audio and video versions of this episode.
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