New teeth for Bitcoin: Doc Ullrich in interview

A Bitcoin ATM in the dentist's office and paying for all treatments via Bitcoin and the Lightning network - in our eyes, this is a milestone! We are thrilled by Marc's conviction and passion for Bitcoin and were eager to get to know him better. In this interview, we asked Doc Ullrich 10 questions.

Let's start with a short introduction of Dr. Marc Ullrich and his practice.

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Dr. Marc Ullrich aka Doc Ullrich in portrait

Doc Ullrich was born in Duisburg and grew up on the left bank of the Lower Rhine. He is a trained dental technician and studied dentistry in Greifswald. After one year of further training in periodontology at the University of Greifswald and three years in orthodontics at the University of Tübingen, he graduated as a specialist in orthodontics in 2005. Since 2005 he has been working as a specialist dentist for orthodontics in Stockach, first at Stadtwall, today in Dillstraße in his own practice with his colleague Dr. Pamela Gerster.

How did Marc end up becoming a dental technician and orthodontist?
"Club life shapes you and my coach was a dental technician at the time and he went into dentistry after that. I was young, he was 10 years older and a role model for me."

"We are more than a simple practice for orthodontics. The practice Ullrich Orthodontics exists already since 2005. We have realized our visions by moving to the premises of Dillstr. We have deliberately renounced compromises, because our concept is designed for several years and we want to guarantee the best orthodontics together with a team of specialists."

Source: docullrich.com

Among these visions for Marc is obviously the acceptance of Bitcoin and driving Bitcoin adoption. More about this now from him personally:

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Doc Ullrich interviewed by Coinfinity

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1. who are you and where are you from?

Hi, I'm Marc Ullrich, married, 2 children, born in Duisburg on the right bank of the Rhine, grew up on the left bank and went to school.

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2. what is the daily routine of an orthodontist like?

Get up in the morning, drink coffee, shower, brush teeth, get dressed, bike to work, move, do my job, move, bike home, eat lunch, brush teeth, bike to work, move, do my job, move, bike home, eat dinner, do sports, read or watch TV, brush teeth, get undressed, go to sleep. Quite "normal" everyday life ;-). It's just great and a gift to practice this profession and gives us huge pleasure!

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3. what is offered in your practice?

Everything about orthodontics and with the treatment of malocclusions, fixed braces, clear splints and this and that around.

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4. what is bitcoin for you?

Liberte, egalite, fraternite. A revolution of the twenty-first century.

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5. how did you get into bitcoin?

I bought them...

In 2017, I heard about Bitcoin for the first time and built and opened our new practice in parallel. I just did not have money for trips to another world. I then caught the development in 2018 and 2019 and then my son said in 2019 that Bitcoin crashed from $20,000 to $3000 and my response was that if I had invested in 2017 I would still have been up 300%. Hindsight is always wiser...!

Since 2019, I have been watching Bitcoin again and reading about cryptocurrencies in parallel. Then at the end of 2021, a friend said to me that Bitcoin will surely rise to over $100,000 by the turn of the year. Since I witnessed the dotcom bubble in 2000, I did not buy. 

Since 2008 I have been a perma-skeptic of QE and why do different rules apply in the private sector than for the states or banks? But here again... afterwards one is always smarter! I have been brought up in such a way that if I borrow money, I also have to pay it back. Whether Bitcoin is an alternative to a better money, I can not answer at the moment. It does feel better though!

For any beginner, I recommend starting small, thinking of it like a game. Build your own node, download the blockchain, install Lightning, move one or 2 sats back and forth, then buy a cold wallet and keep the sats safe. Everyone develops their own strategy after that, or even before that. Just keep your head in it and discover a new, different world. 

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In what ways have you integrated Bitcoin into your business?

With us, any invoice can be paid on- or off-chain.

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7. what advantages do patients have when they pay with bitcoin?

5 percent discount

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8. As a physician, what are the advantages of offering Bitcoin as a payment option?

None. With the principle of what Bition is for me, I want to advance the adaptation and contribute to the dissemination and acceptance. We need money with a level playing field for all! No Cantillon effect, no inflation, no higher authority. All people are equal and no politicians are more equal.

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9. is it complicated or cumbersome to accept Bitcoin as a German entrepreneur? (regarding taxes, accounting, etc.)

At the moment, I do not see any obstacles here and see many design options depending on the company.

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Where do you see Bitcoin in 10 years?

a. Hopefully arrived at and understood by the masses

b. Not as an investment but as a real payment option in everyday life

c. As a foundation for a better world, with a level playing field for all. I cannot spend more than I have. Just as work is output per time.

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What are your thoughts on integrating Bitcoin as a payment method in the medical field? Could this already be a commonplace in a few years? We are curious and look forward to more Bitcoin pioneers following Doc Ullrich's example.