Dr. Eric Block almost left dentistry. Halfway through his career he was anxious, burned out, and counting the minutes until he could retire. This conversation with Dr. Aditi Agarwal is about how he turned that around, and what he's learned in 22 years of practice.

We cover:

→ The burnout and "midlife crisis" that nearly ended his career

→ Therapy, perfectionism, and why so many dentists feel this way

→ His advice for new dentists (and why your first 3 years are the minor leagues)

→ Why systems matter, and the SOP tool he built after a key staff member retired

→ Wellness coaching through the Academy of Dental Life Coaches

→ How he went fully out of network, including dropping Delta at 50% of his practice

Timestamps

00:00 Intro and welcome

03:04 How a beer bottle led to dentistry

04:40 Burnout, anxiety, and wanting to quit

05:35 Therapy, perfectionism, and people-pleasing

07:50 Writing "The Stress-Free Dentist"

08:00 The career crises every dentist faces

10:33 Shiny-object syndrome and analysis paralysis

13:01 Advice for new dentists: the minor leagues

14:38 Going "next level" and reinventing yourself

15:42 From a set path to no path: handling failure

19:31 Why systems matter, and starting Flomo

23:44 Wellness coaching and the IADLC

26:11 Reaching out for help before rock bottom

27:02 Going out of network: dropping insurance

34:25 How to reach Dr. Block, and final words

Reach Dr. Block at thestressfreedentist.com, on Facebook and LinkedIn, or eric@flomo.com.

The Practice Pulse podcast is hosted by Practice by Numbers.