Nick White, DMD, of Lake Mary Pediatric Dentistry

Summary

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast – Episode Summary

Guest: Dr. Nick White, Owner, Lake Mary Pediatric Dentistry, Florida
Host: Ariana Portolatten
Date: September 6, 2025

---

Episode Overview

In this insightful episode, Ariana Portolatten speaks with Dr. Nick White, a seasoned pediatric dentist and owner of Lake Mary Pediatric Dentistry and Winter Park Pediatric Dentistry in Orlando, Florida. Dr. White shares his perspective on current trends and challenges in dentistry, particularly staffing shortages, the adoption of new technologies, evolving licensure landscapes, and the importance of adaptability for healthcare leaders. He also discusses creative team management strategies and the enduring value of traditional patient care methods.

---

Key Discussion Points

1. Dentist Introduction and Background

Timestamp: 00:15 – 00:44

• Dr. White introduces himself as a graduate of the University of Florida Dental and Pediatric Programs.
• He owns two practices in Orlando and serves on the Florida Board of Dentistry.
• Has over 20 years of private practice experience.

---

2. Current Major Issues Facing Dentistry

Timestamp: 00:54 – 02:11

• Staffing Shortages:
  Persistent difficulty in finding quality assistants and hygienists, leading to increased competition and wage inflation.
  • “Hygiene battles have been waging where dentists are kind of outbidding and bidding for great hygienists.” – Dr. Nick White [00:59]
• AI and Technology Adoption:
  Rapid advances but challenges in selecting suitable solutions for unique practice philosophies.
• Changing Licensure Landscape:
  Discussions around interstate mobility, compacts for doctors, and shifts toward minimally invasive care.
• Overall, Dr. White notes there are “quite a bit actually going on in dentistry right now.”

---

3. Addressing Staffing Shortages in Florida

Timestamp: 02:11 – 03:56

• Practice Culture and Retention:
  • Emphasis on fair compensation, bonuses, and a family-oriented environment.
  • Ensuring predictable schedules and respecting staff’s personal commitments.
  • “We really take great pride in being a family-oriented office and really making the staff feel like they’re part of our extended family.” – Dr. Nick White [03:27]
• Competitive Pay:
  Noticeable rise in compensation expectations, especially for assistants and hygienists, due to market pressures.

---

4. Creative Staff Engagement: Learning from Theme Parks

Timestamp: 03:56 – 05:33

• Utilizing Orlando's Resources:
  Biannual staff outings to Disney and Universal Parks, not just for fun but as informal customer service training.
• Operational Insights:
  Staff are tasked to observe how theme park employees handle guest interactions, resolve issues, and infuse positivity.
  • “We also have specific instructions for them when they get to the park: paying attention to... how do they make somebody smile, how do they go out of their way to help engage those park guests? And how can we do that back in our office?” – Dr. Nick White [04:46]
• Implementation:
  Feedback sessions are held to translate observed best practices into the dental office.
• Results:
  Notable improvements in parent feedback and office atmosphere.

---

5. Excitement and Concerns for the Future of Dentistry

Timestamp: 06:02 – 07:15

• Excitement:
  • Growing interdisciplinary collaboration, especially with orthodontists and ENT specialists on pediatric airway issues.
  • New diagnostic tools and AI, used in tandem with hands-on clinical evaluation.
• Reservations:
  • While AI is “one of your tools…there’s a significant need for hands on, hands in the mouth, hands on the patient type of communication and observation.” – Dr. Nick White [06:48]

---

6. Qualities for Future Healthcare Leaders

Timestamp: 07:26 – 08:41

• Adaptability:
  Leaders must keep pace with constant change, including DSO (Dental Support Organization) consolidation trends.
• Balanced Adoption of New and Proven Methods:
  Willingness to learn minimally invasive treatments, but not at the expense of what’s best for patients.
• Patient-Centered Care:
  • “We want to do what’s best for our patients. And sometimes the old tried and true methods really work better…” – Dr. Nick White [08:30]
• Long-Term Outlook:
  Importance of not defaulting to the easiest or newest option over proven care quality.

---

Notable Quotes and Moments

• On staffing:
  “It’s really, we’ve really seen a significant increase in Florida as far as pay scale goes for both assistants and hygienists.” – Dr. Nick White [03:45]
• On learning from the theme parks:
  “We’ve been able to implement several of those kind of strategies in our practice and it’s really paid off.” – Dr. Nick White [05:14]
• On AI in dentistry:
  “AI stuff is great and it does help, It’s a tool, it’s one of your tools. But I still think there’s a significant need for hands on, hands in the mouth, hands on the patient type of communication and observation…” – Dr. Nick White [06:48]
• On balancing tradition and innovation:
  “We need to make sure these minimally invasive are not just making life easier for the doctor. We want to do what’s best for our patients.” – Dr. Nick White [08:27]

---

Episode Flow & Timestamps

• 00:01 – Introduction
• 00:15 – Dr. White’s background & practice
• 00:54 – Current industry issues
• 02:11 – Staffing shortage discussion
• 03:56 – Using theme parks for staff engagement
• 05:33 – Key learnings from outside industries
• 06:02 – Exciting developments and concerns in dentistry
• 07:26 – Essential qualities for future leaders
• 08:41 – Closing remarks

---

This episode provides a wealth of practical insights for dental professionals facing industry challenges, focusing on innovative team management and the balance between tradition and technology. Dr. White’s approach to leadership and patient-centric care stands out as an actionable model for others in the field.

Transcript

[A]

Hello, this is Ariana Portolatten with the Becker's Dental and DSO Review podcast. I'm thrilled to be joined today by Dr. Nick White of Lake Mary Pediatric Dentistry in Florida. Dr. White, thank you so much for being here today.

[B]

Thank you for having me.

[A]

Yes, definitely. To start us off, can you introduce yourself for our listeners and tell us a little bit about your background?

[B]

Sure. My name is Nick White. I'm the owner of Lake Mary Pediatric Dentistry and Winter Park Pediatric Dentistry here in Orlando, Florida. I've been in private practice for 20, 20 years now. Graduate of the University of Florida Dental School and the University of Florida Pediatric Program, and also serve on the Florida Board of Dentistry. Great.

[A]

Thank you so much for sharing a little bit about yourself there. First question here, what are some of the biggest issues that you're following in the dental industry this year?

[B]

This year still, I think a lot of docs are still dealing with staff shortages, trying to find good quality assistance. Hygiene battles have been waging where dentists are kind of outbidding and bidding for great hygienists. So if anybody's looking for those, it sometimes can be quite difficult. And, you know, everybody's been making. Making rounds to try and address that shortage, but it's still an ongoing problem. We've also got, you know, obviously, a big push for AI and new technolog in dentistry right now, which is making significant gains through private practice and DSOs alike. And it's, I think, a kind of a tall task for a lot of people to navigate their way and find which programs, which options for those really work best for their practice and for their practice philosophy. You know, aside from that, there's different landscapes that are changing as far as licensure and obviously compacts and things like that for interstate mobility for doctors and concepts of minimally invasive care versus traditional care and those sorts of things. So there's quite a bit actually going on in dentistry right now.

[A]

Yeah, definitely agree with you there. There's so much going on right now, and I know staffing in particular is such a critical issue facing the industry, so I did want to discuss that and go a little bit deeper. Can you give us a little bit more insight as to how staffing shortages are affecting the Florida region? Your practice in particular, has there been anything that you've done differently at your practice to try to recruit more?

[B]

We, you know, we've always. We've always taken pride in really treating our staff very well, whether it's through pay, whether it's through bonuses, whether it's through just Fun stuff that we do in the office. You know, we have staff outings that we like to do. We take them to. Obviously I'm lucky because I live in Orlando. So we have amazing theme parks that we'll have some staff training days at to go have some fun. But also pay attention to how certain theme parks interact with their customers and try and bring some of those concepts back to the office. Making sure the staff, you know, get, get in and out on time, you know, have a, have a set lunchtime. We're not keeping them over way past their, their lunch hour, way past the end of the day hour. You know, a lot of my staff have families of their own and kids that they need to get to. So we really take great pride in being a family oriented office and really making the staff feel like they're part of our extended family. That's always helped. And then obviously it gets more competitive with so many offices kind of fighting for a short number of staff that it's really, we've really seen a significant increase in Florida as far as pay scale goes for both assistants and hygienists.

[A]

Super interesting what you mentioned there, particularly about the theme parks. I know that's definitely a perk of being in Florida. Definitely can't do that here in Chicago, where I'm based out of, but that would be great. Can you tell me a little bit more about that? I'd love to hear. What theme parks are you going to, how often and what have you really taken as far as customer service at those theme parks?

[B]

Well, you know, Florida, obviously we're blessed with two, I mean, three really significant theme parks. But I think the two main ones obviously Disney and Universal. So we, we've made a point. We pretty much visited every Disney and Universal park with the staff usually twice a year, once in the spring, once in the fall. And it's not just to go have fun. Believe me, we do go in there and have fun and have a great time on one of these days. But we also have specific instructions for them when they get to the park and it's paying attention to, you know, what do they notice when the staff is interacting with some of the customers or park guests? And how do they deal with somebody who's upset? How do they make somebody smile, how do they go out of their way to help engage those park guests? And how can we do that back in our office? And we've had some really, really great feedback from parents as well. But when the staff comes back and we sit down and we kind of discuss what we saw and what we learned from those. And we've been able to implement several of those kind of strategies in our practice and it's really paid off.

[A]

Yes, super interesting. Just those tips there. I'm sure other dental practice owners, no matter where they are, can try to implement something very similar with staff outings and kind of really seeing what different businesses and different industries are doing as far as customer service and take those lessons back to the practice. So thank you so much for sharing that. Next question here. What are you most excited about when it comes to dentistry right now? And is there anything that makes you nervous about the industry?

[B]

You know, I like to see what I'm really excited about. I like to see a lot of the interdisciplinary approaches now where we're working a lot more closely with some of our medical colleagues. Specifically, you know, in my field with Pete and Ortho, a lot more ENT and airway breathing modalities and concepts, getting kids, you know, through these, these into these visits with ents and looking and establishing these airways a lot, a lot sooner than what we used to do. And you know, I am excited about some of the AI and the diagnostic tools that come along with that, with a caveat to that because I still think there's a very strong focus for hands on approach. AI stuff is great and it does help, It's a tool, it's one of your tools. But I still think there's a significant need for hands on, hands in the mouth, hands on the patient type of communication and observation to be combined with some of that new technology to help with your diagnosis and your treatment plans.

[A]

Great, thank you for sharing your thoughts there. Last question for you here. What will the most effective healthcare leaders need to be successful in the next two to three years?

[B]

They need to be very adaptable to changing landscapes. So landscapes are changing left and right, back and forth all the time. We've seen in the last few years a significant increase in DSO consolidation from private practices going in with DSOs to DSOs consolidating with each other. And then we've seen a slowdown on some of that now. And I think we're kind of in one of those ebbs and flows where I think we might start to see a big tick up with more consolidation here in the future. And I think the new health care leaders or healthcare providers really have to be willing to learn new techniques, but also not give up on the trial and true methods of what dentistry has done in the past. You know, there's a big push for some of the minimally invasive treatment modalities, but we need to make sure these minimally invasive are not just making life easier for the for the doctor. We want to do what's best for our patients. And sometimes the old tried and true methods really work better for those things. So making sure dentists are not just relying on what's easiest for them, what's really going to be best for their patients.

[A]

Well, thank you for sharing that. Well, that's all I have for you today. Dr. Wade, thank you so much for joining us today. It was a great conversation. Definitely great to hear about what you're doing at your practice and the trends and issues that you're following in the industry. So it's been a pleasure speaking with you, and I look forward to connecting with you again in the future. Thank you.

[B]

Yeah. Thank you for having me.