Interview with Dr. Michael Sesemann

In the interview, Dr. Sesemann shared with Dr. Hartlieb about what it was like growing up as the son of truck farmers who made their living by working the land. 

Michael shares: "It was a lot of manual labor. We put things on the truck and took them up to the shed, washed things out, got them ready to go, tracked them down to the wholesale fruit and vegetable district. And, at times, we did park on a street corner to sell vegetables off the back of our truck."

Michael and Dennis talk about what it's like to come from humble backgrounds and to enter the dentistry field and particularly the world of cosmetic dentistry. They also discuss how dentistry changed with the emergence of PPOs and what that meant for dentists at the time. 

Dr. Sesemann talks about the DiSC Profile Assessment and the different personality types that can be identified through it. Michael and Dennis discuss how considering personality types can really shape the way we treat patients and how we work together as a staff team. 

Dr. Hartlieb mentions a previous Sharecast guest who focuses on this aspect of our dental practices, Geri Gottlieb of GG Practice Consulting and Development. Geri shares about the DiSC assessment as well as many other aspects of core values and office culture that can affect your practice. You can check out the two episodes with Geri here and here or wherever you like to listen to podcasts. 

Watch below to see Dr. Sesemann share his thoughts about this powerful aspect of team building and customer service. 

Dr. Hartlieb and Dr. Sesemann share details about the AACD accreditation process.

Dennis outlines exactly what the accreditation process includes, and Michael shares about what that journey can look like for dentists. Dennis also talks about his own accreditation journey and how he went from skepticism to admiration for the process and its value. 

Dr. Sesemann and Dr. Hartlieb share about their own continuing education journeys and talk about how important it is to invest time, energy, and resources into meaningful continuing education.

Michael shares, "And whether it's the Kois Center, whether it's Spear, whether it's Dawson, whether it's Pankey, you've got to find your [CE] home, and that place that feels right for you.

"And you've got to up the amount of money you spend on CE; you've got to up your commitment to time with what you're going to spend on CE. And you've got to go to somewhere where they have a comprehensive curriculum, where everything's tied into place. There comes a time when catching a day seminar in your hometown isn't going to do it."

Michael shares about his throat cancer journey that first began in 2018. He talks about how he first discovered it, why there was a delay in the diagnosis, and what the treatment plan looked like for him. 

Dr. Sesemann shares openly and honestly about how treatment can affect employment and life, and he talks about why he ultimately decided to go through with radiation but not with chemotherapy. 

About the diagnosis, Michael shares his experience:

"I was told I had an appointment at 7am on Monday morning, and to be there, because the staff was being called in early, and they wouldn't like it if they were stood up. So I showed up at 7am. It's a very simple test. If you've got a swollen lymph node, it's a fine needle biopsy; you don't even feel it. They get some cells and put them on a slide.

"And I forgot about it went back to work. Tuesday night phone rings, and it's Dr. Ogren. And he says, 'Michael, I've got to tell you that it's squamous cell carcinoma.'

"And I got goosebumps.

"Anybody that's received that type of phone call knows its gravity. And so denial was all over with and it was time to learn about the disease. And to go ahead and treat it. And so Dr. Ogren pointed me in a good direction."