Mike's Newsletter | Amazon's New AI Robots
- Mike Vidikan
- Jun 15
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 1
Welcome Orthopreneurs!
Every week, we bring you the latest in practice management, marketing, profitability, and next-level ortho techniques so you can work smarter, grow faster, and build the practice you want.
In this issue:
🚨 News Update🦾 Mike’s Prompt
🗓️ Plan Your 2026 CE Calendar
📢 Juan’s Marketing Tip
🔥Trending in the OrthoPreneurs Facebook Group
🎙️ The Orthopreneurs Podcast
✨ Final Thought
🚨 News Update
🚫 U.S. Government Orders Anthropic to Disable Fable 5 and Mythos 5 Worldwide
What happened:
Just days after Anthropic launched its newest AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, the U.S. government issued export-control restrictions that prevented foreign nationals from accessing the models. Because Anthropic couldn't selectively block access, it shut down both models globally. The government cited national security concerns and fears that the models could be "jailbroken" to identify software vulnerabilities. Anthropic strongly disagreed with the decision and argues that similar capabilities already exist in competing models.
Why it matters:
This is arguably the biggest AI policy story of the week. Washington is signaling that the most advanced AI systems may now be treated as strategic national assets subject to export controls. That has enormous implications for innovation, competition, global access to AI, and the future business models of AI companies. It also raises a new question: if governments can force a frontier model offline overnight, how much should businesses rely on closed AI platforms they don't control?
📦 Amazon's New AI Robots Can Understand Instructions and Work Autonomously
What happened:
Amazon unveiled a new generation of AI-powered warehouse robots that can understand conversational instructions, prioritize tasks, navigate independently, and adapt to changing conditions in real time. The company is also expanding deployment of its Vulcan robot, which uses sensors to give robots a human-like "sense of touch" when handling products.
Why it matters: For years, AI has lived primarily inside software. Amazon is showing what happens when AI moves into the physical world. These robots aren't simply following pre-programmed routines—they can understand goals, make decisions, and execute tasks with minimal human oversight. We're still early, but starting to see how robots will become a natural part of how work gets done.
🦾 Stop Prompting, Start Delegating — How to Level Up With Claude Cowork
Most orthodontists who use AI are still doing it the slow way: open a chat, type a question, copy the answer, paste it somewhere, repeat. The real leverage has moved from asking AI to delegating to it — handing over a whole task and getting back a finished result while you go see patients.
Claude Cowork is where to start. In regular chat, Claude responds to your messages but can't access your files; in Cowork, Claude can read, edit, and create files in folders you choose, so it can actually complete tasks rather than just describe how to do them. It was built specifically for non-technical people and it's included on all paid Claude plans.
Instead of constant back-and-forth, you describe a goal like you would to an employee, and Claude breaks it into steps, runs them, reads and writes real files, and delivers a finished result.
🦷What that looks like in an ortho practice:
Point it at a folder of monthly P&Ls and ask for a variance report showing where overhead crept up
Hand it your last 24 months of production data and have it uncover trends or build a 12 month forecast
Drop in a messy folder of vendor contracts and ask it to summarize renewal dates and rates into one document
Give it all of your marketing documents and info about your practice and ask for a comprehensive back to school marketing plan
☝️How to actually level up this week:
If you have a paid Claude plan, download the desktop app and open the Cowork tab.
Start with something low-stakes and repetitive you do every month — a report you build by hand, a folder you're always reorganizing.
Describe the outcome you want, not the steps. Let it plan.
One real caution: Cowork can read, edit, and create files in folders you give it access to, so grant access deliberately and keep backups — treat it like handing a capable new team member the keys. Never point it at folders with unencrypted patient data or HIPAA-sensitive files unless you're certain the files and folder structure are secure. Start on a contained project before the whole office.
Next week, we'll dive into Claude Code — the power-user tool for bigger, more complex automation.
✨ Astro Outlook: Week of June 15-21
Key dates: June 15 and June 21
The big astrology this week starts on June 15, when Venus in ♌Leo connects with Uranus in ♊Gemini. This is a creative, unexpected, “try something different” kind of transit. Leo brings visibility and confidence, while Gemini brings fresh ideas and communication. Then on June 21, the Sun enters Cancer, shifting the focus toward trust, emotional tone, and how people feel when they interact with you.
For orthodontists, this is a great week to refresh one patient-facing message. Look at your consult script, follow-up texts, social media intro, or website copy. Is it memorable? Does it sound human? Does it help people feel confident moving forward? The signs most likely to feel this are ♌Leo, ♊Gemini, ♋Cancer, ♒Aquarius, and ♉Taurus, but the takeaway applies to everyone: don’t be afraid to break a stale communication pattern.
Best use of the week: Update one message that patients or parents see all the time.
🗓️ Plan Your 2026 CE Calendar
Looking ahead to July and August, these are worth putting on the radar now:
Florida Dental ConventionJun 25 Verona
European Society of Lingual Orthodontics Congress 2026Jun 25 Kissimmee
International Conference on Orthodontics 2026July 9 in New York.
2026 Invisalign Ortho Summit — Align TechnologyJuly 23 in Las Vegas.
GORP 2026July 30 in Ann Arbor.
TC & Marketing Mastery Workshop — SeattleAugust 28 at W Seattle Hotel.
The Clarity Summit at BreckenridgeAugust 28 at Mountain Thunder Lodge.
Pick the events that match your biggest constraint: clinical confidence, TC performance, marketing, leadership, or team growth
📢 Juan’s Marketing Tip
📋 Win the AI Search Shortlist
Parents are not just searching Google anymore. They are asking AI tools who to trust, what treatment costs, what questions to ask, and which practices are worth calling.
Here’s the play:
Search your own market like a parent. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews who they would recommend for teen braces, adult aligners, early treatment, or airway-focused orthodontics in your city.
Fix your online footprint. Your website, GBP, reviews, bios, service pages, and FAQs should all tell the same story.
Add plain-language FAQs. AI search tools reward clear answers to real patient questions.
Strengthen review language. Ask happy families to mention the experience, team, communication, location, and treatment type when appropriate.
Build trust pages. Create content around first visits, payment options, retainers, early treatment, adult treatment, and what makes your process different.
Track the shortlist monthly. If AI tools mention competitors and not you, that is a visibility problem.
The bottom line:AI search will not replace referrals. But it can influence which orthodontic practices make the first shortlist.
🔥Trending in the OrthoPreneurs Facebook Group🔥
💬 I’m rusty on the surgical planning side and haven’t worked with a private oral surgeon on this yet.
What’s the typical workflow?
Anything you recommend to get me back up to speed?
“On the insurance side, how is this usually handled? I don’t want to do a full orthognathic case on Delta Dental’s standard braces fee.”
🎙️ On the Podcast: If Aligners Aren’t Working for You, Watch This l 5MF
🦷 What if I told you the reason you’re getting better finishes with braces might have nothing to do with the technology—and everything to do with your training?
I've met a lot of orthodontists over the years, but few embody positivity, leadership, continuous learning, and team development quite like Dr. Alyssa Carter. In this episode, we dive into what it's like to build a successful orthodontic practice in a small Texas town, why investing in your people matters more than ever, and how creating opportunities for growth can transform both your team and your practice.
Alyssa shares her journey from growing up in rural Texas to becoming one of the most respected clinicians and lifelong learners in our profession. We discuss leadership, efficiency, delegation, remote monitoring, aligner systems, CE, team retention, and why today's team members need more than just a job—they need a vision for their future. If you're looking to improve your culture, elevate your systems, and become a better leader, this episode is packed with practical insights you can implement immediately.
✨ Final Thoughts: Your Practice Does Not Need More Logins. It Needs Cleaner Systems.
🤱A parent who feels rushed will hesitate.
A patient who feels confused will delay.
A team member who feels unheard will disengage.
Better communication is not fluff.
It is practice growth.
– Mike Vidikan
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