Mentoring the Next Generation of Dentists...Even When They Are Not in America

Dr. Ashok, from Bangalore, India, has studied with me either in person at my office or via email for almost a decade. He has worked very hard to learn the concepts of complex restorative dentistry (fixing teeth and restoring implants from very simple to very complex) from me. Sometimes he becomes frustrated because some of his patients cannot understand what he is trying to do for them. Also, many of his Indian colleagues make fun of him for trying to learn more than most of the other dentists.

But his "American dental education" through me is starting to make a difference in his career  and for his patients. Today he sent me the following email:

"You know what happened in one case Dr.Gerald, i had shown this case to you before, he is a 40 plus year old patient, anteriors were spacing, and he didnt have proper occlusion and he had sorness in joint,  and he had advised by many dentists to go for extractions and implants , after my consultation, according to your advise, after mounting the case in CR, i came to know that rt and left 3rd molars are the culprits, these teeth were hitting and gliding the mandible forward to create the anterior space, i advised him to go for extraction and those teeth, NOW i cant believe my self, 2 days back he came for check up, now his posterior occlusion is settled down, he so happy, and he said he can chew perfectly and he can feel that he go a solid occlusion, his joint pain is vanished. After removing those 2 culprits, nature has adjusted its occlusion by it self, really great, I told that pt, that i am learning this topic from you and because of your mentoring i could able to do that, he thanked you too. Now i will start ortho to correct his anterior teeth and then restorative work. None of the previous dentists had advised him to analyse the case after mounting in CR in a semiadjustable articulator with a face bow, ( first of all they didnt have one). Thanks very much, best regards, Ashok."

In simple terms, he said that he is using some of the very complex ideas of diagnosis about function that I have taught him and his patients are benefiting from his treatment. This, even though all of the previous dentists that his patients went to NEVER were able to solve their problems.

My legacy, if I am to have one, will be how well the young dentists that I have mentored  are able to take care of their own patients.

It is a great honor that you have selected our office to take care of you and that you trust our advice. 

I sincerely thank you.