The DOC Podcast

I had an awesome conversation with Dr. Kristen Knecht, who owns and runs her own orthodontic practice in Houston, TX.  Kristen opens up about her personal and professional journey, including:
  • How Kristen went from UConn Ortho to working for a DSO in Texas, to opening her own practice, Knecht Orthodontics in the midst of COVID.
  • The pros and cons of working for a DSO.
  • The lessons she learned from working for her dad’s industrial construction company.
  • How Kristen implemented fiscal responsibility and delayed gratification to put her in a position to start her own practice.
  • When she knew that she wanted to start her own practice and how it’s going 4 years in.
  • The importance and value of studying your finishes and learning from what went well and what you can improve upon.
  • How Kristen financed the finish-out of her new practice and how she used the income from her savings and associateship to help cover the expenses.
  • The challenge of finding someone to help with the business decisions associated with starting and running a practice.
  • Which FB groups have been a huge help to Kristen in her professional journey.
  • How Kristen and I both evolved from a reactive, extraction-based approach to a proactive, expansion-based approach to treatment.
  • How early arch development will dramatically decrease the incidence of canine impaction.
  • Why our educational institutions aren’t teaching more proactive/early treatment, even though the literature is full of evidence that can be extremely beneficial.
  • The influence that Dr. David Alfi (an oral surgeon in Houston, TX) has had on Kristen’s airway journey.
  • The analogy between Peter Attia’s Medicine 2.0 vs. 3.0 and orthodontics.
  • What Kristen’s colleagues say about her journey to understand the role of airway in malocclusion and provide earlier orthodontic treatment to develop the arches.
  • Why female orthos seem more receptive to the idea of early treatment, especially as it pertains to airway, than their male counterparts.
  • The numerous benefits of low-dose CBCT imaging and how Kristen has incorporated 3D imaging it into her practice.
  • How Kristen utilizes myofunctional therapy to help her patients.
 LINKS:
-Dr. Knecht Email: kknecht87@gmail.com
-Dr. Mike Email: drmike@theorthocoach.com
-Shereen Lim’s book (“Breathe, Sleep, Thrive”): https://www.amazon.com/Breathe-Sleep-Thrive-Discover-potential/dp/0645553212
-Audrey Yoon Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-doc-podcast/id1689703392?i=1000664711076
-Audrey Yoon Article: Impact of rapid palatal expansion on the side of the adenoids and tonsils in children; Sleep Med. 2022 April ; 92: 96–102. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2022.02.011. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35390750/]
-Kevin Boyd Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-doc-podcast/id1689703392?i=1000663309000
-David Alfie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.davidalfi?igsh=MTkxd2QweGh4Z296OQ==

What is The DOC Podcast?

In The DOC Podcast, you’ll receive unique educational content taught by Dr. Mike DeLuke, a Board Certified Orthodontist with over 20 years of clinical experience. Dr. DeLuke built his orthodontic practice from scratch in the early 2000s and grew it into a multimillion-dollar enterprise in less than 10 years. Throughout his career, Dr. DeLuke has also served as a faculty member at numerous hospitals and orthodontic residency programs around the country, including as the cleft craniofacial orthodontist at Albany Medical Center in New York.

In addition to great educational content, The DOC Podcast will bring you in-depth discussions and interviews with industry leaders and experts on a variety of topics including clinical excellence, practice management, finance, and wealth creation, accounting, health and wellness, fitness, and more, as well as Dr. Mike's Motivational Mondays to get your week started off on a positive note!