Meetings

For the last 15 years, I have made it a requirement that dental specialists (oral surgeons, periodontists, endodontists, orthodontists) meet with me for dinner to discuss our mutual patients. I believe that this is a much better way to communicate than sending a written letter which may or may not be read before it is filed away. The opportunity to give and take with ideas is just a wonderful way to diagnose and treatment plan complex cases. I have told you that the thought process required to diagnose and treatment plan a case is far more important than the actual treatment of our patient's mouth.

What I found most interesting with the two meetings that I had with 2 different orthodontists is that both of them thanked me for my ability and knowledge to participate in a true interdiciplinary dental treatment plan. Each of the specialist knows that orthodontic therapy can only provide 80% of the treatment and that I, as the restorative dentist, would have to complete the treatment by actually fixing our patient's teeth. In most orthodontic cases, when the orthodontist completes treatment, that is as far as the case will go. My patients, on the other hand, can count on me to take their teeth from having an acceptable outcome to having a superb outcome because something in addition to moving teeth is required to finish the case.

Perhaps you are wondering the same thing that I am: Why aren't other dentists capable, interested or have the knowledge to attain a really incredible results?