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Protrusive Dental Podcast

Protrusive Dental Podcast

By: Jaz Gulati
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The Forward Thinking Dental Podcast© 2026 Protrusive Dental Podcast Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Physical Illness & Disease
Episodes
  • Painless Local Anaesthetic with "No-Pain Nigel" - PDP287

    Painless Local Anaesthetic with "No-Pain Nigel" - PDP287
    7 Oct 2026
    Would you dare promise patients a refund if they felt any pain?Why do so many of us still skip topical — and what does that say to the patient in the chair?How do you take the sting out of an inferior alveolar nerve block, a palatal, or a screaming hot pulp?And when the lip is numb but the patient still feels it — what went wrong before you even picked up the handpiece?My guest is Dr Nigel Kennedy, known to his Brighton patients as “No Pain Nigel” — a dentist who backed his injections with a money-back guarantee, and who has recently retired. Fair warning: there is no revolutionary technique or new anaesthetic agent in this episode. It is the foundations of painless anaesthesia, done properly and done every time — a great reminder of the why for experienced colleagues, and an aspirational one for younger dentists. We finish on something bigger: how to stay calm, stay well, and enjoy a long career in dentistry.Protrusive Dental Pearl: Plateaus Are Normal, Growth CompoundsGrowth in dentistry is not exponential and ever-rising. Like most careers, it plateaus — and you will feel stuck, sometimes for years. That is normal. Progress comes in small increments, and one of the best things about this profession is that you learn something new every working day.Trust the process. Keep investing in yourself and aim to be 1% better. Give each month a theme — rubber dam this month, photography the next — and the breakthroughs arrive.A useful marker of how far you have come: early on, many of us check tomorrow’s day list so we can revise for the deep filling, the molar root canal or the denture records. Years later you walk in not knowing what is booked — even a full-mouth rehab — and think, “Okay, cool. Let’s do this.” It may not feel rapid, but it is compounding.What You’ll Take From This EpisodeTopical done properly — the one preparation step that makes topical actually work, and why skipping it is a lack of empathy.Tension, pressure and distraction — how to time the needle so the patient barely registers it.The two-stage block — a simple sequence that takes the discomfort out of the IANB.Slow down — how long a cartridge should really take, and why profound beats borderline.When it’s hard to numb — the hot pulp, the palatal, and the last moment of an extraction.Phrases for patients — the exact words to use before the needle, the palatal and the final pull.Highlights of This Episode00:00 TEASER01:00 Painless Local Anaesthetic: The Money-Back Guarantee03:21 Feeling Stuck in Dentistry? Why Plateaus Are Normal06:20 How to Market Pain-Free Dentistry to Anxious Patients08:20 How to Build a Dental Practice Patients and Staff Stay With11:56 Can You Promise Patients Pain-Free Dentistry?15:29 Why Topical Anaesthetic Is Non-Negotiable16:56 How to Give a Painless Dental Infiltration18:49 Painless Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block: The Two-Stage Technique20:13 How Slowly Should You Give a Dental Injection?21:22 Midroll25:44 Lip Numb but Still Feeling It? Testing for Profound Anaesthesia27:44 How to Numb a Hot Pulp29:51 Painless Palatal Injections: Two Techniques32:31 Communication vs Technique in Pain-Free Dentistry35:52 Pain-Free Dentistry: What to Change Tomorrow39:19 Stress, Longevity and a Fulfilled Career in Dentistry45:41 OUTROFrom the GuestDr Nigel Kennedy qualified in Manchester in 1979 and owned his own practice in Brighton from 1994, selling it in stages to his associate before retiring at 71. The “No Pain Nigel” name started with a patient who told him she never felt his injections — and grew into a practice-wide promise of pain-free dentistry, backed by patient video testimonials.Nigel is happy to hear from dentists, especially younger colleagues, who want advice. He is on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn: Nigel KennedyReferences & Further ReadingSources and further reading from this episode:Melzack R, Wall PD. Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science, 1965;150(3699):971–979. The gate control theory of pain — why firm pressure beside the injection site helps.HurriCaine topical anaesthetic gel (Beutlich; 20% benzocaine) — the topical discussed in this episode.The Profitable Dentist magazine (Excellence in Dentistry, USA) and Tony Gedge of the Marketing Pirates of Dentistry — the practice-marketing influences behind the “pain-free” promise.Dr Mike Gow (Berkeley Clinic, Glasgow) — previous Protrusive guest on dental hypnosis and anxiety. [PDP050]Want more?If you enjoyed this episode, check out: What Every Dentist Should Know About Managing Dental Anxiety – PDP050Tags#PDPMainEpisodes #Communication #CareerDevelopmentListen, Subscribe, Earn CPDListen: Subscribe to the Protrusive Dental Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.This episode is eligible for 0.75 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.This episode meets GDC ...
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    44 min
  • Thoughts Become Things - How to Be Happier in Dentistry - IC079

    Thoughts Become Things - How to Be Happier in Dentistry - IC079
    2 Oct 2026
    When a filling doesn’t go to plan, how many times do you replay it on the drive home?Have you fallen out of love with dentistry — or just with the way you’re experiencing it right now?Why do the habits that could help your headspace get forgotten by Wednesday?And when did you last ask yourself: have my thoughts been serving me today?This is an Interference Cast episode — no margins, no bonding protocols. Jaz is joined by Neo Positivity, a former Camden, New Jersey police officer turned mindset speaker, who now spends his time in dental practices in the US and the UK with one message: thoughts become things.Neo is big energy, and not every part of his philosophy will land for everyone — it doesn’t need to. Underneath it are habits any dentist can use tomorrow: stepping back from the “what if” spiral after a treatment goes wrong, catching autopilot thinking, remembering how badly you once wanted this job, and building reminders into the day so you actually follow through. Jaz leaves with a very personal takeaway about the version of himself that shows up at home.This episode discusses suicide in the dental profession. If you’re struggling, please talk to someone today — in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans are free and available 24/7 on 116 123; in the US, call or text 988. The Canmore Trust (thecanmoretrust.co.uk) supports dental professionals affected by suicide.What You’ll Take From This EpisodeStep back from the thought — the press-conference technique for the “what if I get sued?” spiral.Watch what you water — why the thoughts you rehearse most become the easiest to repeat.Get home first — the step to take before you quit a job, or dentistry.Reach for the cookie jar — using past wins to reset a bad day and repair a strained nurse relationship.Lead the ripple — why a leader who walks out of the wellbeing session undoes it.Highlights of This Episode00:00 TEASER00:57 Why Mental Wellbeing Belongs on a Dental Podcast03:49 From Police Officer to Mindset Coach09:12 Burnout in Dentistry: Facing the Problem Honestly10:24 How to Stop Ruminating After a Treatment Goes Wrong14:07 Your Thoughts Aren't Facts: The Press Conference Technique16:10 Watering Seeds: How Repeated Thoughts Rewire Your Brain20:03 Autopilot Thinking in the Dental Practice22:31 Midroll25:52 Energy, Vibe and the Patients You Attract30:30 How to Fix a Difficult Relationship With Your Dental Nurse33:14 The Cookie Jar: Using Past Wins to Reset Your Mood33:54 Burnout or the Wrong Practice? Before You Quit Dentistry39:57 Remember How Badly You Wanted to Be a Dentist41:18 Leading by Example: Building a Positive Practice Culture44:53 Accountability Partners and the Daily Mindset Check-In46:51 Takeaways, Resources and Wrap-Up50:31 OUTROFrom the GuestNeo Positivity speaks to dental practices, conferences and teams, visiting practices and speaking at lunch breaks with his “Thoughts Become Things” message. His book, Your ATM (“Your Ability to Manifest”), is out in print and as an audiobook, and he produces short morning-huddle videos for practice teams.👉 neopositivity.com — book Neo for your practice, and find Your ATMReferences & Further ReadingBooks mentioned in this episode:Eckhart Tolle — The Power of Now. On living in the present moment.Michael A. Singer — The Untethered Soul. On observing your thoughts rather than being carried by them.David Goggins — Can’t Hurt Me. Source of the “cookie jar” idea discussed in the episode.Rhonda Byrne — The Secret; and Napoleon Hill — Think and Grow Rich. The works that introduced Neo to the “thoughts become things” idea.Want more?If you enjoyed this episode, check out: Before the Breaking Point – IC071Tags#InterferenceCast #BeyondDentistry #CareerDevelopmentListen, Subscribe, Earn CPDListen: Subscribe to the Protrusive Dental Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.This episode is eligible for 0.75 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.This episode meets GDC Outcome B.AGD Subject Code: 770 Self-Improvement.Aim & Learning OutcomesAim: To help dental professionals recognise and interrupt negative thought patterns, and to give them simple, repeatable habits that support wellbeing for themselves and their teams.Learning Outcomes — by the end of this episode, dental professionals will be able to:Describe how rumination after a clinical or workplace setback reinforces itself, and apply a step-back technique to interrupt a negative thought loop.Identify practical cues and peer accountability structures that help dental professionals sustain wellbeing habits during the working day.Differentiate dissatisfaction with a working environment from dissatisfaction with dentistry itself, and outline steps to take before a major career change.
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    49 min
  • How to Explain Treatment Risks and Fees Without Scaring Patients - PDP286

    How to Explain Treatment Risks and Fees Without Scaring Patients - PDP286
    30 Sep 2026
    How do you explain everything that could go wrong with a root canal — without the patient walking out?Why does a signed consent form protect you far less than you think?What should you say in the exact moment after you tell a patient the fee?And which single word is quietly sabotaging every future conversation you have about maintenance?This is Part 2 of our communication masterclass with Dr Zak Kara, principal dentist at Smile Stories in Bournemouth, who coaches and mentors dentists on exactly these conversations. We tackle two questions sent in by the community: how to explain risks without discouraging patients from treatment, and how to present fees — including future maintenance and complications — clearly and confidently. Expect two live role-plays (a molar root canal and a lower wisdom tooth), a respectful disagreement about whether to call people patients or clients, and the fee-presentation sequence I wish I’d had years ago, when I hated every part of talking about money.Protrusive Dental Pearl: Could They Retell It at Home?Measure a consultation by one question: was I understood? Not conversion, not uptake — understanding. The ethical approach tends to deliver the conversion anyway.The practical test: when the patient gets home and someone asks “How was the dentist today?”, can they summarise in a few sentences exactly what the appointment was about and what they need to do next? If not, the explanation isn’t finished — however thorough it felt from your side of the chair. That clarity is a skill, and it gets built deliberately.What You’ll Take From This EpisodeSix moves for explaining risk — how to make every risk proportionate, personal and paired with your plan to reduce it.A root canal consent, live — plain-English wording, an honest success rate, and the analogy that makes recovery make sense.Common vs rare risks — when a risk deserves a sentence and when it deserves a diagram.The fee presentation sequence — seven steps from the reason to the objection, and why the pause matters most.Words to ban — why fees beat prices and costs, and what to say instead of “permanent.”Maintenance without the awkwardness — setting shared responsibility up front so “redo it for free” never comes up.Highlights of This Episode00:00 TEASER00:48 How to Explain Risks and Fees to Dental Patients04:10 The Biggest Lever in Dental Communication06:53 How to Attract the Right Patients to Your Chair14:29 What Makes a Super Associate?19:58 How to Explain Treatment Risks Without Scaring Patients26:22 Root Canal Consent: A Live Role-Play33:59 Using Analogies to Explain Occlusion and TMD Risk36:08 Wisdom Tooth Consent: Common vs Rare Risks41:07 Why Consent Is a Process, Not a Signature45:45 Midroll51:34 Patients or Clients? What to Call the People You Treat55:12 How to Present Dental Fees With Confidence59:08 A Simple Framework for Presenting Fees1:12:05 When to Discuss Treatment Alternatives1:14:45 Why You Should Never Say "Permanent Crown"1:20:15 A Communication Course for Dentists1:20:51 OUTROFrom the GuestDr Zak Kara is principal dentist at Smile Stories in Bournemouth, and coaches and mentors dentists and their teams in communication. His communication course, developed with Protrusive, teaches from real consultation videos — filmed with patients’ permission — broken down play by play: what he said, why, and why he paused where he did.Pre-order the communication course here:👉 protrusive.co.uk/conversationsOnce the course is out, you’ll also get access to a 90-day accountability group with Zak and me, and the full course in podcast format for your commute.Want more?If you enjoyed this episode, check out: Presenting Treatment Plans the Comprehensive Way – PDP048Tags#PDPMainEpisodes #CommunicationListen, Subscribe, Earn CPDListen: Subscribe to the Protrusive Dental Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.This episode is eligible for 1.25 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.This episode meets GDC Outcome A.AGD Subject Code: 550 Practice Management and Human Relations.Aim & Learning OutcomesAim: To improve how dental practitioners communicate treatment risks, fees and long-term maintenance, so that patients make informed, genuinely consensual decisions without being frightened or overwhelmed.Learning Outcomes — by the end of this episode, dentists will be able to:Explain treatment risks in proportion to the individual patient’s clinical situation, using plain language, relatable analogy and a stated plan to mitigate each risk.Apply a structured sequence for presenting treatment fees that links the recommendation to the patient’s own goals and responds to objections without coercion.Describe how consent is developed across multiple touchpoints, including discussion of alternatives, shared maintenance responsibilities and checks of patient...
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    1 hr and 22 min
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