Smile Business Diaries Conversation with Dr Publio Silfa

This transcript has been reviewed by AI and may contain inaccuracies

Maria Cabanellas: All right, Dr. Silfa has brought his years of experience and warm personality to Selfa Dental, making him more than capable of being the dentist for you in Commack, New York.

In addition to his 20 years of dental practice, Dr. Silfa's industry-leading skills and approaches have earned him a teaching position at NYU and a prestigious position, mentoring dentists across the country.

Publio Silfa: Welcome, Dr. Publio Silfa. Thank you for having me. Thank you for having me, Maria. It's a pleasure to be here and share a little bit of my story to hopefully make an impact on future doctors, dentists, and team members.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely, I think your story is very interesting because you are a brand new office in Commack.

Publio Silfa: Am I saying that right, Commack?

Maria Cabanellas: I know you should. Okay, Commack in New York, which is a very nice area. I had the privilege of seeing your office in person and meeting your team and getting you guys more integrated with Digital Smile Design. But please share with us, how did you get there? Where did you come from? What were your struggles? All that information can really help those looking to build, especially in today's economy, with everything going on in the world. How did you get to where you are?

Publio Silfa: So they're gonna say that it's an overnight success, but honestly, it's never an overnight success. It's years of hard work and dedication, late nights and sacrifices. Yes, there are lots of ups and downs that I went through. I came to this country in 2004. It was a big moment for me because, at the age of 21, I decided to leave everything behind. And 20 years later, I'm opening my second practice, a DSD practice, in which I'm putting into practice everything I've learned throughout those 20 years. Yeah, it's been a journey.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely. It always says, right? There's no way around it, right? You have to go through the fire to get to where you are. So please share with us more on, you know, what were those fires that you had to put out along the way and how did you overcome them?

Publio Silfa: You know, the biggest challenge was going through the educational part to get accredited. And there were a lot of setbacks. Life happens, you know. I started a family young. I was 24 years old, ambitious, and wanting to become a dentist in the United States and get licensed. And, you know, as you make plans, life happens. And it was just going through those journeys, going through those moments to decide how badly I really wanted it. How badly did I want to become a dentist? You know, and trying to keep that promise that I had for myself and a commitment. And I said, you know what? Whatever it takes. If I have to go to school and become a dental assistant like I was for two years, if I have to do research for six years, if I have to go through the steps that I need to go, that is the journey I would take. And, for that, I'm grateful that those journeys were there. And that's where I realized, okay, now we're on the path to practicing. What am I doing next? And, you know, I was always looking for the next step. What's next? What's next?

Maria Cabanellas: What's the next challenge?

Publio Silfa: You know, someone told me that, "Hey, Dr. Silfa, you might change." And I'm like, let me think about it because I don't enjoy the change, but I know that change is needed. You know, I came to this country with $53 in my pocket. I left everything I had in the Dominican Republic to come to America to live the American dream. But change happened then. Change happened three years later when I got married. Change happened nine years later when I decided to move from the city to Long Island. Change happened when I opened my first practice. Change happened when I opened my second location. So I'm embracing the change and that's really the part that needs to happen.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely. I think a better way of saying that might be, you know, you don't like change, but you adapt to change really well because, like you mentioned, change is going to happen no matter if we're ready or not. So better to be ready than not. And I think you're a great example of that. Can you share with me more about your struggle of getting into the country and knowing your pathway? I mean, I think it's easy to say you handled it one step at a time, but how did you set the foundation for this? You coming into the States knowing, okay, at the end of the day, this is where I'm going to be and have you achieved exactly that?

Publio Silfa: Yeah, so I think I always had the five-year plan. You know, what would I be doing in five years and wrote it down, you know, and that was my way of measuring and calculating what I am achieving. I've had 10 lists on the five-year plan, five of them became accomplished. Then I'll go for the next, what's happening, what did I do, what did I not do, and I would improve on that. And those were the ways I tracked and monitored how I was progressing and growing.

Maria Cabanellas: Awesome. What would you say are some of the misconceptions about going into this journey that you wish you would have known then that you know now?

Publio Silfa: Oh, it's going to be easy. You're going to be a successful dentist and make lots of money and travel the world. But for the first 10 years, I honestly worked six days a week. You know, it was 10, 12-hour days. I put a lot of sacrifices in that. And dentistry was fun, but I had to sacrifice a lot. You know, dentistry has always been fun. So yeah, that's usually the misconception that they have that, oh, the career, you have to put in the work. You have to put in the work.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely. There's no shortcuts or do you believe that there are shortcuts?

Publio Silfa: Yeah, you might not get a shortcut, but you might get a boost. You know, if you join a practice, a big well-to-do practice, someone who has leadership in it already, has years of experience, 100 years plus of multi-specialty education, depending on the field you want to join. So if you find the right practice, you actually have a boost. The question is, at what time of your career are you going to get that boost? Are you going to join that practice after 50 years of age? Are you 40? Recently graduated? If you jump in recently graduated, you're on the highway to a good future. Yeah, that could be a shortcut, if I could say.

Maria Cabanellas: Okay, so if there were somebody right now looking to build their own practice, just as you have recently, what are the top three pieces of advice you would give to them?

Publio Silfa: So I would say, look at that practice that you see that you want to become. Look at it online. Look on the website. Don't limit yourself to your local neighborhood dentist. Look outside of the United States. Look in Europe and Australia. What are other dentists doing? How are they revolutionizing dentistry? How are they thinking outside the box? Look at that and take the good and take the wants and make it your own conversion. That would be one way. The other way is getting involved with teaching. I didn't realize the passion I had for teaching until I started mentoring. I had my mentor mentor me and tell me, do this, do that, do this. And this is actually after practicing dentistry for 10 years. And I'm like, wow, even after 10 years out of practice, I'm still being mentored. What really helped me was how am I mentoring other people to become better. And that allowed me to see dentistry in a different way. The other part is to be active with your community, understand what is your target audience, what type of dentistry you want to do. If you're going to do an aesthetic practice, don't do it in the middle of nowhere where aesthetics is not a concern. If you're going to do an implant-focused-only practice, target that audience that knows that that's the need. So it's being hyper-focused on what type of practice you want to deliver and then be intentional about that.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely, thank you. For those that are looking forward to becoming as established as you are right now, there's going to be growing pains, right? There's going to be fires that you have to walk through to get there. So for you personally, what has allowed you to overcome those feelings of discouragement and struggles along the way? How do you push through that first line?

Publio Silfa: You know, even as a business owner and young startup practice, it's always learning. It's always a learning experience. For example, what allows me to become better is the community I surround myself with. Just to give you an example, our own DSD community for doctors. I get on the phone with them. "Hey, I'm struggling with this. This is happening to me." And they say, "I went through that last year. This is how I overcame it." And then that community you have of colleagues, of doctors, of team members or mentors, looking for that support. You need a spiritual mentor. You need a fitness mentor. You need a mentor that gets your mind reset when you need to. So you need to have different types of mentors, not just focus on dentistry, because one of the biggest mentors that impacted my business was my business mentor. He had nothing to do with dentistry, and they allowed me to organize what I do in dentistry but bring it to the business side of it. Because as dentists, we're not just dentists, we're also business owners trying to run our day-to-day, you know, and that's where you need that support.

Maria Cabanellas: That's interesting, because I think a lot of dentists, especially straight out of school, their focus is, and you mentioned the focus thing, right? It's so strictly focused on, "Okay, let me do better in dentistry, all dentistry, right? Clinical dentistry," whereas we don't realize how important all these other areas of life are in order to boost your dentistry and get the rest from that, right? So it's interesting for you to mention that because I think a lot of dentists out there do need to focus on other areas outside of dentistry. So how did you come about realizing it? I mean, is it something you knew from the beginning and you did it from that point forward and it's just worked for you or is it something you learned along the way?

Publio Silfa: So I went through residency and all I knew was academia and I never ran the practice. And I knew how to do good dentistry because that's what I was training for. And when I joined private practice as an associate, I was trying to do the best dentistry I could, but the business model was my missing link. It took me a while to learn how to run the business, how to run the people, how to run your team members as far as a leader and communicate with them, which even today is one of my hardest tasks because each team member has a different personality. And how do you communicate to them and motivate them to let them know what's your passion, what's your biggest why? Why are they working in the office? So those are things that little by little you start gathering and learning and implementing to become successful because when you're successful, you're not just successful alone, your entire team has to be successful.

Maria Cabanellas: So what advice would you give on finding that team around you?

Publio Silfa: I use the model of thinking outside the box a lot and I don't like looking for team members that have had too much in the career itself. For example, I've been doing this for 10 years. I'm the best at it. Now, that person is not going to be willing to change, especially with the style and concept that we practice dentistry with DSD. It's totally different than what insurance-driven practices are focused on, the fee dictated by the insurance companies. We're trying to deliver an experience, hospitality experience, dental experience, and you need to learn how to overcome those objections or challenges that come through the way. So yeah, those are moments.

Maria Cabanellas: For sure. I mean, you have a beautiful practice. It's detailed, right? And I know that you have collected a lot of information over the years to produce this dream of yours. What exactly were the most important factors for you in building this practice and how would you define it right now for everybody who doesn't know about your practice?

Publio Silfa: So my practice, I looked at it as a place where I'm spending more time outside of my home and creating a space in the practice where I want to feel comfortable. I want my patients to feel welcomed and I want my team members to find a safe haven in the space as well. So, as much as I love dentistry and I want to practice dentistry until I'm 90, I also see that the impact that I have in teaching and mentoring other dentists will be a big factor in my career. So, I designed the practice with that in mind. Having that opportunity to create a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or a three-day, four-day event where we could continue to mentor, teach, and coach everything I've learned in the past. For example, from photography, digital workflows, from patient communications, creating that one-on-one event, I created that space within the practice. So, it's not just a dental clinic facility. It's also a place where mentoring and coaching is formed.

Maria Cabanellas: Definitely, definitely. So, did you know this was your plan from the beginning though? I mean, did you know at the end of it all I'm going to be teaching, I'm going to be mentoring? How did you find this in yourself?

Publio Silfa: I knew that there was something in me that wanted to continue mentoring and teaching, so I said what other best way to do it than in my own space. And when I realized that's what I wanted to do, I started to design the practice around that same model. I also have my daughter who told me she's 16, it's too soon, but she told me she wants to become a dentist, so that ignited a fire into wanting to create a place for her as well to have her foundation.

Maria Cabanellas: Did she get to choose the color scheme and the outline of it? It reminds me of her. Oh, amazing. So you have a little personal touch in there that keeps you going throughout the day, I assume.

Publio Silfa: Yeah, some Easter eggs, some little Easter eggs in there.

Maria Cabanellas: How important is that for you to have those reminders?

Publio Silfa: Those are my why, you know, that's the reason why I do what I do. And if I could easily be walking through the office and see an RA or see a craft or see a gentle touch of a reminder, it definitely triggers that good feeling and purpose for what I'm doing. So definitely, that's my why. You need to have those small reminders. You need to celebrate and have plans as well.

Maria Cabanellas: For sure. I know the type of dentistry you're doing is a bit more elevated than the general mass in dentistry right now. How did you get to that point? I mean, I know it's the dream, right? Everybody wants to be doing the kind of...

Publio Silfa: ...to implement my skills and prepping fast and being confident and reading the room and reading the patient and knowing which patient and which procedure to do and how hard to push because that comes in private practice. That's why it's called private practice. You're the same daily with the things you're learning with your CEs. That allowed me to be better. Also, after a while, I started to realize what I was good at and what I really thought that. So I wanted to focus more on things that I was better at, and that's where I am driving every day. Take CEs, take practice. I would say for that young dentist, I would say four days of practice of dentistry is good. One day for giving back, go to the residency, go to a program at school, volunteer your time to help or make an impact on another person's life, and then have your time to prepare yourself. You need at least two days a month for your own quiet time. Find that time in your schedule that will allow you to recharge and look and plan for the next coming weeks or days or months or years. Because if you're just in that hamster wheel six days a week, you're going to be burnt out. Nowadays, it's happening faster than it did before. There are a lot of things happening. Students are graduating with a million-dollar debt like that and not even going to residency. So I would say four days is a secret sauce to focus on practicing one day teaching and then one day for yourself and also your family. You know, as you start off, and the reason why you work so hard is because you want to enjoy that quality time with your family. And when all that young dentists one year, five years out, I would say, don't work in just one location. Go to one office where you work two days a week, where it's a fast-paced insurance practice or not that gives you that speed of opportunity, and then go to that one day or two days a week in another location where you feel that you can learn and fine-tune what that practice has been successfully doing for years. If it's a big aesthetic practice, go learn from what they're doing that you are going in. You might have to take a pay cut, but that pay cut might be your residency without even knowing you're going through a residency. So, find that right mentorship, have the opportunity to interview your interviewee. So, if you're going to go to work somewhere, you also have the opportunity to interview them, see if it's a good fit based on what you want, and then it's a matter of committing to that.

Maria Cabanellas: Yeah, find... how I hear it, being said, stop being afraid of risks, right? Of the learning lessons that we endure over that period of time, because, I mean, I know your story a little bit more than what we can fit in this podcast time, but it's extremely inspirational because it's the truth. It's the reality of the situation. You know, like you said, it's not overnight. You're going to suffer. There are some pains, right? But the thing I think that we all need to realize in that journey is these are all learning lessons. Don't be afraid to fall. We all will fall at some point. And it's just a matter of what we get out of it, right? And you are the walking, living, breathing example of this. I mean, you've been through a lot and, you know, it was a very emotional time during the training at your office, learning your story a bit more. And I wish we could get into it more. But I think, you know, just in general, what you're saying is, take those risks. Whether you fall or grow, it doesn't matter because something good will come out of it, right? If it's something you truly want, which is, again, what you've demonstrated. You've been one of the most determined people I've ever met, honestly. And to see, you know, your success come from that alone is remarkable.

Publio Silfa: So thank you for sharing. Yeah, again, I'm not here because I did it all by myself. You know, I surrounded myself with people who believed in me, who challenged me, who looked up to me. So I also had all those pressures on top of me to become and decide to do what I wanted to do. And yeah, this success is not done by myself. It's a team effort, both in the practice and at home.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely. And that's another good tip there. You know, the person that believes... I obviously talk to a lot of dentists that are interested in doing dentistry at DSD, and there are some common factors that you see in those that grow in the field and those that just really stay the same. And I think it comes down to knowing that you can't do it alone. If you come in with that ego and you're like, "I don't need this, I don't need that, I can do this all by myself," you're destined to fail. Because even if you do succeed financially, at the end of the day, what is it for? Why are you pushing off everyone around you that wants to help you succeed and help you grow just to be able to say, "Oh, I did it by myself?" You know, and in a way, that's not even appealing, right?

Publio Silfa: That's not, you know, it's- And for example, my team members know how to take pictures, scans, X-rays, everything. I struggle sometimes turning on the CBCT machine. But yesterday I had to step up to the plate and, you know, own it and break down the room and clean up and set up and organize. You know, as a leader, you have to lead by example. You know, and you have to be willing to, you know, during that journey, say, "Hey, I don't mind getting down and dirty and doing what I need to do. I have one goal, you know, and that goal is the success of the practice, the success of the patient's treatment and the end result." So when you lead by that, they'll see it.

Maria Cabanellas: Yes. And I think that team, you know, realizes that too. When you show that we're all equal, we're all human beings at the end of the day, you give that type of leadership where you demonstrate, "Hey, it's not one person's job and not the other's. We're all here as a team collectively." You know, I see in different offices the different dynamics, and yours was purely showing that, you know, that it's like there's no threats between each other. There's no tension between your teams and yourself. There's no division or hierarchy, right? We're all together in this, and your team, I could see, you know, demonstrated that, not just felt it, but demonstrated it to anyone that walks through the doors. And that's so important, so phenomenal, you know, what you guys have going on. And I do see, you know, other offices that struggle in that. And it's, I don't know, is this something you can teach? Is this something that you can tell somebody, "Hey, do it this way," and then it all works out? How do you go about it?

Publio Silfa: So, look at it this way. Your team is basically an extension of your family. You are a family at the end of the day. You know, and you're creating this camaraderie, and even in the best families, there's always going to be fights and discussions, you know, but there always should be respect. You know, whenever I make a mistake, I get called out by my team members, but also we have it in the way that it's respectful. So when everyone is lined up with the same vision, and it can be expressed and delivered, you'll be successful. But can it be trained? You could hire good personality, and then you could train dentistry, I believe that. You could hire, you know, everyone has a skill. I don't believe in why you're that person because that person doesn't fit the mold for your practice. No, it might be that that person might not fit the role that they're positioned in. And as of now, but it might be that in the future with proper mentoring, they might be ready to be that leader in the practice. So you have to hire quality and then train and hone in on what that vision or goal is for that person in the practice and position. The other factor is that dentists are control freaks. Yeah. I struggled with that at first. It wasn't until my first ownership of practice that I realized I can't do it by myself. I need to let go and I need to let them own it, have ownership of their mistakes, of their successes, so they could see the value of the hard work they put in. You know, for me, I wanted to control everything. I wanted to know anything beeping in the office, beeping out. There's a certain degree of obsession that you have. You have to have that because if not, it wouldn't be your practice. But you have to know how to let people make mistakes and own them when they do it. Hopefully, it's not a hard mistake, a strong one, a bad one. But you could learn from it and not do it again.

Maria Cabanellas: Yes, absolutely. And I, you know, I'm a mom, so I'm always going to give the analogies of motherhood and things of that nature. So, you know, we talk about our offices, new offices, they're your baby, right? That's your baby. And I think it's the same concept of, you know, that you want to protect that baby with everything in your power. And you're very particular on who gets to hold your baby and touch your baby. But at some point, life is going to happen, right? That baby's going to grow and you can't hold that baby by yourself forever, right? Your arms are going to get tired, literally. So, you have to give a little sense of trust, right? I think that's maybe the core ingredient of what you experienced and tell me if I'm wrong, you have to trust. I have this question in your office of, you know, is trust earned or given? And it's very interesting when we get into it because all the facts will show that, you know, trust is given initially. As toddlers, as babies, we trust naturally. It's our experiences along the way that hurt us, that cause us to not trust in certain areas and certain situations, right? So I believe that maybe part of the reason why a lot of people are so hesitant to give up that power in the office on certain protocols in place and things of that nature. You know, how do you get over it? Because the truth is, you know, there could be a failure to come out of it. There could be some disaster that falls in place because you gave that trust to somebody.

Publio Silfa: How do you manage that? It's like you, I wouldn't buy my 16-year-old a Ferrari for her first car, even if I had all the money. You know, because you got to know when and how much to trust. It's earned over time. You know, demonstrate to me that you're capable of doing something and you'll earn it, even move much more. I'll give you the trust. But once it's lost, trust is easy. It's hard to get back. So you have to let your team members make mistakes. My assistants take better photography than me at times when we're in the office. I'm like, I got, I'm rusty. I got to get back in there, you know, because they have mastered the skill that I started to say, "Hey, I'm okay with you taking the picture because I want you to learn. I want you to grow," you know, and they've used those skills outside of the industry. So I immediately realized, oh, I make an impact in their life somehow. Same thing with the coaching and mentoring when we communicate with patients for treatment. That's knowledge. That's knowledge that we're training and mentoring them, allowing them to succeed and to fail. And wherever they go in life, that's knowledge that they will carry on with them for life

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Publio Silfa: So, as dentists, we have to learn how and what to let team members do. You know, what are they going to do? How are they going to do it? Supervised? Perfect. But they have to learn how to do it.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely. And I think one of the toughest life lessons is knowing that maybe you could be wrong in some things, right? And as a good leader, this is something I see a lot of great leaders encompass, is they see that, you know what, let me stay quiet, let me step back and see what happens, because maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm wrong. That's one of the hardest things I see dentists be able to exhibit in general. But, you know, the one consistency I see among DSD offices is that you guys have this ability to step back and say, you know what, I'm going to jump, I'm going to see what happens. And, you know, we'll handle it from there. And of course, it's smart risk. I'm not saying, you know, jump off completely blindly. But, you know, I think it's knowing, okay, worst case scenario, what could happen from this, right? And best case scenario, what could happen from this, the best case is usually what happens, right? The team member loves this new skill that they're developing on, they take ownership of it, they feel proud. And this is one of the ingredients as well, that is so important that I don't know if many offices, because you know, we're not here to become businesspeople, you're here to be a dentist first, right? And so that education with the business comes later on. But the one thing that's so important is, and I wish more offices would do and tell me if you agree, is allowing the team to take control of certain areas and have the possibility that they become so great and that you are the cause of their greatness. Like, how does that feel? What do you think about that?

Publio Silfa: That is the reason why I love teaching. I go every Friday and I teach a group of doctors, 30 doctors that rotate weekly, and it's just the feedback that I get from them when they say, "Wow, I can now do this in my practice, my team members are growing from this, I have an associate who's growing and learning from just the little things you taught me," and I didn't realize the impact that that was doing. Then I realized that my mentor was having the same results, feeling from what I was being successful. So he's proud of my success, I'm proud of what I can continue. So look at it the other way around, do that in your practice. Invest in your team members, allow them to grow, allow them to make mistakes. You know, obviously there's a limit to how many mistakes you make and the consequences of it, but allow them to be better. And that is a real rewarding part of it all.

Maria Cabanellas: Exactly. I'm going to share a little bit of a controversial thing that I've heard in the past, because I want to hear your thoughts on it. I was told at one time, you know, I'm over here with DSD, trying to explain the importance of training your team and getting them aligned with what your education as the dentist is, because so many times you see the dentist is going to CEs without their team or without engaging them in the same information. And over time, you know, the dentist is growing, whereas the team is staying complacent. They're status quo in their abilities, their skill sets. Now, I know from a psychology standpoint what effect this plays, but how would you explain the importance of team growth in the office as well? Why is it so important to give your team the growth and not allow them to stay still? Because the controversial thing that I heard was, "I don't want my team to get better because once they get better, they're going to leave me and I'm paying for their skill set that somebody else is, you know, that they're going to give to somebody else and I have had a loss now."

Publio Silfa: It's a very valid point. Many, many business owners think that way, and I don't think it's just limited to dental. Guess what? They will leave, and they will realize the benefits that they had when they practiced. I've had past employees that messaged me, "Thank you for being so hard on me and pushing me and challenging me, but also thank you for investing in me." And you know what? It's a maturity thing. They grow, they learn, and they mature. As the dentist owner also has to learn, grow, and mature because if a team member that was happy today in their honeymoon phase leaves in a year or two, they did not leave because they wanted to. Something caused that to happen, why they had to leave. And the benefits you had for those two years at that time, that person was in your life for that period. Someone could come into your life for a day, two days, a year, five years, a decade, but everyone has the purpose to be with you as a team. Those are self-reflections. I've seen dentists who have gone through 10, 11 assistants back to back to back to back. There's a common factor there. It's not the assistant. It's the dentist, you know, so that into this, it's the self-request. You know, if you're going to give something, give it. If you're going to train a team, because you know that it's how you will want your team to run, invest in them. They will make a decision moving forward if they want to stay or go. And then again, that's where you pivot, that's where you adjust, that's where you kind of like, all right, that didn't work, next. But it's a scarcity mindset of, no, I'm not going to invest in you because you could go, you could go to my competitor. They could, they will. And that's the reality. You can't chain them to stay with you forever. You know, if you're investing in your team, invest well. Let them know why you do it and what's your goal with it.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely. And that is the difference between a leader and somebody that just isn't leading, right? And I like the statement that you said of, "Give it as a real gift," because I think just a lot of people today, it's, you know, "What can I get out of this? What do I get?" and "Me, me, me." And that's not really the direction you want to go if you're trying to build a foundation of success and something that can run on its own without you someday, maybe. And it's, you know, you've got to put all the gears in place. And so if that piece is missing, it's all going to fall apart, right? I think that's just something that a lot of people, not even just a lot of people, need to realize is like, if you plan on giving something, give it. There may not be anything in return. And going into it knowing that, it'll allow you to prevent that discouragement, that disappointment, right? Because it's that expectation that we have of, "I'm giving this to you, and now I expect you to stay with me forever." That's not real. That's not reality, right? Like you said, you can't chain people to your office.

Publio Silfa: Yeah. And you look at it in the hospitality industry. People who have become amazing entrepreneurs opening their own restaurants in the future is because they worked in the place where they were invested. They were trusted to take in those experiences. Yeah, they put in the hard work, but they became who they became, and they went to open up top, you know, three-star Michelin restaurants. Yeah, but you didn't see what they were doing 10, 15 years ago when they were the bellboy of the restaurant, hosting and working around it. So it's definitely everyone has to go through a journey. I went through my journey. That's where I am now. You know, doctors have to understand that.

Maria Cabanellas: Yes, for sure, for sure. So as we get towards the end of this, I want to know from you, you know, if you could give one message to dentists around the world today that could help them. What would that be?

Publio Silfa: Well, I don't know if I could deliver just one message, you know. I think you have to identify why you are opening the doors of your practice. What is it that's motivating you to open that door? Because if it's all about the money, there are other ways of making money. And when you're chasing that and not having purpose, you're really spinning your wheels and trying to grow. So have purpose, have passion, and show it. I'm a little bit biased because I live with passion. I deliver or communicate with passion. So I will show everything I have and leave it on the table. If I have to do an all-nighter, the same way I studied for my boards and my tests, my exams to deliver a case or work on my practice, I would do that. Because I'm driven by that, not by the financial part of it. When you do so well doing that in a practice or what you do, success and money and all the good things just come as part of it. And that's the reality, that's been my experience, and that's what I'm speaking to that young associate or that doctor five years out who wants to become a DSD clinic or wants to do something in the realms of digital dentistry or full arch practice. Have passion. Don't get in it for the money because it's not going to last.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for sharing your story, sharing your secrets and, you know, just really the reality of dentistry today. I don't think it's talked enough about and it's something very important to, you know, spread the word. We're in a society where we have this ability now to interact digitally and spread a message across the world within minutes, if not seconds. I believe this is going to help somebody out there. So, I definitely appreciate your time sharing. If anybody does have questions specifically and wants to reach out to you, what would be the best way to contact you after this?

Publio Silfa: I'm mostly active on social media, on Instagram, and it's d-o-c-t-o-r, last name Silfa. So, it's Dr. Silfa handle on Instagram. But, Maria, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to use this platform to express, you know, my experiences, but also to try to make an impact on someone else's life. And again, that is my purpose in life, is to make an impact on one person's life. That person has seeds to continue to plant for other people to make an impact in their lives. So, thank you once again for inviting me.

Maria Cabanellas: Thank you, and I plan to get more out of you in the future. We'll do this again for sure. All right, you have a great day.

Publio Silfa: Okay, bye now.