Adding implants is not just about buying equipment or learning surgery, it is about building the confidence, workflow, team support, and case-selection skills to keep more treatment in-house.
In this episode, T-Bone and Meredith explain how general dentists can start with predictable cases, use a restorative-driven digital workflow, and grow from one implant a month to consistent weekly cases.
Main Topics
- Why implants are a capability opportunity, not just a new procedure or equipment purchase.
- The essential tools to get started: CBCT access, scanner, implant motor, implant system, and training.
- Restorative-driven treatment planning and the value of a guided digital workflow.
- Case selection, mentorship, team involvement, and the economics of keeping implant cases in-house.
In This Episode
- Why dentists who refer every missing-tooth case out are giving away patients, revenue, and long-term opportunity.
- How to choose an implant system based on support, predictability, and fit for general dentistry—not simply price.
- Why the final restoration should dictate the three-dimensional position of the implant.
- How to build capability through diagnosis, planning, surgery, restoration, and post-case review.
- Why mentors, labs, implant reps, and a dentist community are critical before, during, and after training.
- How to choose safe, straightforward “green-light” cases for the first 10 to 20 implants.
- What a starter investment may include, and why a modest number of cases can justify the cost.
- How to identify implant demand already inside the practice by tracking missing teeth and outgoing referrals.
Timestamps
00:00 – Why dentists should stop giving implant cases away
02:30 – The tools and training needed to get started
05:16 – Equipment does not equal implant capability
06:58 – Restorative planning: the tooth drives implant placement
08:08 – Workflow, mentorship, labs, reps, and community support
10:44 – Who is ready to start placing implants?
18:49 – Choosing the right first five to 10 cases
24:34 – Startup investment, costs, and implant ROI
30:13 – Growing from one implant per month to one per week
Resources & Links
Connect with T-Bone
The Bottom Line
Implant dentistry is not an all-or-nothing leap. Start with straightforward cases, plan restoratively, use a repeatable guided workflow, and lean on mentors and your team as you build confidence. The goal is not to do every case, it is to consistently deliver the right cases well, then grow from there.
What is Dentistry Made Simple with Dr. Tarun 'TBone' Agarwal?
The podcast for dentists ready to transform chaos into confidence—in business, clinical skills, and life.
You didn't go to dental school to become a stressed-out manager, yet here you are—overwhelmed by team drama, stuck at a revenue plateau, and working harder than ever with less to show for it.
Welcome to Dentistry Made Simple, where practicing dentist Dr. Tarun "TBone" Agarwal shares the exact systems, frameworks, and truth bombs that help dental practice owners:
✅ Add $500K-1M in revenue without working more hours
✅ Master profitable procedures like implants with confidence
✅ Build teams that actually run the practice (so you don't have to)
✅ Create predictable growth using the proven 3D GPS framework
✅ Transform from stressed operator to confident CEO
This isn't another theory-based podcast from consultants who've never owned a practice. TBone runs a successful practice while teaching 10,000+ dentists the unfiltered truth about what actually works—from single implant placement to 7-figure practice systemization.
Every Tuesday, get:
Actionable frameworks you can implement immediately
Real case studies with actual numbers (not vague success stories)
Clinical confidence builders for high-value procedures
Leadership strategies that create aligned, accountable teams
Truth bombs that challenge everything you think you know about practice success
Whether you're an ambitious associate ready to level up, a growth-minded owner hitting the ceiling, or a veteran who's lost the spark—this is your roadmap to practice transformation.
Join thousands of dentists who've discovered that success isn't about working harder—it's about working smarter with proven systems from someone who's actually in the trenches with you.
New episodes drop every Tuesday. Subscribe now and stop building a job. Start building a business.