All Dentistry Fails: Lincoln Harris On Skill, Stress & The Next Decade of the Profession

Lincoln Harris built a dental practice next to a beach in Queensland - then gave it up to build an AI-powered education company from scratch. He joins Simon Chard to talk courage, clinical stress, dental training, and where the profession goes next. ▶ Subscribe for a new episode every Monday. Lincoln Harris is one of dentistry's most candid voices on skill, fear and the realities of a clinical career. In this wide-ranging conversation he and Simon get into why confidence is built on the other side of fear, why your first five years feel the way they do, what the best dental schools in the world do differently, what dentistry can learn from aviation, and how AI and robotics will reshape the next decade of clinical work. About the guest Lincoln Harris is a dentist and the founder of Ripe Global, an AI-powered, simulation-based dental education platform now teaching in 35 countries. Originally from Queensland, Australia, where he ran his own multidisciplinary practice, he's now based in Colorado. Instagram: @drlincolnharris / @ripeglobal · LinkedIn: Dr Lincoln Harris / Ripe Global · ripeglobal.com Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Beach Practice Dream & The Big Move 00:02:36 Why Leave Paradise? The Decision to Move to America 00:07:37 Starting Ripe Global: Naive Optimism During COVID 00:10:54 Building the Simulation Protocol: Innovation Through Necessity 00:12:54 The Journey from Dentist to CEO: Raising Capital & Moving Forward 00:15:00 What Made Lincoln the Right Person for This Mission 00:17:34 Confidence vs Courage: Overcoming Fear in Dentistry 00:24:20 Leadership, Patient Communication & The Weight of Responsibility 00:28:32 The State of Dental Education Worldwide 00:39:24 Technical Skill vs Knowledge: What Dental Schools Get Wrong 00:48:22 Managing Stress & Fatigue: The Secret to Clinical Excellence 00:50:39 The Reality Check: Five Years to Stop Feeling Sick Going to Work 00:53:25 Why Dentists Should See a Psychologist & The Power of Breathing 01:05:07 Life After Clinical Practice: The Transition to Full-Time CEO 01:10:46 The Brutal Truth About CEO Income vs Clinical Income 00:45:42 All Dentistry Fails: Accepting Failure & Building Credibility 01:21:31 The Next Decade: AI, Robotics & The Future of Dentistry 01:32:53 Why Communication Can't Be Taught Online (Yet) 01:40:16 Competence Will Always Be in Fashion Episode sponsors Vvardis - Curodont Repair A biomimetic peptide technology that can arrest or even reverse early carious lesions, meaning patients can avoid the filling they don't want. Easy to apply, suitable for all age groups, and a genuine step change in minimally invasive care. → 10% off your first case at professional.vvardis.com/contactpoint DENTAL MONITORING AI-powered remote orthodontic care that brings aligner appointments to your patients' phones. Monitor compliance, hygiene, and aligner progression remotely — far better care with far fewer appointments. A real USP for practices running aligner workflows. → Special discount off your starter kit at dentalmonitoring.com/contactpoint Follow Contact Point Instagram: @contactpointpodcast · YouTube: @contactpointpodcast Hosted by Dr Simon Chard - President of the BACD, co-founder of PÄRLA, principal of Rothley Lodge Dental Practice. Contact Point - Dentistry's Next Decade. #ContactPoint #Dentistry #DentalEducation #DentalPodcast #FutureOfDentistry