Office Visit I also have a patent on a retainer that's a hybrid between a Hawley and an Essex. The Dawson philosophy believes we shouldn't be covering the occlusion at all when cases are finished, but Hawley retainers don't prevent rotational relapse of the incisors. I also have a patent pending for a cheek retractor design, and I have six other things lined up once I get these rolling. I think the thing that gets me most excited is that I'm creating things that help people's lives to be easier. I'm a huge fan of Thomas Edison. Did you know that he had 1,098 patents? And hundreds of other things that weren't patented. Pretty cool! As someone who spent most of his career practicing solo, what's it like now having two other doctors under the roof with you? I love having associate doctors in my practice! Looking back at when I was a solo practitioner, I was isolated from my peers. Now I can treatment-plan with someone who may see things a little differently or pick up on things that I didn't. I think it's been a benefit to Dr. Malihi's patients, and it's been very stimulating for me because I can bounce ideas off somebody else. (It's also great because I can be on vacation and our doors are still open for business.) Practice management used to be a stress point for you. Compare where you were as a business owner at your lowest moment to where you are now. What turned it all around? I think the lowest time in my career was when I felt like I couldn't manage my team. Once I started learning from other experts about how to manage people, it became a real passion for me. It's not easy, and I believe it's the most challenging part of what we do as practice owners, but it can be very gratifying once you learn the techniques to connect with people and give them the tools to be successful. 46 SEPTEMBER 2022 // orthotown.comhttp://www.orthotown.com