What happens to a patient’s heart when they receive life-altering news alone, staring at a cold computer screen?

In this deeply moving episode, Lesia Tierney—a 20-year leader in dental sleep medicine—shares the moment her world shifted. After decades of helping convert patients, she found herself on the other side of the consult desk, navigating a breast cancer diagnosis. This isn't just a talk about practice management; it’s a masterclass in human-to-human connection.

Jason Tierney and Dr. Erin Elliott join Lesia to peel back the layers and look at the raw vulnerability of the patient experience. They explore how a simple hand-hold, a well-timed joke, or a quiet waiting room isn't just "good business"—it’s an act of love that restores a patient's dignity.

The Heart of the Matter

• The Loneliness of the Portal: Lesia reflects on the "purgatory" of finding out she had cancer via a portal refresh. We discuss why no patient should ever feel alone in their diagnosis, and how to ensure your office is the guide they desperately need.
• The 10-Second Intervention: A story of a nurse, an operating table, and a hand-hold. Learn how ten seconds of authentic presence can pull a patient back from the brink of terror and give them the peace to proceed.
• Humor as a Shield: Why Dr. Liu’s "basic bitch cancer" comment was the most professional thing she could have said. We dive into how laughter lowers the walls of fear and allows a patient to finally exhale.
• The Waiting Room as a Sanctuary: Your front office is the patient's first "safe space." If it’s loud, messy, or sterile, their nervous system shuts down. Learn how to curate a calm soundscape that whispers, "You are safe here."
• The Gift of "Personhood": Why the "Bring Your Person" rule is about more than just remembering facts—it’s about honoring the patient’s need for emotional support during a moment of high stakes.

A Note from Lesia Tierney

"Our job is to give them hope, give them solutions, and walk them through it. It’s such a blessing and a gift to be able to do that for other people. When you’re on the other side of it, the fact that someone actually cares... that is what stays with you."

Why This Episode Matters

This conversation is for every team member who has ever felt like they were just "running a process." Lesia reminds us that beneath every sleep study and oral appliance is a human being looking for a steady voice and a hand to hold. By the end of this episode, you won't just want to improve your conversion rate—you’ll want to improve the way you show up for people.

• (00:18) - Introduction
• (02:26) - Lesia’s dental sleep medicine journey and how she got here
• (07:36) - From being a part-owner of the practice to being a patient herself
• (13:09) - Why front office should reflect back office
• (17:27) - Choosing a practitioner who you trust
• (25:10) - What phone policy has Lesia introduced in her office
• (30:03) - What other experiences Lesia had that impacted how she runs her office
• (34:33) - How cancer influenced Lesia’s life

What happens when the life you’ve built no longer fits? Dr. Suzanne Thai, a prominent dental sleep medicine practitioner and TEDx speaker, joins Jason Tierney and Dr. Erin Elliott to discuss her journey from "existential dread" in general dentistry to finding renewed purpose in sleep medicine. This episode dives deep into the power of vulnerability, the necessity of mastering communication, and the specific "soft skills" that separate average practices from elite ones.

What We Discuss with Dr. Suzanne Thai:

• The TEDx Journey: The behind-the-scenes reality of preparing for a TEDx talk and why Dr. Thai chose to share her most vulnerable stories.
• From Dread to Joy: How moving from general dentistry to dental sleep medicine saved Dr. Thai’s career and brought back her "spark."
• The Power of Vulnerability: Why sharing "stories that hurt" fosters deeper connections with patients and peers.
• Communication as a Clinical Skill: Why taking a perfect bite registration isn't enough—and how to truly engage a patient in their own treatment.
• The "Chameleon" Technique: How to read a patient’s energy and adjust your own to build immediate trust.
• Mastering the Physician Referral: Why getting cell phone numbers and sending "sushi photos" is more effective than traditional professional outreach.
• Role-Play and Recording: The "cringe-worthy" but essential practice of recording your consults to eliminate filler words and improve conversion rates.

Episode Summary

For many clinicians, the daily grind of "millimeter-perfect" dentistry can lead to burnout. Dr. Suzanne Thai reached that breaking point after 15 years, but discovered that dental sleep medicine offered a different kind of fulfillment: the ability to save lives and marriages.

In this episode, Dr. Thai explains that while the clinical mechanics of making an oral appliance are relatively straightforward, the true challenge—and the key to a successful practice—lies in communication and emotional intelligence. She shares her framework for "staying on the line" during patient consults, the importance of genuine compliments, and why her team is required to role-play scenarios regularly.

Whether you’re looking for the courage to reinvent your career or simply want to improve your patient "yes" rate, Dr. Thai’s high-energy insights provide a roadmap for professional and personal transformation.

Resources and References Mentioned

Featured Presentation: Dr. Suzanne Thai’s TEDx Talk

• (00:04) - Introduction
• (00:41) - Dr. Thai's First TED Talk
• (08:40) - Discovering Dental Sleep Medicine
• (13:14) - How Has The TED Talk Influenced Dr. Thai's Life
• (18:58) - Can Anyone Practice Dental Sleep Medicine
• (28:36) - Using Soft Skills To Develop Referring MD Relationships
• (36:21) - Actionable Advice To Improve Sleep Practice
• (41:52) - Final Countdown

Why do some oral appliances fail before they ever reach the patient’s mouth? Sonnie Bocala, founder of Apex Dental Sleep Lab, pulls back the curtain on what really happens inside the lab, why bite records matter more than devices, and how dentists can avoid the mistakes that lead to remakes, broken appliances, and poor outcomes.

What We Discuss with Sonnie Bocala

• The Bite Problem in Dental Sleep Medicine: Why the bite is the hardest and most important part of oral appliance therapy and why devices are just the delivery mechanism.
• Why Most Appliances Fail Upstream: How poor bite records, bad workflows, and misaligned expectations lead to remakes and clinical failures.
• Devices Are Not Widgets: Why dentists obsess over shiny appliances instead of patient-specific biomechanics and airway positioning.
• The DSM Learning Curve: Why dentists get lost after CE and how to stage your entry into dental sleep medicine without blowing up your practice.
• Lab as a Clinical Partner: How labs can act as an extension of the practice and why experienced partners see more cases than any clinician ever will.
• Scanning and AI Pitfalls: How digital impressions can introduce hidden errors and why more data beats faster scans.
• 3D Printing and In-Office Manufacturing: How to safely print appliances in-house and why FDA-validated workflows matter.
• The Future of Airway and Orthodontics: Combining aligners and sleep appliances to maintain airway while moving teeth.
• Choosing the Right Device: How Apex evaluates materials, manufacturing, company ethos, and long-term product viability before recommending devices.
• And much more.

Episode Summary

Dental sleep medicine has never had more devices, more courses, or more technology. Yet outcomes still hinge on one overlooked factor: the bite.

In this episode, Sonnie Bocala, founder of Apex Dental Sleep Lab, shares 26 years of lab-side insight into what actually makes oral appliance therapy succeed or fail. He explains why dentists get lost after CE, why labs often absorb the blame for upstream clinical errors, and how bite position, patient anatomy, and workflow decisions drive results far more than the appliance itself.

Sonnie also breaks down the realities of digital scanning, AI-filled impressions, in-office 3D printing, and the coming convergence of orthodontics and airway therapy. If you want fewer remakes, better outcomes, and stronger lab partnerships, this episode is essential listening.

Resources and References Mentioned

Apex Dental Sleep Lab
https://apexsleep.com