Episode #115 - Live From Seattle Study Club Symposium 2018 with Dr. James Woodyard, Dr. Pat Allen, and Dr. Jason Stoner

The Best Practices Show

It has been an incredible week at the 25th Anniversary Legacy Tour of the Seattle Study Club Symposium in Palm Springs, California. Today, I have three amazing clinicians here to talk about the perio aspect of dentistry. They are all three periodontists. Jason Stoner is a periodontist in Columbus, Ohio. Pat Allen is a periodontist in Dallas, Texas. James Woodyard is a periodontist in Newburgh, Indiana.

We talk about the future of perio and how technology is changing everything. We discuss the importance of having a mentor and belonging to a study club. We talk about taking a holistic view of dentistry and incorporating medical into the practice. This is a great discussion where we get the point of view of three unique practitioners.

You can find the panel here:

Dr. James Woodyard

Dr. Pat Allen

Dr. Jason Stoner

Show Notes

[01:34] Jason Stoner is a periodontist in Columbus, Ohio.

[01:34] Pat Allen is a periodontist in Dallas, Texas.

[01:35] James Woodyard is a periodontist in Newburgh, Indiana

[02:01] Today, we talk about the future of perio and uniqueness that each different doctor brings to the practice.

[02:08] Dr. Allen has been in practice for more than 40 years. He has seen a lot of changes. He has noticed that technology is pushing forward and changing what is done in the office.

[02:53] Dr. Stoner thinks that the new technologies and diagnostic tools that are coming in the next decade are unbelievable.

[03:09] The focus is coming back to saving teeth again. Stem cells and biologic agents from our own bodies are going to make this a very different landscape.

[03:57] When Dr. Woodyard first read about these new technologies, they were too expensive to implement for most patients, but as the technology increases the cost actually goes down making a bright future for perio and advanced technology.

[04:36] Dental implants are wonderful, but nothing we do lasts forever. Teeth are easier to fix than anything, so maybe we need to spend more time trying to save the tooth.

[05:06] We are lucky to have a specialty system. Being able to collaborate with specialists opens a whole new opportunity.

[06:08] Multidisciplinary care means treating more than one discipline on a patient. Interdisciplinary is interacting and coordinating with other disciplines.

[06:37] Common knowledge is important even if you're not the one actually doing the procedure.

[07:00] Creating an interdisciplinary team takes work and communication.

[07:21] Introducing medical into the dental interdisciplinary team is part of the future.

[08:25] Everything that we do is really about inflammation. Inflammation is the enemy.

[09:55] In the 80s there was a multidisciplinary approach to dentistry which has now become more of an interdisciplinary approach.

[10:43] The common theme is that there has never been a more exciting time to be a dentist.

[12:22] Raising awareness in a way that is beneficial to working together. It’s great to collaborate and learn with mentors.

[13:48] Jason believes in coming from a place of abundance. He doesn't understand the scarcity mindset when it comes to technology and working with other specialists.

[14:59] Misconceptions about perio include that it is a dying specialty. When it is really one of the most dynamic specialties. What they have to do to offer a standard of care to their patients now is ever-increasing.

[16:24] Periodontist were becoming associated with being implant specialists. Periodontists take care of patients and do more than just perform implants.

[17:44] Everything a periodontist does the foundation for the mouth.

[18:33] The consequences of nontreatment could be communicated a little better. This is a misconception of the public and sometimes a misconception of the dentist.

[19:40] Technology is making things easier and more affordable and everybody benefits from that.

[20:04] The new diagnostic tools that are coming out are doing what we are supposed to be doing and that is comprehensive care of the patients.

[23:41] Making the effort to find mentors and teachers.

[24:16] Decide and write down what you want from your career and what is going to satisfy you. Then seek out those opportunities and that knowledge.

[26:39] When Pat was looking for mentors, he actually read academic articles and then sought out places where these people were speaking. He made an effort to meet these people.

[27:38] Pat advises young people to go to meetings and to not be afraid to meet these people.

[30:05] The importance of study clubs and meetings and the friends you make there.

[30:38] A study club is a group or community created by dentists to help each other. They put all the knowledge in a bowl and watch it grow.

[32:47] The different disciplines add to a deeper richer treatment plan and they all complement each other.

[34:04] Having continuing education courses every month. They organize them and have a different area of dentistry as a theme each year. Members pay a flat fee.

[34:54] A study club is a group of people coming together to learn as a group. The Seattle Study Club model is a formula for that. It's primarily educational. Although there is a social aspect, you need to be knowledgeable to participate.

[37:17] More headway with the medical community in the future would be good. Things are moving more towards a health model as opposed to a reaction model.

Links and Resources:

Seattle Study Club

Dr. James Woodyard

Dr. Pat Allen

Dr. Jason Stoner