Dr Joi Freemont: 5 Things You Need To Create A Successful Career As A Dentist
An Interview With Luke Kervin
Family support and tough skin. You can’t do this alone. You work long hours and most of them are not gratifying. If I didn’t have my brother and husband working with me and my parents being there to tell me that it would be ok, I don’t know where I’d be! And like I said earlier, nobody likes going to the dentist. You hear it day in and day out about how much they hate you! Patients think nothing about saying it, but soon enough it can get to you. To top it off, 95% of the procedures you do cause some level of discomfort — pain! So… they don’t want to be there, and then they’re leaving in pain. Find a way to get it out of your mind.
As part of our series about healthcare leaders, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Joi Freemont.
Dr. Joi Freemont has spent the last two decades creating thousands of smiles through general and cosmetic dentistry as well as orthodontics. Also known as “Miss Doctor Lady”, she has maintained a successful private practice in Hapeville, GA for 25 years. She has been featured in US News and World Report, Healthline, Kevin, MD, many panels, podcasts, and radio shows. In 2021, Dr. Freemont became one of the first African-American women to receive the status of Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, the highest credential a dentist can earn in dental sleep medicine. She is passionate about helping others who have sleep apnea by helping them breathe at night without using a CPAP. Find out more about her at TheHapevilleDentist.com.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! What is your “backstory”?
I spent many, many years in the dentist’s chair growing up. I had crooked teeth and I always had cavities. The strange thing is that I loved going to the dentist! My father was an OB/Gyn and I watched him work very long, sporadic hours delivering babies. I knew I wanted to be a doctor, but I didn’t want to carry a beeper or have to leave at any time of the day or night. He encouraged me to do something that I thought I would like, and becoming a dentist was an obvious choice. I went to Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA and got my dental degree from Marquette University School of Dentistry. I came home to Atlanta right after I graduated and started my practice. My father’s practice was a few miles from my office, and we did a lot of things together. A few years ago he died suddenly from what we learned was sleep apnea. I had to do CPR on my hero! The trauma sparked my desire to get to the bottom of it. I knew he snored, but I didn’t know anything more about sleep apnea. I traveled across the country learning everything I knew about the disease that killed my father. I had no idea of the millions of people who have it and aren’t being treated. It has become my passion.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
What may be interesting to me is probably gross to most people. I had an elderly patient who was being cared for by her niece. She said that her mouth was really itching. When I looked in her mouth, I found a bunch of ants under her dentures! It was totally disgusting, but I took care of it.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Whoo! There were so many mistakes. I probably made some today! But funny?
I thought that I had to treat everyone that came through the door. I quickly found out that all money isn’t good money! I learned that if the patient isn’t a good fit for the office — never shows up for their appointments, never accepts treatment recommendations, complains constantly, treats my staff bad — I can send them on their way! Life is too short for abuse!
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now?
I always seem to be working on projects that keep me busy. A short time ago I wrote a book, The Conversation, for people to write down their information and list where their important information for their families to have when they pass away or are unable to speak for themselves. My thoughts are, “Who knows where your stuff is if something happens to you?” I have the original edition, a special edition for the members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and I’m currently working on one specifically for dentists and physicians. I learned a lot when my father suddenly passed away. We had to make critical decisions when it came to keeping his office open, handling his staff, and his patients. It’s critical that we leave our family in a good, fair position to deal with this in the middle of their grief. I know this too well.
The books are at FamilyConversation.com.
I’m also working with local occupational health clinics to offer custom sleep appliances as an option to their truck drivers who fail their sleep studies. The need treatment to get their CDL licenses, and many feel that they are forced to use a CPAP.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Dr. Henry Diversi was the only dentist who reached out to me when I first opened my practice in East Point. He is a periodontist who’s office was not far from mine. He and I had lunch every month and he really encouraged me. He gave me lots of tips and pointers and a lot of advice.
Is there a particular book that made an impact on you? Can you share a story?
4 Hour Workweek was a game changer. Although I couldn’t do most of the stuff that Tim Ferriss recommends in the book, it opened my mind to working smarter, not harder. I went from being open Monday through Friday and some Saturdays to seeing patients 3 days a week — Tuesday through Thursday. It was a big leap, but my profits actually went way up!
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I’m really, really, really a nurturer. I’d do it all for free if I could! But I think of what I do outside of the office. My family founded the Freemont Foundation the day after my father passed away. It’s one of the things I’m most proud of. Keeping his name alive is so important because he was such a big influence to the Black community. We’ve given over 65 scholarships to kids attending HBCUs. We do free ACT and SAT workshops, and now we have partnered with Dave Ramsey and have added financial literacy to the classes at a middle school close to my office. Running a non-profit is a lot of work, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Learn more at FreemontFoundation.com
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story about how that was relevant to you in your own life?
“The way you do anything is the way you do everything.”
I know that I’m a workaholic! I love to work. But in what I do, I operate in a spirit of excellence. I put my all into absolutely everything I do. On the flip side, I use that motto when I’m dealing with my team. People don’t change. If they come late to work, they’re always going come late. If they procrastinate on a project, trust me — it’s going to always be that way.
Can you share your top three “oral hygiene tweaks” that will help people look and feel great?
- Brush your teeth with a power toothbrush and soft bristles. Electric works better than batter-operated and medium to hard bristles ruin your enamel.
- Use a good mouthwash with no alcohol. Alcohol dries out your mouth.
- Clean your tongue with a scraper that has ridges. A smooth one doesn’t do anything
Ok thank you for all of that. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your experience, what are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Successful Career As A Dentist” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Regular stuff! Stop thinking that you have to buy the newest, most expensive equipment. Technology changes quickly. The science of medicine — and this includes dentistry — also changes fast. Get sturdy, quality equipment that will last and keep it maintained. The shiny stuff fades fast!
- Great bedside manner. You have to have a good personality to be in this field. My father taught me that no matter how good or bad your skills are, if you have a bad personality (and those aren’t the words he used!), you’re not going to make it. No one likes coming to the dentist! If your disposition is bad, your practice won’t last.
- Integrity. Treat people right! I know so many dentists who sneak and do things just to make a buck. I don’t know if it’s out of desperation, greed, or if they’re just bad people. But you have to have morals when you deal with people. I have to be able to sleep soundly at night knowing that I did the best that I could and did it honestly.
- Compassion. Treat others the way you want to be treated. That goes for your patients and staff. People go through hard times and sometimes they’re just having a bad day. I recently had a patient who’s been coming to see me since she was in high school. She’s now an adult. When she came in, I could tell just by saying hello to her that something was off. I looked her in her eyes and asked her what was going on. After staring at me, she confided that she was contemplating suicide. Just by asking her how she was doing and sensing a shift, I was able to counsel her. Our regular cleaning appointment turned into a life-saving moment.
- Family support and tough skin. You can’t do this alone. You work long hours and most of them are not gratifying. If I didn’t have my brother and husband working with me and my parents being there to tell me that it would be ok, I don’t know where I’d be! And like I said earlier, nobody likes going to the dentist. You hear it day in and day out about how much they hate you! Patients think nothing about saying it, but soon enough it can get to you. To top it off, 95% of the procedures you do cause some level of discomfort — pain! So… they don’t want to be there, and then they’re leaving in pain. Find a way to get it out of your mind.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I would love it if all family physicians, internists and cardiologists screen and test their patients for sleep apnea and stop thinking a CPAP is the only way to treat them. Sounds crazy, but most people think that only old, overweight men have sleep apnea. My mother is a very slim, active lady who found out she had sleep apnea after I screened her and had her tested. This was after my father passed away. Her cardiologist was upset with me because he said she never told him that she snored! She had all of the other risk factors, number one GOING TO THE CARDIOLOGIST! The top comorbidity of sleep apnea is heart disease. I truly believe that more lives would be saved if more physicians would think beyond what they’re doing.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)
Bobby Brown! I love the fact that he doesn’t follow the norm, is a risk taker, and is resilient. He has consistently been successful although many have counted him out. He’s still going strong. I admire him a lot!
What is the best way for our readers to follow you online?
Follow me on Facebook and Instagram — @freemontdental — or on my website TheHapevilleDentist.com
Thank you so much for these wonderful insights!
