Square Peg, Round Hole: Dr. Rhonda Coyne on Tech Adoption and Leading Differently

In this compelling episode of Tim Talks Ortho, host Tim sits down with Dr. Rhonda Coyne, principal orthodontist and owner of NQ Ortho in North Queensland, to explore far more than biomechanics and tooth movement. Dr. Coyne shares her journey from a family steeped in education and healthcare to pioneering a multidisciplinary practice that integrates orthodontics, speech pathology, and medical expertise. But the conversation takes a deeper turn as she opens up about a personal awakening around women's health, menopause, and metabolic wellness that fundamentally shifted her perspective on leadership and patient care. Drawing from her experience as a female practice principal, Dr. Coyne discusses the unique pressures women leaders face-from self-judgment and invisible labor to the mental load of balancing professional excellence with personal responsibility. She reveals findings from an international survey she's developing to explore how support systems differ between male and female orthodontic leaders. The episode covers Dr. Coyne's pioneering adoption of technology, including her decade-long use of Dental Monitoring since 2016, her measured approach to airway-focused orthodontics with validated screening tools, and her evolving perspective on myofunctional appliances. She also addresses the resurgence of braces, the role of environmental consciousness in appliance selection, and how her practice has shifted toward specialist, complex cases. Looking ahead, Dr. Coyne shares her vision for orthodontics in the next decade-a landscape shaped by AI, simplified workflows, enhanced patient hospitality, and a more holistic, patient-centered approach. Her closing advice to younger orthodontists? Be kinder to yourself and to others, stay open-minded, and listen rather than judge.