Happy Tooth Founder Speaks at Roseman
Dr. Tyler Hanks, founder of Happy Tooth Pediatric Dentistry, answered student questions in this lunch an learn sponsored by our pediatric special interest group.
On Friday, October 18, students grabbed a slice of pizza and gathered in classroom 140 to hear from Dr. Tyler Hanks of Happy Tooth Pediatric Dentistry, a private practice in Millcreek, Utah.
After a brief introduction, Dr. Hanks opened the floor to the assembled students for questions about his approach to private practice, his line of dental products, and the dental foundation he founded.
Private Practice
After receiving his Doctor of Dental Medicine and Master of Public Health from A. T. Still University of Health Sciences, Dr. Hanks completed his residency at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri before pursuing a role at a dental support organization (DSO). “I went and worked for a buddy that’s building a big DSO in the Pacific Northwest,” he recalled. “My plan was to help him grow it. And about three months in I decided, ‘Never mind, this is not for me’.”
Immediately he started making plans to move back to Utah and open Happy Tooth, an unconventional pediatric dentistry, in the Millcreek area.
“I wanted [to zag], where everyone else has zigged.”
“I grew up here. I know that there’s a dentist on every corner that looks the same and that offers great care,” he explained. “It makes for a [very] competitive market.”
Knowing how saturated the area is, Dr. Hanks was very intentional about the look and feel of his business. He paused at each step of the creation process to think about what he’d seen in other practices and ask himself “Why is it that way? And does it have to be that way, or can I make it my own and make it look the way that I would want it to look if I were a kid.”
“That was kind of the thought process as I created Happy Tooth,” he continued. “How can I challenge everything that we do in a dental experience and make it my own?”
Early on, Dr. Hanks took a very hands-on approach to his business, doing all his own accounting, advertising, hiring, insurance, and payroll. And though he has outsourced many of these responsibilities now, the experience was valuable. “I think that process helped me a lot.” He explained, “I had done it, and so I kind of knew what it took out of me to do it, and [had] a fair price in mind [of] what I would pay someone so that I don’t have to do this anymore.”
Throughout the question-and-answer session, Dr. Hanks offered advice about how to approach private practice successfully. He encouraged students to trust themselves and their training.
1. Take advice from people who know.
When Dr. Hanks was building his business, he got a lot of advice from well-meaning people who didn’t catch his vision. “Don’t take advice from people that haven’t done it, period,” he cautioned, “[and] don’t value anybody’s opinion that you wouldn’t take advice from.”
2. It will all work out.
When he gets anxious, he tries to remember that less than 1 percent of dentist’s fail.
“Dentists have like a [99] percent success rate,” Dr. Hanks shared. “We’re going to figure it out. 99 percent of people in the room can do it.”
3. It’s okay to be scared.
Dr. Hanks acknowledged that it’s natural to be afraid during this new chapter. “We’re doing a lot. We’re fixing somebody’s mouth, with a live audience, while they’re awake and they can feel it. And the live audience is their parent. This is terrifying!”
But he encouraged new practitioners to be patient with themselves and know that when they sit down in the chair, their training will kick in.
Product Company
In 2022, Dr. Hanks launched a dental product company that sells fluoride-free toothpaste, electric toothbrushes, mineral mouthwash, puffy floss, natural whitening strips, and Happy Tooth merchandise. In just two short years, Dr. Hank’s toothpaste has placed in the top 10 in Amazon’s Best Sellers list for children’s toothpaste.
When asked why he chose to develop a fluoride-free toothpaste, Dr. Hanks explained that he did it for his patients who prefer a natural product. “There’s a big portion, at least in East Millcreek, that [are] fluoride free,” he said, “They [eat] well, you know, no processed foods. They have good diets, but their kids are still getting cavities.”
When he looked into the products his patients were using, he was stunned to find that they were little more than water. “You’re cleaning your kids’ teeth, but there’s no remineralization. There’s’ no supplementation,” he remarked. “With our modern diet—and even if you’re [on] a clean diet, and you’re really trying—you’re going to consume carbs and sugars that are going to break your teeth down. And so, if you don’t have a supplement, you’re probably going to get cavities.”
For students who are interested in product development, Dr. Hanks had the following advice:
- Build a brand that can sell products.
- Find a business partner you can trust.
- Figure out what you want in your product and be willing to fight for it.
Foundation
A couple years ago, Dr. Hanks partnered with professional basketball player Raul Neto to create the Happy Tooth Foundation, an organization that provides dental care for underserved children and families in Utah and the surrounding areas.
When asked how dentists can support their communities, Dr. Hanks acknowledged that there are a lot of ways to give back and no shortage of people who want to help. But for him, the benefit of a foundation is that it expands his reach, allowing him to help a lot more people than he can on his own. “It widens your umbrella,” he explained. “You can help more people without just your hands. You have other hands helping you out.”
You can help the Happy Tooth Foundation by donating, nominating someone in need, or volunteering your time or expertise. To get involved, visit happytooth.org.