#62 A Sit down with Dr. Thomas Dudney

Summary

Podcast Summary: Bubba On the Lake

Episode #62: A Sit down with Dr. Thomas Dudney
Host: Bill "Bubba" Bussey
Date: June 18, 2026

Overview

This episode of "Bubba On the Lake" features a warm, lively “sit down” conversation with Dr. Thomas Dudney, a longtime friend, renowned cosmetic dentist, and sponsor of the podcast. Recorded in Dr. Dudney’s Alabaster, Alabama office, the discussion touches on everything from the transformative power of veneers to dental technology, personal stories from Dr. Dudney’s career, behind-the-scenes stories with his office manager Christy, and some delightful detours into golf, military stories, sports fandom, and family life.

The tone is upbeat and conversational, filled with genuine humor and personal anecdotes—a signature of Bubba’s podcasting style.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Dr. Dudney and His Team

• Dr. Dudney has practiced dentistry since 1977 and been in his current office since 1981. He’s known for a friendly, caring approach and longevity in the field.
• Christy, the office manager/assistant, has been with him for 41 years and is celebrated as “running the place” ([09:19], [21:59], [22:04]).

2. Advancements in Dentistry & The Power of Veneers

• Veneers as Life-Changing: Bubba, a veneer patient himself, describes how the procedure changed his life, boosting confidence and social interactions ([10:53], [12:16], [19:46]).
• Smile Design Principles: Dr. Dudney explains, “There are four things that make a smile attractive…size, shape, position, and color. You only had one of those. That was position.” ([12:59])
• Process and Technology: The consultation process is gentle and thorough—friendly, relaxed, focusing on patient goals and truths about the procedure ([13:57]–[15:36]).
• Veneers now last 25+ years; “We have patients...that had veneers in the mouth for 30 years, and they still look good.” ([16:15]–[16:56])
• Cost Transparency: One veneer is $1600, typically 10 teeth per smile. Consult is $100, credited if work proceeds ([16:10]–[16:56]).

3. Lab Partnerships and Artistic Ceramists

• Dr. Dudney explains the importance of using highly skilled lab ceramists to create natural-looking restorations: “They’re artists...talented.” ([19:19]–[19:24])
• Close partnership with Gary Vaughn, a ceramic specialist, ensures top-tier results ([18:41]–[19:14]).

4. Dentistry’s Emotional Impact

• On Changing Lives: Both Bubba and Dr. Dudney reflect on stories of how a brightened smile affects not just self-image, but social and business relationships ([20:21], [21:15]–[21:59]).
• “When people tell you that, you know, this is the best money I ever spent, you know, this is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself, that’s a good feeling.” — Dr. Dudney ([21:15])
• Many patients need to relearn how to smile after their transformations ([20:53]–[21:00]).

5. Behind the Scenes: Office Dynamics and Techniques

• Christy’s expertise enables a seamless “NASCAR pit crew” style of work: “We can do it non-verbally...patients say, you know, I’m sitting there watching, it's like a symphony.” ([37:01])
• Injection secrets: “Go slow, go easy...the anesthetic numbs as it goes” plus warming the anesthetic reduces discomfort ([35:08]–[36:39]).
• On laughing gas: “If you’re anxious...I’m telling you, [it] relaxes them...It’s 100% reversible and we use it safe for children.” ([38:44]–[39:32]).

6. Personal Side of Dr. Dudney

• Golfing and Family: He plays golf, enjoys family (especially grandkids), and hosts big family gatherings at the beach ([26:09], [50:04]).
• Annual father-son golf trips, and pride in his son’s and grandkids’ budding golf skills ([26:36]–[27:03]).
• His daughter is a dermatologist in Birmingham; six grandchildren in total ([27:04]–[27:44]).

7. Teaching and Lecturing

• Dudney regularly lectures and leads hands-on training for other dentists, including internationally ([29:36]–[32:31]).
• Stories teaching with Dr. Larry Rosenthal in NY, Palm Beach, London—encountering famous clients and witnessing differences in public healthcare dental outcomes ([30:52]–[33:32]).

8. Military Service

• Served as a dental officer from 1977–1980, including field exercises in Germany and the Mojave Desert ([40:55]–[42:44]).
• “I was the only dentist there for the whole battalion...Assigned to a medical battalion...spent six weeks in Germany, traipsing around in a tent.” ([41:00]–[41:34])

9. Sports Fandom

• College and Pro Sports: Dr. Dudney is a huge sports fan—especially SEC football (Auburn), but follows many sports ([44:11]–[45:49]).
• Attended multiple Super Bowls, Final Fours, World Series, and the Indy 500 —reminiscing about game memories and halftime shows ([46:10]–[49:55]).
• “If you said, okay, ‘What’s your one favorite thing to do?’...every other year at Thanksgiving we take our entire family...and we get a big house down at the beach.” ([50:04]–[50:25])

10. Anecdotes and Humor

• Christy was first a patient before joining as an employee ([39:34]).
• Stories about military pranks with a giant drill ([40:10]–[40:53]).
• Light banter about the automatic boat cover nearly ranking as life-changing as veneers ([19:46]–[19:58]).
• Commentary on the art of interviewing and letting guests talk, with a playful jab at Sean Hannity ([51:44]–[51:56]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Smile Design: “There are four things that make a smile attractive...size, shape, position, and color. You only had one of those.” — Dr. Dudney [12:59]
• Changing Lives: “When people tell you...‘this is the best money I ever spent, the best thing I’ve ever done for myself,’ that’s a good feeling.” — Dr. Dudney [21:15]
• On Patient Comfort: “Go slow, go easy...it doesn’t have to be [painful]...the anesthetic numbs as it goes.” — Dr. Dudney [35:08]
• “You get divorced covering up a boat every Sunday...automatic boat cover—number two in life-changing!” — Bubba [19:58]
• Military Humor: “I was mashed...shaving out of a helmet with water.” — Dr. Dudney [41:34]
• On Family: “Grandkids are the best. And you’ll know that...One patient told me, ‘Grandkids are God’s gift for not killing your children.’” — Dr. Dudney [50:47], [51:09]
• “Having fun is the thing I used to tell you all the time. I come on there, I said, ‘Is this what you guys do?’...It’s great, where do I sign up?” — Dr. Dudney [52:38], [52:45]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dr. Dudney’s Practice and Team Introduction: 08:44–10:00
• Veneer Life-Changing Stories: 10:28–13:42
• Smile Design Principles: 12:59–13:42
• Consultation Process and Fees: 13:57–16:56
• Lab and Ceramist Discussion: 18:11–19:24
• Relearning How to Smile: 20:53–21:59
• Dentistry’s Emotional Impact: 21:15–21:59
• Nonverbal Office Teamwork: 37:01–37:20
• Injection/Anesthetic Secrets: 35:01–36:39
• Gas and Patient Comfort: 37:48–39:32
• Military Service Stories: 40:55–42:44
• Golf & Family: 26:09–27:44, 50:04–50:25
• Sports Memories & Super Bowls: 46:10–49:55

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Takeaways for New Listeners

This episode is a showcase of friendly Southern storytelling, providing practical dental insight, genuine reflections on self-improvement, the value of teamwork, and the importance of family and fun. Both Bubba and Dr. Dudney offer transparency, humor (“automatic boat covers”), and heartfelt narratives that reveal why so many patients (and listeners) trust them.

Dr. Dudney’s advice for those unhappy with their smile: start with a relaxed consultation, look for expertise that values artistry, and don’t underestimate the personal impact of smiling with confidence.

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For appointments or more info:
Dr. Thomas Dudney | Alabaster, AL | [phone] | tedudney.com

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“If you enjoy what you do, you never work.” — Dr. Dudney [52:38]

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Transcript

[Bubba]

This podcast is brought to you in part by Russell Lands Coke Buffalo Wild Wings, Central State Bank, Dr. Thomas Dudney, Sunrise Docks, Bice Motors, the Green Monster Fishing Lights. Now back to Bubba on the Lake.

[Bubba (singer/rapper persona)]

Beat U double B A on the lake hey wishing I could listen to the show every day hey gotta hear what Bubba and his buddies gott on B U double B A on the lake in the mellow yellow studio putting on a show Betty say what she always on the go we got hunter bus sitting at master control don't wanna miss a moment cause Bubba's got the flow B U double B A on the lake hey wishing I could listen to the show every day hey gotta hear what Bubba and his buddies gotta say on B U B A on the lake Hey B U B A Hey B U.

[Bubba]

On the lake hello again, friends, neighbors and associates. I want to welcome you to Bubba on the Lake. I am your semi retired, mostly washed up host, formerly the Rick and Bubba show and now proud to be your host for Bubba on the Lake, AKA the People's Podcast, where the people come to be heard. We always like to say people, places and perspectives and we're going to cover more of those places here in the near future. If you're hearing this and you're following us on social media, you probably already see what we're talking about. But we'll have a full report coming up soon. We are broadcasting from the Melayella Studio and I love Meliella and appreciate those Coke products, I really do. Our website is bubonthelate.com. you can email me [e-mail] and of course, our message line 308-244-5253 or better said 308 Big Lake. That's 308 Big Lake. You got about 30 seconds. Give us a comment. May make it to air. May not always enjoy them, though. We get a laugh around the office here. We want you also to subscribe, turn on notifications, don't miss a thing, and follow us on social media, y'.

[Christy]

All.

[Bubba]

I'm, I'm still amazed at the number of people I run into. And we have this, this general conversation. Hey, Bubba, miss you on the show. And I say, I miss being there. And they will say, how's the podcast going? And I'll say, it's going great. Have you listened? And they go, no, I don't know how to do it. And I say, well, you want me to fix it for you? And I said, yeah, if you want to. So they hand me their phone And I pull up their podcast app, whatever it's called, and I do a quick search for bub on the lake and then we bring it up and then we hit subscribe or follow or, you know, there's several terms go with some of that. So then it pops right into your phone. Then if you have CarPlay or you play your tunes through your speakers in your car, you have the podcast there in a beautiful non static signal that you can listen to, start, stop, however you need to. It's a wonderful thing. You know, the technology is obviously way ahead of the talent doing this podcast, but it is there and we would like for you to use it if at all possible. We also want to remind you we have folks from all over the world that listen to this podcast. I am amazed when I look at the list of where everybody listens to this and it's not the largest majority. I mean, obviously the United States is the biggest part, 95%. But when you see Iran and you see Kazakhstan and you see all these other places that you go, wow, shout out to those people. Because I'm sure it's not easy getting the podcast there. 1 and 2 may be illegal to listen to, who knows, you know, because we're quite the rebel rousers here. But wherever you hear the show, if you are in the Lake Martin area, which is, you know, anywhere from Montgomery to Atlanta, Birmingham to Mobile, Friday on the Green is going on. And it is really a fun thing. It's family friendly. The dogs can come. They have waste stations there. They do say, bring your own insect repellent. You need that sometimes. Or you know what I found out? A little dewalt fan with a battery on it will keep the bugs away too, and keep you cool. There's food at nearby Catherine's Market, Spring house fannies. And from time to time, Big Mike's barbecue will be there. So you never know. You just never know. You need to check their website for the very latest Russell lands.com or check on their app on the phone full of information. I go there all the time, try to see. I can't keep up with all that's going on. We got a great podcast for you. We sit down with our longtime friend, Dr. Thomas Dudney. He's a sponsor on the show. Full disclaimer. But we, we didn't do this for that. We always have a lot of fun with him and Christy and his staff, and we wanted to talk to him a little bit about what he does, but a whole lot about him. And behind the scenes and get to know him a little better. He's really a very, very sweet and caring man and just, just a fine friend to have. And we've really appreciated him being our dentist for so long and still sporting the veneers. Ding. Can you see Ding. And he talks a little bit about them and. But we wanted to get a little further in depth behind the scenes with Dr. Thomas Dudney and Christie's there. We had a great time. We, we actually recorded this segment over in their office. So it was a lot of fun and they're good folks. So without further ado, we will start that. We'll be right back after these messages and we're going to have a sit down with Dr. Thomas Dudney.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Where's Bubba?

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Bubba]

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[Bubba]

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[Bubba]

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[Bubba (singer/rapper persona)]

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[Commercial Announcer]

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[Bubba]

Well folks, we're back with an old friend. You know him, you love him. Dr. Thomas Dudney. Doctor, how are you, sir?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Bubba, I could not be better. It is great to be with you.

[Bubba]

You know, I'm glad to be in your office and I told you this is one of the rare times I've been in your office. I hadn't been on the gas.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I know. Or we hadn't been fixing something.

[Bubba]

Yeah, I mean, I think I'm the only one that asked for gas when I come by for a copay, you know, I mean, I just get nervous writing that check. Right, and you, and you have your trusty assistant, Christy here.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, I think trustee is probably not the right word. I don't know what the word is.

[Christy]

I think it's more than an assistant.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, she's. She runs the office, basically.

[Bubba]

So you've been here how long?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Life.

[Christy]

How 41 years.

[Bubba]

So what did you start when you were six? How did you do that?

[Christy]

No, just right out of high school.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

It was kind of like, to be honest with you, it's such a great work environment. She just doesn't age here, you know, just.

[Bubba]

It's just Doc always had an eye

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

for talent working in a spa, you know, she just keeps looking young.

[Bubba]

Well, how, how are things in the world of dentistry?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Well, you know, it's moving and shaking. Technology is changing and things are, you know, chugging right along.

[Bubba]

So how long have you been doing this?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Let's see. Gosh, you're putting me on the spot here. I graduated from dental school in 1977, so I've been doing this a little.

[Bubba]

So you probably got your picture next to the Liberty Bell here before you got out.

[Christy]

Right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

We've moved into this office. We started here in January of 1981. So we've been in this office. Make that 46 years. 45.

[Bubba]

I was a mere junior in high school.

[Bubba (singer/rapper persona)]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

Just learning to drive.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

But, you know, I think I tell this all, I say this all the time because I still lecture, I still teach, and I tell them, I said, if you do, you know, smiles and you do aesthetic type work, dentistry can be fun and it can be rewarding.

[Bubba]

You know, I can't imagine because we, with the radio show for so many years did the makeovers.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yes.

[Bubba]

And we heard these incredible stories.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yes.

[Bubba]

Life changing.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yes.

[Bubba]

I mean, I really can't think of much else that would be. I mean, I'm sure people have had disease and they got better and all that was great. And, you know, you appreciate that. But just from a. I want to change the way people look at me and interact with me, how I feel about, how I feel about myself. I can't think of anything that would be more life changing than been able to smile because I. Like I told you, I. I got veneers. How many years ago, 23 idiots lifechanging. Yeah. Especially when you're around people with good teeth.

[Bubba (singer/rapper persona)]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

And then I'm sitting here flossing with a ski rope. You know, it didn't. It just didn't look.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

All those little spaces. You still look good. Well, you still.

[Bubba]

I probably have a little cheese in there for lunch. But no, you know what I've had zero problems with? I mean, it's amazing because they became. Even though I have veneers.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Right.

[Bubba]

Or as I like to call it, the fence.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Right.

[Bubba]

They became my teeth because they bonded with the material used now, and they

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

do literally become part of your tooth.

[Bubba]

Yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

You know, with the. With the adhesive technology we have in dentistry, when you bond a thin, shallow porcelain of the tooth, it essentially becomes your tooth.

[Bubba]

And you don't have to take a lot off. You just take a little bit so it fits in there good. And you fix the spacing, you fix the links. Right. I mean, you give. And. And I tell you, I still. People, I don't. I don't guess you can ever appreciate it till you go through it.

[Christy]

Right.

[Bubba]

But I didn't smile at people. No. I mean, I laughed.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

We talked about that. We used to talk about on the show.

[Christy]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

But I mean, I can leave smile. I mean, I can give them the thing. You almost hear the ding go off. You know, I can smile with anybody.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

You notice how when you smile somebody, they smile back.

[Bubba]

Yes.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

It's a universal language, and I've always said that. I say it all the time. It's one of the things that's so rewarding about this is when you give somebody who's never wanted to smile the ability to really smile when they flash the big smile there, it's a. It's a friendly gesture. And people, if you don't even speak the same language, you smile at them there, you're going to see them smile back.

[Bubba]

I had to learn to smile. Yeah. Because I wasn't used to it.

[Christy]

Right.

[Bubba]

So I'd go down the mall and just walk around, you know, give everybody.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

You trained yourself not to smile.

[Bubba]

Yeah, you do. You do.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

There are four things that make a smile attractive. I say this all the time, and it's size, shape, position, and color. You only had one of those. That was position. Your teeth were pretty straight, pretty even, but size and shape was off and the color was off. You had the darker teeth, you know, from tetracycline stage.

[Bubba]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So you had dark teeth, you had small teeth. That's why you had spaces between all of them. So your Size and shape. Christie is the same thing. She had a size 2 size discrepancy. She literally had spaces between all of her teeth.

[Bubba]

And then look at her up here in this picture, which is, wow. I mean, huh.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

You know, orthodontics isn't going to fix that. So if you have four things, you need all four to be good. And you had three of those that weren't. So that's the beauty of veneers. And we could do it minimally, invasively, too.

[Bubba]

So for someone listening.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

And they go, yeah, the grill ain't what I want it to be. What's the first step? How do they. How do they approach that? Do you give them a consultation? How do you. How do you do that?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Right here in the room we're in right now, this is our consultation room. We. We come in here and we try to start off by just getting to know them a little bit. Friendly environment. We don't like a new patient, especially a patient coming for the first time for consultation, to walk in and put them in a chair, you know, shine a light in their face, come at them with something. You know, we like to sit down, like we're doing right now. This is relaxing. Yeah, right. It's comfortable, it's relaxing. We come in here, we sit down, we offer them something to drink, like Coke Zero.

[Bubba]

Oh, love the Coke.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And so, you know, so we're where

[Bubba]

a dentist giving you a Coke. I like that.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

That's zero, though. It's no calories and no sugar.

[Bubba]

What's in there?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Don't know that. But they. They come. So they start here. And we just want to get to know. We want it. We want to. I want to hear in their own words what it is that they're looking for or what they're not happy about or. And I also want to know, what do you know, you know, what you've heard? Because a lot of times they've heard things or they've read things that may or may not be true. So we start out that way.

[Bubba]

You know, the Internet has some false information out there.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Really?

[Bubba]

Y. Just look up Christie, you see all kind of stuff.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, you know, there's a lot of stuff out there, but, yeah, we just wanted to come in and just in a relaxed environment, just talk about it. Then after we've met and talked and gone over everything, I. I hear why they're there. Then we'll go back and, you know, we might take some pictures, might get some X rays and we'll do an examination and look in there. And usually because I've been doing this so long, because I taught for so many years, you know, we're where dentist would bring a patient. You know, I. It takes me like 10 seconds. I can look in their mouth and almost instantly form a mental picture in my head about, you know, what needs to be done, what's right. You know, one of the things that dentists, I think, make mistake, that do this kind of work is you. You need to not only see, okay, what. What isn't right, what needs to be fixed, but what's right there may be. If something's good you want to preserve, you don't want to change something that's already right.

[Bubba]

Right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And we. We call them smile design principles. There's principles of smile design. And you adhere to those principles, and you're usually going to end up with a really good result, especially if you have a great laboratory to work with.

[Bubba]

So if somebody wants to come see you, you give them a consultation. What cost? What are you talking about?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

What.

[Bubba]

And what kind of options are available? Because I know that's the next thing everybody's thinking about.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So in our office of an ear for. For one tooth is sixteen hundred dollars. That's our fee. And. And usually a smile is 10 teeth. So our consultation visit is $100. We do that because we used to do no charge for the consultant, and people just don't keep the appointment.

[Bubba]

Right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So we feel like we try to pick a price that people just won't give a hundred dollars.

[Bubba]

Right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

You know?

[Bubba]

Right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

They're not gonna say, well, your time's valuable. Yes, it's valuable. We consult. Right. I mean, we credit the consult fee back if they do the work.

[Bubba (singer/rapper persona)]

Right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

It's just we don't anymore. Okay.

[Bubba]

She shake her head?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I don't know.

[Bubba]

Listen, sometimes, as you said, Christie runs the office.

[Christy]

What are you talking about?

[Bubba]

She's working on commission.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Well, and the thing is, I just. I just want them. I. I don't want them to think that it's not a valuable appointment or valuable time. The. But the. To me, the value of veneers is that they last so long when they're done. Well, we used to say 20 years when I first started, because I didn't know. I mean, when we did yours 23 years ago, I would have said 20 years. Well, look, it's been 20 plus three, and they still look good. So we have patients that literally had veneers in the mouth for 30 years, and they still look good. So we know now, Instead of saying 20, we'll say 25 and it could be longer. And that's the amazing thing, is that you have something that lasted. The value is. Yes, that's a big ticket item. Okay. But the value is how long they last and how good. And listen, you filter that over 25 years.

[Christy]

That's what I always tell them. Like, divide that.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, divide it out and see the value. I don't know many people that drive a car for 25 years. Probably not a lot of them doing that.

[Christy]

And we have a. Books like these are all our patients is not actually like a Photoshop or, you know, anything like that.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Before and after pictures.

[Bubba]

Yeah, My picture in there somewhere.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

You're there. You're in the operatory.

[Bubba]

Oh, back there. So. And the people who actually do the tooth, which it is ceramic.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Right.

[Bubba]

Talk of that about that a little bit because that. That's where the. I mean, you have the skill to do it. But that lab work is critical.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

It is critical and it's one of the reasons why you don't want to skimp on. On price when it comes to this. Because if your dentist can't afford to use a good quality laboratory.

[Bubba]

Right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Then you're not going to get the results. I don't care how good your dentist is. Our relationship with the laboratory now, we have to give them the right information and we have to give them something to work with.

[Bubba]

But you make an impression.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

We're doing. Exactly.

[Bubba]

Yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

But the laboratory. The laboratory I'm using now cordenal signs. And I've worked with Gary Vaughn for. He's a personal friend.

[Christy]

Gary Vaughn.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

We've done it for over 20 years. And so he's very talented. He does beautiful work for us. I've been fortunate to work with two tremendous ceramics in my career. My first one was a dear friend who unfortunately passed away. I had cancer and it's. I still. I. He did veneers on all my family. Did Christie's veneers. He did my veneers. He did Everybody's Veneers and say that name again.

[Bubba]

You don't hear that job title much. Ceramics.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Ceramics, yeah.

[Bubba]

Wow.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

They're.

[Bubba]

Except down Pottery Barn, maybe.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

They're more than a lab technician. They're. They're.

[Bubba]

They're artists.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

They're. They're artists and they're talented. But yeah, Adrian was a. Was a dear friend and did incredible work for me. And Gary Vaughn is now filled right in, is doing just as well. I mean, just does beautiful work. He's a family man. He cares about what he does and it's just great to work with him.

[Bubba]

You know, I like to rank things that are life changing.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Right.

[Christy]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

And I would say veneers is the top of the list for me. Second. It's coming in second. Automatic boat cover. You know, but veneers still hold the top, you know, I mean, look,

[Christy]

you

[Bubba]

get divorced covering up a boat every Sunday, you know what I mean?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

A lot of work covered up a boat.

[Christy]

Oh, boy.

[Bubba]

That automatically go right over remote control. Everybody's happy, we're out of here. So coming in now at number three, a Tesla. Yeah. So, you know, that list is constantly updating, but I. It is, it was, it was. And I remember telling Betty, I said, I just cannot believe.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Right.

[Bubba]

How people respond to you. And if. And you have to think about it. Not only family, but in business.

[Commercial Announcer]

Yep.

[Bubba]

And everything else. I mean, they just respond. And, you know, you think, well, people are, you know, they're visual, they're skin deep. You know, we know all that. But it's just, it's just the way it is. I mean, I can't change the world.

[Christy]

And a lot of times people think you're sad because you're not smiling at them, and that's where we are unhappy. Or they'll keep their lip down so they don't smell smile, full smile, or you know, they're kind of like, put their head down.

[Bubba]

I mean, we've seen our hand up. Yeah.

[Christy]

We've had a lot of people and they, they've had to retrain their self to just smile.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, they smile with their lips together. It just, it's just. And it's one of those things where emotionally it's, it's so fulfilling. I mean, we've had a lot of patients. I mean, you don't want to overplay this. I mean, there are people, there are doctors out there saving people's life. Okay.

[Bubba]

Or.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Or curing them of horrible diseases or something. So I'm not trying to overplay this. I'm just saying that when people tell you that, you know, this is the best money I ever spent, you know, this is the best thing I've ever done for myself, that's a good feeling. And that, that's a very rewarding feeling. And, and people will tell you that. They will tell you it changed their life. It'll tell you because they were so. I'm aware about the way they look, you know, and so they, they'll say that. And that's, that's powerful. And it's something that makes what I do fun to do. And why I'm still doing it.

[Bubba]

We're talking to Dr. Thomas Dudney and assistant Christy, who runs the place, who. We all knew that anyway. You. You run everything anyway, right? That you're around.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, she. She's assist because she's the best assistant that's ever been.

[Bubba]

How come we're aging and she's not? That's what I want to know. When was this picture, Chrissy?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I don't know.

[Christy]

It was probably six years ago.

[Bubba]

Maybe a little Ella Langley imitation here or something.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, it is really kind of. I don't know if she can sing quite like her, but she's pretty close in the look department. Yeah, it's. She's the office man. She runs the office. She does. She assists because I need her to assist because she's just that good. And, And I need somebody who knows what I'm doing, you know, I am. But see, I sit on the right side of the chair, she sits on the left. And because she's knowledgeable about what we're doing, we've been doing it so long, she sees things that I don't always see because she sees the left side better than I do. So it helps to have somebody in that co pilot seat that's watching what

[Bubba]

you're getting up in the mouth. That's tough.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

It is. And it's hard, you know, as you get older, it's harder to, you know, sit around in there. I wear. I wear these glasses. They're real long, you know, so I can at least see a lot of light. We call. We call them loops, but I'm telling you, without loops, I'm blind. I'm like a bat. You don't want me working on you without loops.

[Bubba]

And I would always get tickled because my tongue wants to get in the way. Way, you know, everybody. And I mean mine. Like I could lift weights with it. You know what I mean? It's, it's. It's really like getting away, Chris. You have to sit on that thing. Keep it out of the way.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

We have a lot of fancy workout. It is. It is.

[Bubba]

We're talking to Dr. Thomas Dudney and we'll be right back with more in just a moment.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

1, 2, 3.

[Commercial Announcer]

We'll be right back.

[Bubba]

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[Commercial Announcer]

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[Bubba]

We're back with Dr. Thomas Dudney in his office in Alabaster, Alabama. He has been a longtime sponsor of the podcast, and we wanted to introduce him to you. Get. Let you get to know him a little bit better. And Dr. Dudney, thank you for letting us come in here and crash in your office today.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

It's a pleasure, Always great to be with you.

[Bubba]

So what do you like to do away from the office? Well, let's, let's, let's find out a little more about you. Well, you know, and we'll ask Christie in a minute. Okay.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Well, we'll say, why are you still working? I said one of the reasons is because I don't really have a lot of hobbies. Okay. I play golf and I love golf.

[Bubba]

How are you as a golfer?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Not real good.

[Bubba]

So you need to play more?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

No, it's just like my back won't let me play more, so, you know, my back starts bothering me. But my son is a very good golfer, Brett, and he is close to scratch. Not quite scratch, but he's probably two, three handicaps, something like that. Plays really well. And one of the best things about him is he's plays out at Chill Creek where he's a member, so.

[Bubba]

Oh, that's real good.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Pretty nice. When Your son plays golf, but we do a father son golf trip every year. This will be our sixth year coming up, and it's one of my most enjoyable things to do. He has two little boys, 6 and 9, that are going to grow up to be really good golfers because they're

[Bubba]

already out there hitting it.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yep. And they. He started them just like I did with him. I realized that because I waited too late in life just try to learn how to play golf. But I was going to be sure my son learned early on because it's something you can play your whole life.

[Bubba]

Yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So he's got his two little boys out there. I have two. We have myself, my wife Diane, have two daughters. They're both married. They each have two children. One of them is a dermatologist here in Birmingham, Danette. And she is, from what people tell me, a really good dermatologist.

[Bubba]

So you can fix the tea, she can cut moles. Yep. I mean, y' all need to be in like the same building.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And she has a daughter that just finished her freshman year at Auburn and a son who's a sophomore at John Carroll High School. So. And then my other daughter, Lindsay, lives in Nashville. Her and her husband have two girls that are. Will be sophomores and junior. No freshmen and sophomores in high school next year. So I have six grandchildren.

[Bubba]

So what kind of clubs do you have me of?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Why'd you ask me?

[Bubba]

You don't play enough golf.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I don't look at them enough to know.

[Bubba]

So what's your best shot?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Are you shot right now? Honestly, you know, this is what's crazy. My. My most consistent club in my bag is my driver. My least consistent club in my bag is my putters.

[Bubba]

Well, you know what to say. You drive for show and put for.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So I don't play for money.

[Bubba]

You know, I saw an article not too long ago and they were talking about people they most of the time focus on driving and putting.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Right.

[Bubba]

But the hundred yard in shot is. Is half the shots you take.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yes.

[Bubba]

And people don't practice those enough. But basically the short game, the chipping, the setup shots.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Right.

[Bubba]

Because that makes, that makes a difference on if you're going to have a 40 foot putt or a six foot.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

People that play really good golf always have a good short game.

[Bubba]

Right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Chipping. But around the green, they get up and down around the green, they make pars around the green. But I really, to me, you know, since I don't do a lot of other things, I don't like yard work. I Don't like doing. I don't. I'm not a fix it guy. Now Christie's husband, he does everything. You know, in fact, my. Somebody in my family, I can't remember who it was, was calling her husband's Jerry.

[Bubba]

So big Jerry.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So Jerry's known if you need something fixed, he can do it.

[Bubba]

Okay.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So I don't know.

[Bubba]

Pretty handy something.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

My family was talking and I think it was my granddaughter said to her, well, just call Jerry. She already knew.

[Christy]

She didn't even know who Jerry was. It was funny.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

If you have a problem, you know, he can fix it. Because my wife calls all the time. She's got like a list. So her honeydew list. Now we pay for that honeydew list. But, but he's your fix it guy, right? Still, rather. And so that's one of the reasons why what would I do?

[Bubba]

But you travel a lot too.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I do, I travel. I'm still teaching still.

[Bubba]

You still enjoy travel?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I, I don't like the travel part. I do like teaching. I very, I, I'm very much enjoy lecturing. And, and, and because I've been lucky in my career that I learned from a lot of really smart people, really good dentists who are nice enough to me to kind of take me under their wing and teach me. So I like sharing and I like giving that back. And so that's fun to me.

[Bubba]

When you teach, what does that look like? Well, you just talk to dentists. Do you have a guest come in there and you got them in the chair. Come over.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Up until a few years ago, one of my main teaching things was a live patient hands on courses. That's where dentists would actually bring a patient, would do veneers on the patient and they would come to a clinical facility. We would lecture all day on Friday, then we go into the clinic on Saturday and they would, you know, prep a case for veneers. And then a few weeks, three weeks later, we'd come back, be in the same place, lecture on Friday, and then they'd put the veneers in on Saturday. So those were two weekend programs and we did them. I did those for years. And all over the country you taught

[Bubba]

some of the guys. I know we had the conversation about one of the shows that came on from, from, I guess it was Hollywood, California there. And you actually taught some of those guys, didn't you? Yeah, we were dentists to the stars.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, I don't know about dentists. The dentists, the dentist that taught me that I taught with for 10 years. Larry Rosenthal is considered dense to the stars because he's in Manhattan. And his, I mean, his list of celebrity patients includes, believe it or not, at one time, who I've met on several occasions. Donald Trump was his patient before. Obviously he got the best politics.

[Bubba]

He got the best veneers ever.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

He did, yeah. That's probably how he said the best. I was actually in his.

[Bubba]

I wasn't a good imitation, but you

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

know what I mean, I knew, I knew who you're talking about. But yeah, I saw him, I actually saw him in his office when he had his lower veneers put in. And he's looking at mirror. I just walked by and he's looking at me. He looks up at me and he goes, what do you think? I said, I think they look really good, you know, so there you go.

[Bubba]

MAGA Nation. Yeah, yeah, get your veneers like Trump.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

But he's, I mean, that's obviously a pretty well known name, but he, I can sit here and list all the players that, you know, like, I think they're cool stories too. Like, you know, Wayne Gretzky not only became his patient, became very good friends. And his last jersey or one of his last jerseys he wore in his last game with the Rangers, he signed it and gave him the jersey. Yeah, because I, I saw with my own eyes it was in his closet, folded up in the bottom of his closet.

[Bubba]

Man, you're not gonna have that in a shadow box somewhere.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I told him, I said, larry, what are you doing? You got Wayne Gretzky. It says you are the greatest. Yeah, wayne Gretzky, number 99. So I just, so, you know, it's kind of cool being around that. And we taught. We taught. Now this is what was fun. When I was teaching hands on courses with him, we were in New York, where he's from New York, but we were also in West Palm beach. And that's how, you know, you know, we would see Trump playing on his golf course there. And then we were in London, we were teaching in London, teaching a course. And those are our three places we were teaching.

[Bubba]

So gosh knows, I think London could probably use.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

They needed us. Let me tell you something.

[Bubba]

What's up with that? Why? Because everybody makes socialist medicine.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I just, I can answer that very easily. Because the government paid for their dental care and people would go, and you're not going to get good dental care. It's the same way in our country.

[Bubba]

Right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

If you want to get managed care, you're not going to get the highest end Right. And so we're going over there.

[Bubba]

You're going to get the get by version.

[Christy]

Yes.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And the people are going to. People, listen, if I had to. If the government says, okay, you get this much for. You get 500 for a veneer. You think, I'm going to sit in my lab. My lab costs almost that much, you know, so it just. That's how it works out. Because. Been there. But there were people there in London that had money, they wanted the best. Okay, so these dentists, can they get

[Bubba]

that if they have.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Oh, there's dentists over there now that are really good and they're willing to pay. And they're. And they go outside the government just like, you know, if somebody comes here and says, this is my insurance, I go, but I want the best. Say, fine, if you want to pay for it, we will do it. We want you to have the best.

[Bubba]

Right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

But this is, this is why. This is what happens when you have socialized medicine and you get. You don't get the greatest of care. And it's. And that's why. And let me tell you, it's not a foul. I saw it with my own eyes. There was horrendous dentistry and really bad teeth. And they, Everybody kind of said joke. They kind of make fun of it, but it was true. I mean, I saw it, so I know it was true. But I still teach, I still lecture. So if I lecture, I have certain topics that I talk on. Obviously aesthetics is one, but I also talk about diagnosing, treating the worn dentition. I talk about materials. Materials are changing all the time. You know how technology is. So dentists have a hard time keep up with materials, adhesives and cements that we use. So I have a whole lecture where I talk for half a day on what the latest things are and. But what it does for me, it keeps me current. I have to learn. I can't get in front of a group full of a room full of dentists and talk about that without knowing it.

[Christy]

Sure.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So I have to stay really current. I have to work knowing what the latest stuff is.

[Bubba]

So I have to tell you just from my standpoint. And then we'll get back to other things you're doing. You were always one of the great shotgivers. Okay.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And.

[Bubba]

And I grew up with a dentist, bless his heart.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

But he'd come at you with that hand shaking and you could see it dripping off. Then I'm like, oh, my gosh. You know, and you're like a magician. I never even Knew you had it, you know, and it's gone, it's over. I'm like, Christy distracts you over here, and, hey, there it goes.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Christy. Well, I know. I know she will not let me hurt somebody. So she'll kick me under the chair if she thinks I'm hurting somebody.

[Christy]

Well, people will start moving their eyes or lifting their eyebrows or, you know, squeezing their hand.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

She's checking on them.

[Christy]

Yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

But I will tell you, there's some secrets. And I don't. I don't. I'm happy to share my secrets. We used to do in our courses way I. Another friend of mine was an instructor. You know, we watch these dentists give shots, and we're going, we need to talk to them about how to give an injection. You know, because it doesn't have to be. I mean, they would tam the thing in and shove it in just like. I'm going, whoa, whoa, whoa. Go slow, go easy. You know, what you got to understand is an anesthetic numbs as it goes. So if you go real slow, it'll actually numb as it's going.

[Bubba]

Right?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And if you. If you, you know, are careful and you're gentle, then you can numb it as you're going. It is. But we do other things, too. One is anesthetics, by nature, are acidic, okay? Because it helps them work. It crosses the nerve barrier better when they're acidic. And they also have a vasoconstrictor in them. It keeps them in the area, keeps the blood vessels from dilating and carrying the anesthetic away. Keeps in that area. But we use one without it, without a vasoconstrictor first, because it has a zero pH, a neutral pH, it's not acidic, so that doesn't burn going in. We also warm the ascenic. Okay, so because you think about.

[Bubba]

That's what Christie was sitting on.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, she sits on it to warm it.

[Christy]

But, you know, you like the mother

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

hand, you don't think about this. Room temperature is 72. Your body's 98.

[Bubba]

Right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So 72. You may. For us, we're sitting here thinking, this feels cold. But inside your body, that feels really cold. So we warm the anesthetic so you go slow.

[Bubba]

The little things.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

People don't think about things like that. And when I'm telling you it's not hard to give an injection that doesn't hurt. We've had people say before, are you going to numb me up? And say, we already did?

[Bubba]

Yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

They go, what?

[Bubba]

And you get in there, too, and you Thumb and you're touching. You know, if you touch one place, your brain kind of focuses on that. It doesn't get the other. And yeah, I'm. You're like David Copperfield. I don't know where you hid that injection at because you just pulled it out of nowhere.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And I tell you another thing, too, about. We talk about, you know, Christy and running our office, but as an assistant, we work together for so long, we don't have. We can do it non verbally, and that's that. I mean, everything is going in. Pass. And we've had patients say, you know, I'm sitting there watching. It's like NASCAR pit crew says all this stuff is happening and nobody says a word.

[Bubba]

Yeah, I know.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

It's just like, change the tire.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Changes the tire or. I had my favorite one, though, is a patient one time. He's a really nice guy. I've been here several times. He said, I'm sitting there and of course, he's on the gas, but he's in the whole procedure. He said it was like a symphony. He said, I'm watching this. These hands are just going like this. And he said every. There's no sound. But he said, it's just. Everything is just in motion. And so it's.

[Christy]

He's in theater.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, he's theater guy.

[Bubba]

So tell me, you brought the gas up again. What is the big deal? Why are so many people. Why don't they use that? Because it's the great. To me, it's the greatest instrument ever.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I can tell you what patients have told me. One is patients, some people are. They don't like to lose control. In other words, they have to feel like they're in control when they're on the gas. They feel. They get so relaxed or they feel like they're maybe not in control. Some people say the thing on their nose makes them claustrophobic.

[Bubba]

Okay. If you're CPAP guy, you're used to that.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

And that bubble gum mask is awesome. I wish my CPAP smelled like that.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I know. But. Yeah, there are reasons people don't like it. Some people don't like that feeling of a couple glasses of wine. You know, I don't like Betty and her group, who got, you know, friendlier as it went on. You know, they don't like that. Yeah. Sip and talk. They just don't like. They don't like that feeling. But there are people that are anxious and have high anxiety and stuff, and I'm telling you, relaxes them.

[Commercial Announcer]

Yes.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

You know, I'M very nervous.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

We had people fall asleep, including you. Yes.

[Bubba]

Oh, I know. I kind of hate it when it's over.

[Commercial Announcer]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

I can tell the it's over, by the way, because I come back across the solar system and I was out there, you know, on the very edge, looking around, and it is called laughing gas.

[Christy]

Yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And sometimes it is inhibitions.

[Bubba]

It's fun.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Okay. Yeah. And because things that aren't really funny will seem funny to you.

[Bubba]

Yeah. I remember one time thinking, is that the biggest drill you got? I got a bigger drill than that at home. You know what I mean? That's not a drill. That little tiny thing. Isn't that funny? What you think when you're. That's fake, but it doesn't hurt you. And it's over when you discontinue it.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

100 reversible. And we use it safe for children. We use it on little kids all the time, you know, but that drills

[Bubba]

and me and Hunter.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, for sure. Christy. Christy was actually a patient here before she came to work here.

[Christy]

This is a funny story.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

She comes in one time, and I kind of. I used to do this when I was. I was in the military after dental school and the military, you can pretty much do anything.

[Christy]

And my mother. I gotta tell you this, my mother loves to scare me. Like growing up, she would get behind a curtain. She would.

[Bubba]

You probably need a little scare.

[Christy]

Oh, my gosh. She was the queen of scaring me.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Oh, yeah.

[Bubba]

So.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So Chrissy. I just, you know, she was young and. But I knew she liked laughing.

[Christy]

I was Christy Bitty.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I. She could take a joke. Okay.

[Bubba]

So I've heard some of your nicknames. Let's not go into that.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I used to do a lot of things I would do in the military. One of them was my favorite thing was I would get my Black and Decker drill, my big drill with a big, giant drill bit in it from home. And I'd put it on the counter next to me with a towel over it. And then I would see the soldier sitting in the chair. I'm going. So private. The military is experimenting with a new drill, and it's going to get this work done in less, probably half the time. Normal. But I have to have your permission. And I'd make them sign a little thing, you know, your permission to use this drill on you. So they would always say, okay, yeah. And then I'd take the towel off and go. They would grab that armrest and their head would go back in the chair. And it was. It was really good for A couple laughs.

[Bubba]

How long were you in the military?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Three years.

[Bubba]

See, I didn't even know that.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, three years. 77 to 1980.

[Bubba]

Where did you serve?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Fort Raleigh, Kansas. The Little Apple, man. I lived in Manhattan, Kansas. They called Manhattan, Kansas the Little Apple. And I served. Fort Riley was right adjacent to Manhattan. But, yeah, I was there three years. Learned a lot.

[Bubba]

Well, thank you for your service.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, it was. And I was really in the military. I was assigned to a medical battalion. So that means that when. When they went. When my battalion went to the field, I had to go with them. I spent six weeks in Germany, traipsing around the countryside, living in a tent, you know, shaving out of a helmet with water.

[Bubba]

I mean, you really were mashed.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I went, yeah, I was mashed. I went three weeks. I went over two weeks without shower. And we came to this place and they go, we're gonna let you go in this high school gym and get showers. I said, I never thought a shower. It feels so good. It's been six weeks in Mojave Desert, doing an exercise there called. That was Pleasant Desert Strike or something. Yeah, we were actually in a barracks. There was an old army base there that was defunct, but we got to stay in a bear. Didn't have to live in a tent. But I never thought it could be so hot during the day and then so cold at night.

[Bubba]

Yeah, people forget the desert gets cold. It reverses the other way.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Freezing it, freezing at night.

[Bubba]

Swallow them snakes. You're looking for something warm to cuddle up to.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And I was the only dentist there for the whole battalion. It was actually a brigade. And our medical battalion supported this. This field exercise. There were tanks, live tanks, firing. I mean, I could just sit on a tank while it was firing live ammo. And it was pretty wild. The jets are flying and all this kind of stuff. But I would come every morning, they call it sick call. And I would come to the thing and there would be 20, 30 people lined up to see the dentist because they get out of work. They didn't have to go to the field or something. You know, they come up with a tooth problem. So.

[Bubba]

Well, where people are, you're gonna have that. You know, you got to have basic supplies, basic treatments of things.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So, yeah, I was really. I was. I got to carry a.45. Had to get, you know, I have to go and. And get qualified and shoot. Go to the range and shoot it, which was always kind of fun. Shooting and loading a.45 is.

[Bubba]

Well, everybody gets to shoot in the military. Yeah, my dad was a cook, and they shot at zeros in the morning, cooked potatoes in the afternoon.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So, yeah, that was a real army.

[Bubba]

Welcome to the Philippines. We got a real fight on our ends here.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

We were doing it for training, but, yeah, it was kind of. It was kind of an inexperience. And then I would go to the dental. I would. I would go every morning and have to do pt Physical therapy. You know, not physical therapy, physical training. Physical training, right. Where we run two mile. We do all our calisthenics exercise and then run two miles in jump boots. In your fatigues. We'd run two miles. I was the only dentist there that had spit shine jump boots and of starch. Starch, fatigues, you know, and everybody else had this sloppy stuff. I had to pr. I had to haircut, you know, they all had hair and. And they couldn't. I'm telling you, people in the medical Tamiya, they didn't like dentists because they were. They just felt like they were just sloppy, but they liked it. My. My company, the captain of my company pulled me aside, said, you can do this one or two ways. Do it the right way or the sloppy way. I said, I just didn't do it the right way.

[Bubba]

We're talking to Dr. Thomas Dudney. We were talking about your things away from dentistry.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Christy]

You're.

[Bubba]

You're a big sports fan. I know you love football because we talk football every time I see you.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

And I mean, you really know it. You're not just say, I want this team to win or that team and the referees cheated you.

[Bubba (singer/rapper persona)]

You.

[Bubba]

No, you could talk about safeties and alignment and how you. How you should attack.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

You know, my school. You know my school, and we know my school and her. And so Alabama's obviously with Saban there. They were on top, and they're. They're still really good. Auburn has kind of been in the desert here. You know, we're like, well, Moses wandering in the desert with football. But our golf team just won the national championship. Our baseball team is hosting a super regional this. This weekend with the hopes of going to Omaha. So we have sports we're doing really well in. But football, unfortunately, is. Is kind of in a. In a bad downside.

[Bubba]

Well, the good news is there's not much way you can go but up.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Right.

[Bubba]

You know?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah. You know, and the problem is when you go up, it's just like, you

[Bubba]

know, we'll take you as a game. Now, we've been to three bowl games the last Three years, which Auburn hadn't. So, you know, we'll take you over there, too.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I know. And Jacksonville State is unbelievable in baseball. They're good in a lot of sports. They've had a lot of sports. And how about Troy winning their regional? I mean, it's just like this amazing what's going on. The state of Alabama doesn't get enough credit for. The state of Alabama is hosting three super regionals. That is incredible. If you think about three of the

[Bubba]

teams going to the World Series will come from the state of Alabama playing here.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Right. And it could be three Alabama teams. But the fact that you're the state our size is hosting three super regionals.

[Bubba]

Yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

You know, is pretty, pretty amazing if you think about it. But yeah, I, I love sports and I, I, my son is. Loves sports and we've, we've been fortunate to go to a lot of really fun things. We've been to super bowl, we've been to the Final Four. We've been to World Series game. We've been to the Indianapolis 500, NBA games. We just.

[Bubba]

Which one is your all your favorite? If you only had one, what would it be be?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Super Bowl's pretty cool, but I don't know, something about the Final Four. You know, just that atmosphere. I mean, Auburn just look at. Talking about Europe. You don't want to go to down. I mean, two years ago, Auburn's in the Final Four. Last year we don't even make the tournament.

[Bubba]

Right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So, I mean, it's just like that's that roller coaster ride. But that's a really good question. Indy 500 was, was wild. I mean, the, the sound of those cars make how loud they are. My friend who lives in Indianapolis, we're going in. He gives me these ear, these earplugs to put in. He goes, what are those for? He goes, oh, you're gonna need earplugs. And I'll be all right. I'm talking when the cars are coming by. I'm talking to my son and he's sitting next to me and I have to yell into his ear for him to even hear me. That's how loud it is. It is wild. It's incredible. And we were sitting right on pit road, so we're looking right down the cars where they come in.

[Bubba]

Which super bowl did you go to?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I saw, I saw the Tennessee Titans play the Rams.

[Bubba (singer/rapper persona)]

Okay.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

They had the greatest show on turf.

[Bubba]

Yeah, I was at that one.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

The Titans. And then Aldell Greco, Auburn kicker, missed a field goal early and they're down on inside the 10 yard line and

[Bubba]

there's a yard short.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yes.

[Commercial Announcer]

Ran out of time.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

But what I'm saying is they're down four points. Had he had made that field goal earlier, a field goal could have been there. Well, in field goal.

[Bubba]

Well, thank you for reminding me, Al Del Greco, I know he appreciates that.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Well, I'm sorry, Al, but I love you because you're. You're an Auburn alum. But I got to tell you, you made that field goal early on. Do you miss anything? You go, it's no big deal. Well, at the end of the game when they're down four, they would only be down one in a field goal.

[Bubba]

Let me ask you this because somebody asked me the other day. I could not remember. We. We took listeners to that Super Bowl. That's how I knew we went. Do you remember who the. Who the halftime entertainment was? And do you remember the concert before the game?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I want to say it was a country singer.

[Bubba]

Do you remember the one before? I thought the one before was even better. I don't remember the halftime on that one. It was Tina Turner.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Oh, yeah.

[Bubba (singer/rapper persona)]

Wow.

[Bubba]

And there was a whole lot of shaking going on. Wow, good one.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah. But she, she's entertaining. Okay. Some of this other shaking that's been going on the last couple years, I'm not, I'm not in fan.

[Bubba]

Can I tell you the best one I saw personally was in Tampa. So when the Ravens won.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Right.

[Bubba]

And it was NSync, Britney Spears. And that's good air Smith.

[Christy]

Thank you.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

That's awesome.

[Bubba]

And. And what? Watching them assemble that stage as quick as they did with like a thousand people, that was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Oh, I know.

[Bubba]

And we had bad seats for the game, but they were great seats for the halftime show. Yeah, I. Brittany had a lot of shaking going on too.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So the was Bye, bye, bye. So we also saw Cam Newton super bowl against the Broncos that the Panthers lost. But we went to. It was a Super Bowl 50 or whatever in San Francisco. We're right outside San Francisco. But Santa Clara. But it was spectacular. But you're right. The way they set that thing up and then tear it down. And that halftime show wasn't very good. I mean, who was it?

[Bubba]

Do you remember?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Beyonce was there and Bruno Martin.

[Bubba (singer/rapper persona)]

Yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And Coldplay.

[Bubba]

And then most people think that was pretty good one.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga sang the national anthem. Lady Gaga was there. National. Yeah. Beyonce was good, but I don't know Bruno Mars. I don't think he sang his good Songs, I don't think I thought it was okay. I mean, I. I really. It was better than a lot of them.

[Commercial Announcer]

Right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Let me say it.

[Bubba]

The fact that. And all the.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

I mean, you think about a regular concert you go to, they're there for days setting up, and they do it in 20 minutes and they. And everything works.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

They have all that stuff on the field. They get the field cleaned off. And I. It's just. I know they like artificial turf better because it's much easier. Get those big blowers out there and

[Bubba]

just let it out.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Feel. But I will tell you, it's. It's a fun thing. It's fun thing. But if you said, okay, what's your one favorite thing to do? It would be every other year at Thanksgiving, we take our entire family that's, you know, eight adults and six grandkids, and we get a big house down at the beach. And we go down the beach and it's been a week where we're all in. In. In one house together.

[Bubba]

Turkey and sand.

[Christy]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

What a great combination.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So to me, I think family. I just thinking, you know, it's the same way, you know, Christie's got a little grandson now, and she knows that it's grandma. Yeah. Believe it or not.

[Bubba]

Well, I'll be. How about them apples?

[Christy]

Yeah.

[Bubba]

What do you. What do you go by? What's your name? Kiki. Kiki. Yeah.

[Christy]

Kiki.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I can see it. Grandkids are the best. And you'll. You'll know that.

[Bubba]

Well, you know, I don't know. I hope I'm still around. We're moving kind of slow on that front dock.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Caitlin and. Caitlin and Hunter. One of them is going to come through for you. I know, but you will find out.

[Bubba]

Come through for me?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah. The joy. The joy of. Of being a grandparent.

[Bubba]

She heard them up and let them send them home. Yep.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

You can always send them home. But it is just. They're so much fun, and it just. It's like, I can't. I can't tell you how rewarding it is. And there. I've had a patient one time tell me. Well, we were talking about grandkids. He says, well, you know what? You know what grandkids are? God's gift for not killing your children. That was.

[Bubba]

Well, Dr. Dudney, I've enjoyed the visa. Yeah, we've had a lot of fun and we've covered a lot of ground. Christie, good to see you again.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I could talk to you all day, Bob. I don't know what it is about you, but you just.

[Bubba]

Well, it's a strange interview concept. I'll let you talk, you know, and they haven't always had that right.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And I wish Sean Hannity could learn that. He has great guests on there, but he didn't let them talk.

[Bubba]

Well, that's, that's. It's an art. I think you've got to. You've got to actually turn over control, let somebody else speak, and you've got it. Well, we've enjoyed it. It's been a lot of fun and I think it's given a lot of insight to. To folks about you and what you do and any, any closing thoughts you want everybody to remember about Dr. Dudney?

[Commercial Announcer]

Well, I.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Not. I really feel like we've covered so much ground, but I appreciate you and what you've done. You've been a good friend for many, many years. I love what you're doing with your podcast. I think it's great. And anybody that hears any of your podcasts, I know they appreciate the effort you're making.

[Bubba]

Well, we have a lot of fun doing it. Yeah, you know, that's the key. It's like you said, if you enjoy what you do and you never work,

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

having fun is the thing I used to tell you all the time. I come on there, I said, is this what you guys do?

[Bubba]

I know, it's kind of shocking.

[Bubba (singer/rapper persona)]

Yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I said, this is great. Where do I sign up?

[Bubba]

Well, thank you. We'll have you on again. Christy, always good to see you. I think you need your own show, you know, you might need your own show.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

She livened up, I tell you. Remember when she spun that wheel for you?

[Bubba]

Oh, yeah.

[Christy]

They won't let me spin it.

[Bubba]

And always looking for a T shirt.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, always looking for a T shirt.

[Bubba]

Like I saw you Gus Schumers one day and. And we'll be right back in just a minute with more Bubba on the Lake.

[Commercial Announcer]

You're listening to Bubba.

[Bubba (singer/rapper persona)]

Bubba on the Lake.

[Commercial Announcer]

What a matchup we've got, folks. Just non stop action. The energy is electric and the fans are all in. An intense game like this calls for a Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer. Yeah, that taste. Scores every time. And just like that, they're back at it. Passionate fans in an ice cold Coca Cola. Now that's a winning combo. No matter the team, no matter the sport. Everyone knows fan work is thirsty work. Enjoy a Coca Cola on the water or off.

[Bubba]

Experience lake life to the fullest at Russell Lands on Lake Martin. Spend your mornings with breakfast at Fanny's afternoons. You can explore over 100 miles of trails through Russell Forest. And for dinner, how about the Southern farm to table flavors at Spring House? Whether you're here for the weekend or you've made your home at the lake, Russell Lands is where community and the land come together. To learn more about upcoming events, visit Russelllands.com come see what lake life is all about. Dr. Dudney has been my dentist for about 20 years. He does a great job taking care of my teeth, making sure my cavities are good, cleaning my teeth, and also adding veneers to my smile, which was a game changer. Now Dr. Dudney and his friendly staff can do the same for you. I ask you to give them a chance. Just talk to them. No cost. Just make an appointment, see what you need. See if you can have a better smile and feel better about yourself today. Give them a call at 205-663-6545 or tedudney.com. Well, folks, we are back and I hope you enjoyed that. Sit down with Dr. Thomas Dudney, Christy, his staff. We had a great time just sitting, reminiscing with them fine folks. Or as I'd like to say, top shelf. That's a, you know, term Baptist don't get to use a lot. But I thought I'd throw it in there because I've always liked that, that name, top shelf, even though it probably comes from, you know, other sources. Anyway, we hope you enjoyed that and we're probably going to wrap the podcast up here. I want to remind you to check out social media. We got a lot going on. We got a little road trip in progress and if you want the very latest on that, check us on social media. We say this podcast is about people, places and perspectives and we're going to give you some places coming up real soon. So we're excited about that and we'll have a full report when we return. But in the meantime, if you want to follow along, we'll have plenty of information on social media. So again, I want to thank Dr. Thomas Dudney, Christie, all the staff there at his office over in Alabaster, Alabama. Great folks, enjoyed it as always. Always a pleasant visit with them and we thank all of you for being part of Bub on the Lake and our sponsors, we always urge you to use them when possible and if not, just let them know that you appreciate them being a sponsor. So until we sail into port again, remember, God loves you and so do we. Right here on Bubba on the Lake.

[Bubba (singer/rapper persona)]

You're listening to Bubba on the Lake.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Hit Me Bad.

[Commercial Announcer]

A production of Interview Intergalactic Pants and Tees. At Central State bank, we believe community banking is more than just transactions. It's about relationships. For over 100 years, we've been helping neighbors grow, businesses thrive and dreams become reality. Because when you bank local, you invest in your community. Central State Bank. Large enough to serve you, small enough to know you. Visit us today or learn [e-mail] Member FDIC.

You know one thing I love about Buffalo Wild Wings? You can get wings with any of their 26 sauces and dry rubs for takeout and delivery. That's like bringing an entire B dubs home with you, which you can't do. I tried. I've knocked down so many walls only to then be told to halt construction because I'm not zoned to be a sports bar. Kind of just looks like a big pergola or something. Because of the lack of walls, at least these 26 sauces and dry rubs are available. To go. Buffalo Wild Wings. Let's go. Sports bar.

[Bubba]

On the water or off? Experience lake life to the fullest at Russell Lands on Lake Martin. Want to know what's going on around Lake Martin? Check out the calendar of seasonal events that include Fridays on the Green, naturalist events, fireworks, concerts, poker runs, boat shows, juried art shows, boat parades, and much more. If you're here for the weekend or if you've made your home at the lake, Russell Lands is where community and the land come together. To learn more about upcoming events, visit Russelllands.com come see what Lake life is all about. This podcast is brought to you in part by Russell Lands Coke, Buffalo Wild Wings, Central State Bank Dr. Thomas Dudney, Sunrise Docks, Bice Motors, the Green Monster

[Bubba (singer/rapper persona)]

Fishing Light B U double B A on the lake hey Wishing I could listen to the show every day hey Gotta hear what Bubba and his buddies gotta say on B U double B8 on the lake in the mellow yellow studio putting on a show Betty say what she always on the go we got on a bus sitting at master control don't wanna miss a moment cause Bubba's got the flow B U double B A on the lake hey Wishing not to listen to the show every day hey gotta hear what Bubba and his buddies gotta say on B U double B A on the lake hi. B U double B B U B A Hey. B U B A Hey. B U B A on the lake.