Balancing Dentistry and Influence: How to Build a Career as a KOL

Learn dental photography, because if you want to be able to become a KOL, it is very helpful to show and have proof of what you're doing with the materials that you enjoy using or who you're trying to represent. And so becoming good with photography is going to be a very advantageous thing, and not just for the KOL aspect of things, but for your patients. Welcome to the Phil Klein Dental Podcast. On today's episode, we're joined by Dr. Kevin Brown, a highly respected general dentist who has built a thriving career specializing in cosmetic dentistry, all while becoming a recognized key opinion leader in our profession. Dr. Brown has managed to strike a balance, maintaining a busy full-time clinical practice while also teaching, writing, and speaking on some of today's most important cosmetic dentistry topics. His journey offers valuable insights for younger dentists who aspire to enrich their careers by blending the art and science of dentistry with the opportunities that come from sharing knowledge on a larger stage. In our conversation, Dr. Brown shares what first attracted him to dentistry and how he discovered that aesthetic dentistry was his true passion. He walks us through the pivotal moments that shaped his expertise and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to become a respected key opinion leader, building relationships with manufacturers, navigating industry partnerships, all the while still maintaining authenticity in our lecture hall and operatory alike. His recommendations for those looking to combine clinical dentistry with teaching, writing, and speaking are a roadmap. for anyone hoping to make a broader impact in the field. Before we bring in our guest, I do want to say that if you're enjoying these episodes and want to support the show, please follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You'll be the first to know about our new releases and our entire production team will really appreciate it. Dr. Brown, it's a pleasure to have you on the show. Thanks, Phil. Appreciate the opportunity. Yeah, it's been too long. The last time we did a podcast together was, believe it or not, before COVID 2019. So it's been a while. Good to have you back. So before we get into your journey that led you to become a key opinion leader in the dental profession, let's begin by talking about what first attracted you to dentistry and at what point did you realize that aesthetic dentistry was your true passion? Yeah, great question. So I grew up around dentistry in various forms. My dad was a dental ceramist. And so I would be down at his lab playing with the stone and the grinder and the stuff that the little kids like to play with. And then I would also go out and play golf with him. And he had a lot of dental buddies that... he would play with. And then I had a lot of church leaders growing up who were dentists of one form or another. And they just always inspired me to follow in their footsteps. So that's what got me into dentistry. And you were definitely influenced as a young kid. And that's really something that sticks with children for their development of what career they're interested in. And it happens a lot. But what's interesting is aesthetic dentistry became something you really became passionate about and i guess you got part of that from your dad who was a ceramist but how else was that formed so as i was completing dental school at the university of washington some of the teachers that had this little side program where they would teach some aesthetic type of dentistry. And then I heard about the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry during that final year. And then soon after graduation, I joined the Academy and I went to the first meeting. And then I was just, I fell in love as I watched some of these amazing images show up on the screen, particularly with direct composites. And I wanted to learn how to do that. So I just made my own little study model. uh at the office with some denture teeth set in pink wax on a stone model and i just started cutting back class four fractures and rebuilding yeah just rebuilding and i got all the different composites from my dental rep to try this brand versus that brand and which one works in this situation and what works in that situation and then of course getting into photography through the accreditation process helps because you can critique yourself a lot and so just doing it all in and when you were when you were in dental school Did you know that you were going to be focused on cosmetic aesthetic dentistry? I think originally I wanted to do oral surgery, but then knowing that my dad was a ceramist, I thought it would be fun to be able to work with him in that regard. And so that's what leaned me towards general dentistry with a focus on aesthetic stuff. Just after graduation, seeing what the Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry had to offer. So that's what really pushed me over the edge to pursue that. How many members are in the Academy of Cosmic Dentistry now? Do you know? That's a great question. I'm sure there's a lot at this point. Thousands, yeah. So aesthetic dentistry, as we know, is not cut and dry. In fact, it requires a unique blend of art and science. What were some pivotal moments in your career, Dr. Brown, that helped shape your expertise and personal style in the field of aesthetic dentistry? Very good. So I think what really drove me to become excellent at direct composites, which then led to other aspects with porcelain and just tooth anatomy and shape and form, is I knew that coming out of school, somebody was going to come in with a front tooth that needed to be fixed. And in my mind, I was fearful that I wasn't going to do a good job and that they were going to look it. the end product and not be happy and i just was fearful of a reaction like that and so that compelled me to just practice a lot in the lab on my own time just to get used to waxing and getting the shape of teeth i'm pretty good with my hands that kind of stuff comes naturally and easier for me versus the book smarts i had to work really hard at the the book end of things to get through dental school and so for me i think that's a a blessing to have that advantage i would say to get hands-on type things easier or maybe quicker than others i do believe that everyone has the capability to become amazing even if they feel like they're not naturally good with their hands it just takes a little more practice and that's kind of what i hope to be able to do and help other people learn that that's why i built a teaching space in my new office to help train other people how to do this kind of stuff but ultimately For me, it was this desire to do a good job for the patient, knowing they were going to pay me their money to make this nice restoration. And is it primarily direct restorative that you're doing in practice and in your training program? Or is it just every form of direct and indirect for static purposes? Yeah, it's a little bit of everything. But the primary focus of what I'm doing has become, over time, post-orthodontic enhancing of whatever. the patient needs, whether it's an adult or a youth. Minimal stuff. Yeah. And I think that's an incredible thing that we're doing now in dentistry is the clear aligner therapy and getting those teeth lined up so that you could be a minimally invasive restorative dentist and not do the instant ortho approach that we, some of us did in the past. So your, your, your preparation is minimal, right? Once you get those teeth aligned. Absolutely. Yes. And, and the failure rate of like chipped incisal edges should be minimized as well once you get especially the adult crowding that's so typical for older patients um and not even older patients i mean even patients 30 years old you're starting to see some adult crowding down there. And then you start to see the typical reaction in the maxillary anteriors where you get that aesthetic zone all messed up because the bite is just off. That's absolutely true. And what's really helpful nowadays with all this digital technology that we have with the scans, especially, you can pull those up and show the patient, look, if we're going to do something here, here's how your teeth are. And from the incisal view, if I'm going to have to do, let's say porcelain. indirect. Look at how much tooth I have to shave on this number eight that's rotated out a little bit compared to if we got that in the right position and then we don't have to drill it at all or very minimal. So let me ask you this before we get into the KOL part of your career which I want to get into very shortly do you think dental students are missing out on the lost art of waxing up and doing this entryway into aesthetic dentistry by learning how to build these teeth up anatomically with their hands as they move more towards digital tools are we losing some of that with the new graduates that's a brilliant question and i think there's some truth to that because i've always told people as they're asking me questions well how do i get good at shaping the composite to make it look like a tooth and i tell them well every case that i do i'm waxing it up by hand ahead of time so that I know exactly what I'm trying to get to in the end result. And I know that if I can do it in wax, then I can do it in composite. And so if you're going to have things built digitally, you can visually see the shapes and the forms, but then to be able to translate that from your hands to the material and get all of those line angles and the tertiary and quaternary anatomy on the surface, that's hard. And so you have to be able to know how to do that with your hands. And you can do that with a waxing carver, you know, versus a burr. That's a little bit different, but you can still visualize and know how those contours are supposed to go if you can do it with your hands in addition to the digital part. So you're still doing wax ups on each of your cases where you're rebuilding the anterior aesthetic region, the anterior six teeth. I do. Yep. And even if it's just like a number. let's say number seven single peg lateral and it's just a little addition we're adding i'm going to do that in wax beforehand because i can do that faster than i can up on exocad that's amazing yeah that's a rarity i i don't think that's a common thing i mean i may be wrong i'm a retired endodontist but for a general dentist to be waxing up these cases on a regular basis I think it's amazing, remarkable, and I think it gives you the confidence, Dr. Brown, when you wax it up each and every time that you know you're going to nail it when you have that composite in your hands, right? You know you could do it with composite after you've done it with wax. How many dentists are doing that, though? Not very many, and I think that as an alternative to that with this newer technique of the injection molding with composites where you can just... get the entire shape of the teeth on there and then if you want to add some depth to it you can just cut back a little bit on the facial and layer some colors and details kind of like the ceramics are doing with the indirect methods and you can still preserve the overall shape of the tooth so that will simplify the process for those that are not wanting to do the wax up or struggle with it i think that's a growing area injectable composites is that the correct term Yeah, injection molding technique. Injection molding technique. Okay, yeah. I think that's on the upswing for sure. Several companies are coming out with different products that are related to that. So let's talk about the key opinion leader in dentistry. Certainly becoming a respected and sought after KOL, key opinion leader, in our profession doesn't just happen overnight. It takes time and it's a process. And I think part of that journey to get there involves... a relationship between the dentist and one or more dental manufacturers. I think you agree with that. And I say that because in large part, the intellectual property related to the products, equipment, and technology that we use in our practice routinely originates from and is owned by the dental companies that we work with. They're the ones that come up with all this stuff. So my question is, how does a dentist build a relationship with a dental manufacturer, as you have? as they transition into the KOL position. And feel free to tell us your story, Dr. Brown, about some of the valued relationships you currently hold. Yeah, I think there are a variety of ways that that can happen over time. One way could be just if you have a friend, a dental friend that is already doing this kind of stuff and they introduce you to somebody and you can just morph into it that way. In my case, after becoming accredited, in the academy of cosmetic dentistry i had a desire to just share some of the things that i had been learning with other dentists and some of the different materials that i had handled and and kind of become familiar with how to pick one over the other when is a good situation to use this over that and so i actually reached out to some of these manufacturers i just got their contact information through my dental rep from the supply rep and then send them an email, some photos of some of the things that I'm doing. I said, hey, I'd like to have opportunities to teach and share. And then they reached out to me and made a connection and slowly just built a relationship with little opportunities here and there that came about. So how does that balance your career life being a key opinion leader who's really established himself as one? You've been doing this a little while and you've been asked to speak on Viva Learning and you speak at dental conventions. You probably evaluate products, right, for manufacturers. They want your opinion on it so that they could kind of tweak some of the characteristics of the products they make. How has that made you or fulfilled your career in certain ways? So for me, one of my good friends, Dr. Greg Gillespie down in Vancouver, Washington, he's an excellent, amazing dentist, a classmate of mine from UW. And he got into the KOL stuff pretty early on and he would do a lot of traveling. teaching i don't necessarily like traveling so i that didn't seem appealing to me to do a bunch of lectures with the travel and so i did more writing i did more articles and that was just easier for me to manage my time with home and family and church responsibilities and things and so that worked in my situation when opportunities came to teach i would do that but typically would be local versus travel And that's part of why I built this space in my office so that people can come to see me versus me having to go to see them. Yeah. So what's that like? What's this training facility that you have in your practice? What is that like and how many people, what's the capacity of it and how do you get people to come and so forth? Yeah, great. So I wanted it to be small. I don't want to have a big group because that way you lose the opportunity to build relationships and really give attention to why they're here. with the hands-on training. And so I had it, I built it so it fits 12 people. It's just three little tables that fit four people each. And Tokoyama has helped a lot with bringing up the materials and the deniforms. I got all of the motors and the instruments. And so with that companionship there. How long is the class? Is it a day, half day? Oh, I've done various. I try to do at least a day. Sometimes we'll do two days and we'll end. includes some photography or other aspects but generally it's a direct composite class as you know going over a range of things from class 4 fractures to composite veneers to peg laterals to missing teeth and so you basically uh hit on all the major you know uh challenges that a dentist would face in a routine uh day at the office and you know any of that fear that's built into some of these cases where they don't feel confident about handling them you kind of address that that's right and we'll teach two different methods one with the polychromatic layering with all the details and the fancy you know layering techniques uh and then we also do a simplified single shade composite These have become more popular and it does simplify the process. And so how can you get a decent, good result that the patient can be happy with without all of that? Right. And I guess I assume that's the Tokayama tie-in with the Omnichroma. That's right. That one shade, well, how would you categorize that? A single shade, direct restorative, what's the category for it? Yeah, I think that's how they term it. A single shade composite system. All of them that are out there, they do have like a supplemental material that acts like a Gentin type composite is how I would describe it. And so if you're trying to add a length to a tooth, a single shade composite will never look great because you'll still see the fracture line and some of that show through with the translucency. So you got to have something that helps block that out. And so just learning how to manipulate these materials in the appropriate way to get the desired results in different situations is... is what I teach. So let me ask you this question. With the advancements in adhesive dentistry and the types of materials we're talking about, like Tokoyama has this single shade direct restorative, how do you make the decision to say, and let's assume the teeth are lined up from Invisalign, you know, for some period of time where things are looking pretty lined up. How do you make the decision between doing a conservative veneer case versus Doing adhesive dentistry and using something like a multi-layer or a single shade Tokayama product. How do you make that decision? Well, I try not to make the decision for the patient. I educate them on all the options. I show photographs of all the different types of cases. And then they can make their own decision. So I try to teach correct principles and let people govern themselves. If they ask my opinion, then I'll share that with them, of course. A vast majority, I'd probably say 70, 30. 70% will choose composite. 30% will choose porcelain. And for what reason? Is it cost? Cost and or just the thought of any kind of drilling on the tooth whatsoever they don't want to do. And a lot of the adults that are coming in post-orthodontic for some enhancements, their teeth overall are great. They don't really have a lot of wear and tear on the facial surfaces or even recession. They just have uneven incisal edges like 7 through 10. are just a little bit uneven. And I assume, Dr. Brown, you encourage the patient to whiten their teeth first? Yeah, whatever color they are, I would say 95% of the people will whiten their teeth first before we do any restorative work. And then whatever they get to, if they're happy with that, great. If they're still like, you know, I wish my teeth were whiter, then they know the only option is to cover the tube with the full veneer, whether that's with composite or with porcelain. And what about how long it lasts? Like if I was the patient, I would say, okay, I understand the cost difference. What about longevity? Am I going to get the same number of years with direct composite as I can get with a veneer? Or does it depend on the actual dentist who's doing it? Yeah, I think a little bit of both. You look at their wear patterns, you're like, okay, your teeth have been worn down. Before you had orthodontic, now you have straight teeth, but your habits are still there. So we don't really know what is your jaw going to be doing. And if their teeth were really heavily worn, they just understand that they're at a higher risk. And if they choose to go with composite, the risk will be there that they might chip the composite. And that might happen a few times over, you know, a decade. And I try to tell them conservatively to expect anywhere from 7 to 15 years out of the composite material. And even at the 15-year range, it's not like it's crumbling and falling apart. It's just it loses its luster and just needs to be updated at that point. And so compared to porcelain, which can last longer, but if they don't need to have a full veneer and we're just trying to blend in the composite with the existing tooth structure, that's what most people end up choosing just because they like the conservativeness of it. Yeah, it's more conservative, but they also have a dentist, which is you, who's very artistic and has the ability. to do the kinds of things with composite that i'm not sure many dentists can do that's the challenge that's the challenge that's why one by one i'll keep trying to share what i know so that others can do the same you need a bigger you need a bigger training room than then four tables or two tables with four people at a table yeah no i mean it sounds it's a great start so um let me ask you this as far as the um relationship that you have with Tokoyama, what do you think sets you apart, Dr. Brown, as someone who works with them as a KOL? How do you differentiate yourself from other KOLs? Oh boy, that's, I don't know. I take pictures of every single restoration that I do in the anterior zone and even a lot in the posterior, depending on what they are needing for references when they make their little... advertising books and stuff i'm very grateful for all the manufacturers out there who invest their time and their efforts to ce and the development of the materials to help the dentist create and provide this type of dentistry for patients and make our lives easier and so in my mind it's just a simple act of gratitude and thanks giving back to them what they're trying to give to us so i just send them pictures of all the things that I do. And if they want to use them, great. If they don't, great. But at least it's there building up their library of images to show what is possible with the materials that they're creating. For the new dentists that are coming out or the young dentists that are practicing that are interested in getting into teaching and becoming a key opinion leader in the profession, what would you recommend to them? Learn dental photography, because if you want to be able to become a KOL, it is very helpful to show and have proof of what you're doing with the materials that you enjoy using or who you're trying to represent. And so becoming good with photography is going to be a very advantageous thing. And not just for the KOL aspect of things, but for your patients, because if you can build your own library of procedures as they're coming in, then you'll have this great set of photos to show them, well, here's the situation, and here's an example, and this is what we would do, and it's very, very helpful in that regard. And you get the opportunity, Dr. Brown, as a KOL, to actually try new products from different companies. um tokiyama has and there's been ivoclar and there's been garrison and there's been uh you know multiple others that have just provided opportunities for me to try out new products i it's very nice to be able to see what's coming out uh before it gets released and to give your opinion on how it works in the daily flow of things um so it kind of gives you the feeling that you have an impact on the profession, not only you're practicing dentistry and helping your patients, but you're also influencing other dental professionals. And that has to provide a whole nother level or a different kind of career satisfaction, does it not? Yeah, absolutely. That's a great way to put it, 100%. Yeah, that's what I do this for, that's why I do these podcasts, come up with these ridiculous questions. But no, I mean, it's... It's something that I think is important for our audience to be aware of, that there is another facet of dentistry. other than being in the operatory all the time. I'm with you on traveling. I'm not a big fan of traveling. So, I mean, obviously I do these podcasts. I don't have to leave my office. I could stay in my studio for the rest of my life and just meet all these great people and talk to everybody. But, you know, you've seemed to do a lot of stuff locally, but you're also, your photo was on the cover of... many magazines for a while i i haven't looked at too many recently because print is not that popular anymore but you were very well covered in the dental journals uh so as much as you stayed local you still became nationally known and i think there's just a lot of satisfaction in that and you also write you did say you write a lot correct yeah absolutely where'd you get your writing skills from oh well i don't i don't know that i'm an amazing writer i just am more comfortable writing versus standing up on the stage talking in front of a bunch of people although I do a lot of that still in different facets but I'm just not a natural at it that's some people are gifted with it and they do great at it and that's their their time to shine for me I'm happy to just kind of stay in the background and write stuff that can be in the printed version yeah and I think as your career goes on and one day you won't be practicing clinically you have so much more to offer the profession with all your teaching skills and teaching experience as a key opinion leader. And I think that's a good reason for the young dentists out there to keep that in the back of their mind. I know they have a lot to do. They want to develop their skills. They want to figure out where they're going to practice. They may want to get married and start a family. So there's a lot going on. But there is a point in your career where, you know, you want to add new things and give it more depth. And I think being a key opinion leader is certainly one way to go. I think it's a great thing. I really do. And it's an honor and pleasure to interview people like you, Dr. Brown, and to learn your side of things. So what's the best way for someone to learn more about your program in Washington? Where is it? Uh, what's the best, what, you know, is it a website that has the information and how do you, how does someone register? So at this point, it's just on Instagram on my personal site there. And I just announced when I know, uh, time has been scheduled. I try to coordinate that with Tokoyama and when they're available to come up and help with the supporting of it. And so, so just look for it on Instagram. Yep. Just like we're on Instagram. It's dr.kevin underscore Brown. Okay. And are you the only instructor? It's either just me or I also team teach with Dr. Greg Gillespie, who I mentioned earlier. And he just built a new practice down in Vancouver. And I think the plan is for us to go back and forth between our locations so we can get people from Oregon easier in that direction and up here at my office as well. Yeah. And that's CE accredited as well as live interactive credit, hands on. That's correct. That's excellent. Excellent. Yeah, that's really exciting stuff. So look up Dr. Kevin Brown, everyone, and get some firsthand experience hands-on from these doctors that really take pride in their aesthetic work. And I think it'll be a great benefit to your practice. Thank you so much for your time today. And we hope to have you on programs in the future very soon. Thank you very much. Thank you, Dr. Klein. Really appreciate it. And hopefully something was helpful to somebody out there.