What turns a good referral relationship into a lifelong partnership? In this episode of Everyday Oral Surgery, Dr. Grant Stucki welcomes back Dr. Vic Martel to dive deep into the art of building loyalty with referring doctors. They explore why simply doing great clinical work is not enough and how personal touches, like remembering birthdays, anniversaries, kids’ graduations, or even a favorite sports team, can set your practice apart. Dr. Martel shares how tracking these details, personalizing gifts, and even attending the same courses as your referrals can build trust and strengthen loyalty. He also explains why a dedicated referral relationship manager can transform your ability to gather meaningful information, customize communication, and consistently show appreciation. You will leave this conversation inspired and equipped to create relationships so strong that your practice becomes the natural first choice!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Welcoming back Dr. Vic Martel to discuss strengthening referral relationships.
• Dr. Martel’s insights on why great clinical work alone is not enough to stand out.
• Why you shouldn’t just reach out during major holidays, like Christmas and Easter.
• The importance of personal touches: birthdays, anniversaries, kids’ milestones.
• An example of how a car salesman’s birthday cards inspired years of loyalty.
• Why a referral relationship manager is key for gathering and acting on details.
• Attending the same courses as your referring doctors to show support and build trust.
• Tips for tracking and customizing gifts to create emotional connection and loyalty.
• How one doctor built a booming implant practice by sending flowers on behalf of referrals.
• Gathering referral info through lunches, surveys, and friendly welcome emails.
• The power of consistency: small gestures that keep you top of mind all year.
• Turning referrals into loyal, lifelong partnerships.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Vic Martel on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-martel-dmd-91431922/

Dr. Vic Martel on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/drvicmartel/

Dr. Vic Martel Email — martelvic@gmail.com

Martel Academy — https://www.martelacademy.com/
Giftology — https://www.amazon.com/Giftology-Increase-Referrals-Strengthen-Retention/dp/1619614332
Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — grantstucki@gmail.com

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059

There are major parallels between oral health and overall health, and it is our responsibility, as oral surgeons, to educate our patients about these connections. Today, on Everyday Oral Surgery, Dr. Imran Ahson is joining the conversation. Dr. Ahson’s goal, when speaking publicly, is always to connect oral health with systemic health, and today, he is here to do just that! Tuning in, you’ll hear about our guest’s career, why today’s topic of discussion is important, how he helps his patients understand the link between oral health and overall health, and so much more! We delve into oral health in pregnancy and early life before discussing how we have devolved in terms of our oral health as a society. We even touch on the correlation between oral health and cancer and the importance of decreasing inflammation in the body as a whole. Finally, as always, we close with some rapid-fire questions for Dr. Ahson. Thanks for listening in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Dr. Imran Ahson to the show today.
• A brief history of his training and current practice setup.
• Why we need to discuss the connection between oral health and overall health.
• How he helps patients understand the link between oral health and heart disease.
• The neurocognitive issues Dr. Ahson wants oral surgeons to know about.
• How diet affects your oral health and, in turn, your overall health.
• The negative effects on longevity when oral health is neglected.
• Oral health in pregnancy and early years of a child’s life.
• Dr. Ahson discusses the devolution of oral health in society.
• The connections between oral health and cancer.
• Dr. Ahson answers our rapid-fire questions to close off.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Imran Ahson on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/imran-ahson-md-dmd-ab227ab3/

Dr. Imran Ahson Personal Email Address — imranahson@gmail.com

Dr. Imran Ahson Work Email Address — Imran.ahson@tufts.edu

‘Number of Teeth is Associated with All-Cause and Disease-Specific Mortality’ — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34749715/

‘The Association Between Maternal Oral Health Experiences and Risk of Preterm Birth in 10 States, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2004-2006’ — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4561173/

Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic — https://www.amazon.co.za/Jaws-Epidemic-Sandra-Kahn-Dr/dp/1503604136

Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America — https://www.amazon.com/Teeth-Beauty-Inequality-Struggle-America/dp/1620971445

Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — grantstucki@gmail.com

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059

Sedation emergencies may be rare, but when they happen, the consequences can be catastrophic. In this episode, anesthesiologist Dr. Richard Marn shares a practical framework to help oral surgeons prepare for high-stress, low-frequency events that can jeopardize patient safety and derail a practice. Drawing on his work with multiple oral surgeons and his extensive simulation training experience, Dr. Marn walks through four key pillars of readiness: Infrastructure, Competency, Culture, and Habit. He offers real-world strategies for building team alignment, from five-minute huddles and tabletop drills to equipment checks and fostering psychological safety. Along the way, he underscores how leadership and communication can transform a group of individuals into a high-performing team. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to embed a culture of calm, confident emergency response.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dr. Richard Marn’s journey from surgery intern to pediatric anesthesiologist.
• The importance of stress testing your staff for an emergency event.
• Four pillars of emergency readiness: Infrastructure, Competency, Culture, and Habit.
• The definition of Halo events (High Acuity Low Occurrence) and their potentially devastating impact.
• Why preparation is critical to protect your practice during Halo events.
• How Dr. Marn conducts five-minute emergency drills to build team alignment.
• Sedation as a high-risk activity and how to prepare for it.
• Why soft skills and teamwork are as important as CPR or airway management.
• Simulation training: how they reveal common gaps in emergency preparedness.
• Little details that matter, like knowing how to turn on an oxygen tank.
• The importance of regular huddles: to build habits and uncover weak spots before an emergency hits.
• How to make sure your emergency equipment is in working order: assign liaisons to keep emergency kits, meds, and devices ready for use.
• What you can do to help your team practice emergency skills during real-life, low-stakes cases.
• How culture and psychological safety can affect a team’s emergency response.
• Why culture shifts start with leadership and clear communication of expectations.
• How to access a free online assessment to evaluate team readiness.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Richard Marn — https://www.drrichardmarn.com/
Dr. Richard Marn on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardmarn/
Online Sedation Risk Assessment — https://emergency.scoreapp.com

Center for Medical Simulation — https://harvardmedsim.org/
Online Sedation Risk Assessment — https://emergency.scoreapp.com
Blue Pacific Medical Simulation — https://bpmedsim.com/
New York Medical Anesthesia — https://nymedicalanesthesia.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — grantstucki@gmail.com

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059