Protrusive Dental Podcast

Ask 10 Dentists for a treatment plan, and you will get 12 different recommendations. Treatment planning is an art, but our diagnosis should be highly scientific. Making decisions of what specific treatment we should recommend to our patients is the very foundation of daily practice. With the experienced Dr Paresh Shah we discuss the How, What and Why of the Treatment Planning process in this Back to Basics in Dentistry series. https://youtu.be/raZiERy8U4o Check out this full episode on YouTube Protrusive Dental Pearl: If you are unsure what is the best treatment plan for your patient, it likely means you haven’t asked enough questions. Ask more questions and seek your patients’ drivers and goals. “Find an experienced mentor that will walk you through gathering the information…. [discover] why it’s important to mount the cast rather than just holding it in with your hand.” – Dr Paresh Shah In this Episode, we discussed: Step by Step thorough Examination 12:50 Importance of having a Checklist 27:34 Records needed for a Comprehensive Exam 30:46 Communication between patients and Dentists about Treatment Plan – in a way that doesn’t confuse our patient 36:59 Talking Money and Fees 47:18 Check out Dr. Paresh Shah’s Instagram to learn and be inspired! If you enjoyed this, you will of course love Zak’s Presenting Treatment Plans the Comprehensive Way 

Want to upgrade your practice with dental photography but unsure where to start? I got early adopter and dental photography legend Dr Alessandro Devigus (the main man behind dentist.camera Instagram page) to share with us his fundamentals to make dental photography routine in for your clinical documentation. https://youtu.be/6WtCv9nb7HA Check out this full episode on YouTube Protrusive Dental pearl: AACD Dental photography guide, have this document at hand when start taking dental photographs because it will help you to remember your settings before they eventually become second nature. AACD_2013_Photo_GuideDownload And also be sure to check this video tutorial I made on how to take perfect Occlusal Dental Photographs (the trickiest shot!) https://youtu.be/PGTtZJnp9Pk “Every picture you didn’t take is a missed one…” – Dr Alessandro Devigus In this episode we talked about: Setting up the camera 12:37 The basic of taking photographs 14:19 Importance of magnification ratio on lens 17:48 Selection of materials ie mirrors and retractors 21:38 Making your own signatures on photography 26:39 Storing and Organizing photos 30:42 As promised, here are the basic dental photography camera settings by Dr Alessandro Devigus: Check out Dr Alessandro Devigus’ instagram page, the dentist.camera, to learn more about cameras. If you enjoyed this episode, you may also enjoy the ‘Which Dental Camera Should I Buy’? also with Dr Alessandro.

When treating periodontal disease there is more to it than removing biofilm. Our role is to be a motivator and lifestyle coach – only then can we see successful periodontal outcomes in the longterm. What’s your spiel to patients to explain what periodontal disease is? Do you show diagrams, draw or use your fingers? Listen to how Dr Ian Dunn explains Perio and you will want to implement his way of communicating on Monday morning! Brought to you by the Back to Basics series of August on Protrusive Dental Podcast. https://youtu.be/KAGHaWyacZs Check out this full episode on YouTube Protrusive Dental Pearl: Have some tools to be able to communicate via drawing (draw teeth, draw bone or periodontium etc) whether it’s digitally, on whiteboard or paper. There is beauty and magic about being able to draw something while your patients are watching beside you. “Communication has to be a two-way street. It shouldn’t be a monologue, it should be a discussion.” – Dr Ian Dunn In this episode we discussed about, Communication Masterclass between Dentists and Perio patients (12:38) How to communicate with more resistant patients (17:33) Referrals done by GDPs that could have been manage at their own practice (21:22) Trying to get out of comfort zone in Perio (26:20) How to communicate risks in Perio treatment (32:08) Catch Dr. Ian Dunn’s Perio courses and be able to communicate to patients effectively about periodontal diseases. Do join us on our Facebook community, the Protrusive Dental community! If you like this episode, be sure to watch Finding Your Niche in Dentistry with Dr Pav Khaira

I know some of our colleagues who have completely lost confidence in extractions and they are crippled by the thought of failure or having to ‘start a surgical’. I think being good at exodontia is fundamental for successful Dentists and it was my mission to bring on Oral Surgeon Chris Waith who will help you regain your confidence. The secret, we think, lies in your ability to section and elevate roots! Listen or watch now to find out why – guest featuring Dr Zak Kara! https://youtu.be/UeTx84dzUQI Protrusive Dental Pearl: Be able to section teeth. If you can learn how to section roots and know WHEN to do it and HOW to do it safely, you will dramatically increase your success rate for dental extractions. “I always say to Dentists that you should have a plan A, plan B, plan C etc. Don’t just go in with plan A and carry on with it..” – Dr Chris Waith Dr Chris Waith and Dr Zak Kara are here to join help us in stepping up our extractions game. In this episode, we discussed: Clinical and Radiographic features of tooth that need reassessment – what makes it a ‘difficult extraction’? (13:46) How to make sure that your patient is on board – communication skills for oral surgery (20:23) Importance of positive conversation to surgery patients (21:06) When to and when not to section a tooth during extractions (29:31) GDPs not sectioning due to lack of equipment and how to overcome this (32:14) Advice on sectioning teeth technique (41:15) Is the inter-furcal bone important? Or can we drill it away? (50:08:) Check out Dr Chris Waith’s oral surgery course.  If you enjoyed this episode, check out Why and how you need to Improve your Tooth Morphology – PDP046

Do your ID blocks work all the time? How about your management of the dreaded ‘hot pulp’? As a part of the Back to Basic series this August, I asked Dr Pynadath George, who practices advanced surgical and implant dentistry, about dental hacks for success with every dimension of local anaesthesia in Dentistry. https://youtu.be/F6l9glsEbuc  Check out this full episode on YouTube Protrusive Dental Pearl: Give painless local anaesthesia (aside from topical anaesthetic, we know that already!) by massaging the mucosa and the lip with your index finger and thumb. Get just a few drops of LA first and give it a minute to work. Then you can go back in and deliver your anaesthetic much faster and the patient will love you for painless anaesthesia! “If you want good success with the ID blocks, you need to look at and study the anatomy, even if it’s on a skull, and then relate that to your patient..” – Dr George In this episode we discussed about: Is Lidocaine/Articaine enough to numb patients as a GDP, or do we need to stock other anaesthetics such a Mepivicaine? (15:09) Avoidance of Articaine for ID block in some countries – if that really necessary? (18:35) Shift of mindset with young dentists practicing defensively (20:38) Tips on achieving successful ID blocks (27:04) Hitting bone during ID blocks – do you HAVE to hit bone? Can that be harmful? (33:38) How to manage the dreaded hot pulp! (36:39) Moderate and advanced local anaesthetic techniques in Dentistry (47:31) Tips on getting painless palatal injections (especially on ultra nervous patients) (51:05) Want to learn more? Check out this Advanced Implant Training by Dr George Pynadath I hope you are enjoying this Back to Basics series of episodes! If you liked this episode, you will also enjoy Basic Implant Occlusion and Work Life Balance – PDP012 with Implant Ninja!

A daily dilemma in Dentistry is deciding when (and HOW) to restore that extensive MODL amalgam restoration that was placed over 30 years ago! We go deep in to this, looking at single-tooth factors but also a full mouth ‘bigger picture’ view with Dr Andrew Chandrapal who has been trained by world-class clinicians including Dr John Kois and Dr Didier Dietschi, https://youtu.be/lulpENm4swo Check out this full episode on YouTube. Protrusive Dental Pearl: How to make sure your equipment doesn’t keep getting lost? Use color coded tapes on your own equipment and tell your team that stuff is super important because it belongs to you. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNUi20EJ9Pk/ “Using things like air abrasion to then try and remove the apical amalgam whatever you can do to try and be gentle in your removal of that material is a good way to go” – Dr Andrew In this episode I ask Dr Andrew Chandrapal,  When to classify the large restoration has failed (12:45) Risk factors of a tooth with large restoration would undergo necrosis (18:33) About restricted anterior restriction or constriction (22:21) How to prevent yellow stains and if you should intervene for a long time restorations? (29:16) Little tip on special burs to use when cutting out caries (31:21) Cutoff point whether to cap the cusp tip or not (33:26) When to decide if you should intervene because of marginal staining and communicating to patients (37:44) What factors to consider moving from direct restoration to indirect restoration? (39:59) Treatment plan to reduce the risks of fracture (42:31) As promised in the episode, if you want to learn more of Composite courses by Dr Andrew Chandrapal – IndigoDent Education If you enjoy this episode, check out this Composite vs Ceramic with Dr Chris Orr

Recession is one of the those diagnoses we make all the time – lots of our patients have recession. I always struggled to decide when we should be proactive with recession and suggest surgery – it is very easy to monitor recession through photos and measurements. Specialist Periodontist Dr Amit Patel discusses his decision making when it comes to recession defects. He also discusses his journey which is very encouraging as it teaches us that you DON’T have to have it all figured out from the start…. https://youtu.be/A1b0sL4rJUk Check out this  full episode on YouTube Protrusive Dental Pearl: What do you do if your patient is bleeding after an extraction and you’re struggling with haemostasis? You can try placing a hot tea bag on the socket (no, really!) – the tannic acid in the tea bag will aid blood clotting. So next time you have a bleeder in the chair, remember, ‘time for a cup of tea!’ In this episode we discussed: Knowing when to refer recession to a Periodontist for surgery vs monitoring (23:39) Communicating to patients whether to have some treatment done now or later (26:02) Miller’s classification (30:05) Why can we get 100% root coverage (32:36) Do GDPs have a role in carrying out Perio surgery (42:53) Advice for patients to prevent recession to get worse (48:30) Realistic expectations to patients about what kind of aesthetic complications to accept as a compromise (52:01) If you liked this episode, you might also enjoy the episode, Should you specialise?

Online reviews for Dentists are a big thing in 2021 and it’s only really just lifting off now. A few years ago I had an appointment with an ENT consultant and the first thing I did was google his name. Most of our patients are googling us and our online reputation is critical. In this episode I am joined by the founder of Doctify, Dr Suman Saha to help you get more high quality reviews for your practice. https://youtu.be/LiHSvoWBuPA Check out this  full episode on YouTube Protrusive Dental Pearl: How to increase the success rate of capturing review: Consider text messaging and/or having a tablet in your practice so they can leave it immediately after treatment. In this Group Function we discussed: What is the role of patient Reviews dentistry? (07:02) Doctify vs different online review sites/apps such as Google Reviews (08:39) How can we make sure the reviews are accurate? How to overcome fake reviews (12:18) How to create a win-win scenario between Principals (the practice) and associates (that want their reviews to stick with them) (17:48) How to get dentists (who might be introverts) to have awkward conversation with patients and ask for reviews (24:20) If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like this episode Think Comprehensive – Communication Gems with Zak Kara

Surely injection moulding composite resin is too ambitious to restore Toothwear? Well, let Dr Kostas convince you otherwise! Restorative Dentist Dr Kostas Karagiannopoulos will reveal all the the nitty gritty secrets from patient evaluation to the entire bonding protocol. https://youtu.be/hL5aAdzk-hk Check out this full episode on YouTube Protrusive Dental Pearl: How to improve the resistance form of ceramic onlays: Use a big fat round bur, sink it into your composite core (be sure you’re drilling into core material and not sacrificing healthy tooth structure) and allow your ceramic to extend into that to help your onlays stay on when you’re trying them in. Whether this extension improves retention form is debatable Step by Step PDF Infographic. Click here In this episode we discussed: Role of injectable composites as a transition (and as a long term solution) (12:59) Follow-ups and maintenance of injection molded composites (16:52) Contraindication for injection molding (20:28) Indication for injection molding (20:54) Minimizing voids when restoring with injection moulded composites (21:48) Filling the stent with composite (a thing of beauty!) (28:17) Other techniques vs Injection molding (31:29) Injection molding composite case sequence (35:04) Isolation during injection molding? (46:36) If you enjoyed this episode, check out eMax Onlays and Vertipreps Want to learn more? Do check out this one-day course by Dr Kostas with GC UK

It’s my sister’s wedding but the Protrusive team managed to get this out for you – and boy it is a good one! Dr Omid Azami AKA The Noobie Dentist will inspire to you adopt a growth Mindset. https://youtu.be/NSEbShIeD04 Check out this  full episode on YouTube “Have that mindset like ‘it’s a journey’, you’re never ‘there’ necessarily. You can always get better, and do more.” – Dr. Omid Azami Here with me, Dr. Omid Azami, host of Noobie Dentist Podcast, who inspires and gives voices to clinicians all over the world and inspiring Dentists. In this Interference Cast, we discuss all about: Tips on making life more efficient, better and more productive. (09:26) Key attributes that help a young dentist to become great. (16:33) Tips and tricks to make a habit of taking photos. (20:54) Journey of self-discovery. Finding your pathways and niche. (24:20) Importance of mentorship, even remote mentorship. (32:58) Most inspirational guest from Noobie dentist and their takeaways (39:03) If you want to learn more, please do subscribe at  Dr. Omid Azami’s Noobie Dentist Podcast If you liked this episode, you will definitely love and will learn a lot from the episode 10 Habits of Highly Successful (and Most Valued) Dentists 

Stop taking OPGs/Panoral radiographs for TMD…they have limited benefit! In this episode I discuss the Piper Classification of TMJ with Dr Jim McKee from the Spear faculty. We also cover exactly when and why imaging of the TMJ may be beneficial (MRIs and CBCTs). I have found the Piper classification easy to implement and I hope this episode helps you understand it. https://youtu.be/n4lRWAQeA5A Check out full episode on YouTube Protrusive Dental Pearl: Observe the patient’s path of opening. If someone’s jaw opening makes a ‘V’ shape, that’s a DEVIATION. If someone’s jaw opens, and then it goes all the way to one side, and it doesn’t go back to the middle, that’s a DEFLECTION. If you want to Download the PDF version of the Piper Classification of TMJ Infographic we made, click here! Piper Classification PDF Dr Jim McKee is part of Spear Education – a platform that has taught me so much of my occlusion. In this episode I asked Dr. Jim McKee: What is the Piper Classification of TMJ? What are the risks of having to rehabilitate someone where you haven’t the health of the TMJ? (19:22) Are there any other useful TMD classifications? (21:01) Is there any benefit of taking a Panoral radiograph? (24:48) What is the difference between an MRI and CBCT for someone with a TMJ pathology? (26:51) What type of imaging is best for TMD? (28:58) What additional information can a CBCT provide above an MRI? (33:59) How do we decide the most appropriate imaging technique? (35:22) Dr McKee’s thoughts on idiopathic condylar resorption in adult patients? (32:58) Should we be taking routine MRI/CBCT for TMJ health diagnosis? Or only for patients who have a joint based history? (36:62) Is there a clinical way to determine which classifications patients are in (Piper III vs Piper IV)? (39:23) Is TMJ disorder always a progressive disorder? (40:51) How to manage asymptomatic clicks? (42:17) Deviation or Deflection as part of full workup and imaging of the way to get the exact diagnosis? (44:07) How does the Piper classification influence Restorative management? (47:12) If you enjoyed this episode, check out TMJ Physiotherapy – When to Refer and How They can Help  Check out SPEAR EDUCATION, a two-day seminar, where Dr. Jim McKee teaches 25% of the course!

Does Biological Width, apparently now known as ‘Supra-crestal tissue attachment’ confuse you? Or would you like an introduction or a refresher on the clinical stages of Crown Lengthening? Fear not, I twisted specialist Periodontist Reena Wadia’s arm and finally got her on the show to teach us! https://youtu.be/No-8hjFsWNs Check out this full episode on YouTube Protrusive Dental Pearl: How to find out what kind of biotype you’re dealing with: Use a ball ended Perio probe and use the ball-end/tip (sometimes it’s coloured) and probe in to the sulcus – if you can see the tip of the probe shining through the gingiva then that’s a THIN biotype. and if you can’t see the tip of the probe then that is a THICK biotype. “Don’t complicate things, if something works in your hands and you’re doing it well, keep things simple, don’t have too many variations because then it just starts getting unpredictable. So test everything out, go on courses, and then see what works in your hand and then stick with that.” – Dr. Reena Wadia In this episode, we discussed: Bone sounding (10:35) Aesthetic crown lengthening (13:06) and Functional crown lengthening (18:02) Altered passive eruption and active eruption (14:21) Fundamental difference between the two types of crown lengthening (20:06) Biology of keratinised tissue (24:13) Steps involved in crown lengthening surgery (26:32) Using dental stents as a guide (29:44) Post-op management for flaps (30:35) Pre- and Post-operative care (33:05) Ideal case for beginner Dentists (35:19) Placement of sutures (36:28) Check out Dr.Reeda Wadia’s Perio School Check out Reena’s Crown Lengthening Live course on a Sunday in London! If you liked this episode, you might also enjoy How to Save ‘Hopeless’ Teeth with the Surgical Extrusion Technique 

Are you enjoying a fulfilling career? Is this how you imagined life would be in Dentistry? If not, are you going to do anything about it? My guest, Laura Bailey did! Growth and improvement is not linear. Taking MASSIVE action is the answer! https://youtu.be/nDloghDpYsE Check out this full video episode on YouTube! Protrusive Dental Pearl:  Write something down that you’re going to change in your life or your work, and then COMMIT to it until you get the desired result. I’ll say it again, commit until you get the desired result! Here with me is someone who commits to take a massive action, Laura Bailey, whom I work with on Fridays (we are both a little crazy and we love cricket – dream team!) “But you can’t expect to know everything and be able to do everything.” – Laura Bailey In this episode, we discussed: Principals taking risk with their young associates – business side, implementing treatment? Building healthy relationships with colleagues Signs to look in a clinic for young dentists/therapists to work in Taking a leap of faith Having a nurse support system Check out Laura Bailey on Instagram! If you liked this episode, you might also enjoy How to Win at Life and Succeed in Dentistry – Emotional Intelligence

TIME SENSITIVE – 50% off Maciek’s Online Contact Point Ambassador Course! Click here Let’s face it, Class IIs may be our bread and butter Restorative Dentistry but they are ANYTHING but simple. In some scenarios, achieving a perfect contact on a class II restoration seems impossible.You have likely been in a scenario where everything is going to plan and your matrix is looking like it will achieve a lovely contact area – however, as soon as you insert the wedge or tighten the band (circumferential matrices) the matrix leans away from the adjacent tooth, revealing a ghastly looking open contact. How can we overcome this? Is soft tissue removal an option? In this Group Function, I’m again joined by my boy Dr Maciek Czerwinski who answers this emphatically! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6pu7FLb9Kw The full episode! Minor video issues with Maciek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvX-oaEaqUI How to do Teflon Floss Technique – the Main Interview Podcast Video has some syncing issues, please bare with us! “If you use the stiff wedge, if the wedge is too big it will just move the matrix (and you lose your contact), but if you’ve got something soft, it will go under the curvature of the matrix, and then it will just self adapt.” – Dr Maciek Czerwinski In this group function we also discuss: Is it necessary to remove soft tissue? – Why? How? What to use? How to improve the contact area Why and when to place an orthodontic separator to help your future restoration Tired of spending hours just to customise your stiff wedges and matrices? Check this gem shared by Dr Maciek – FINALLy the video on how to do the Teflon Floss technique (as promised in the episode): Also, Dr Maciek is giving 50% off to all Protruserati up until June 30. Click here to check it out! I have done his online course and it was very comprehensive and is guaranteed to improve your contact points no matter how tricky the situation. It is an all-encompassing direct restorations online course – with play by play explanation of matricing, wedging, ring selection and isolation! Click on the image to check out Maciek’s course! If you have any other questions that would make a good group function, please do message me on @protrusivedental Instagram page or the Facebook Page If you enjoyed this, you might also like my other episode with Dr Maciek Czerwinski on Which is the Best Matrix System for Class II Restorations 

A fun little comparison episode discussing the differences between Dentistry in the States and in the UK – in this episode I am joined by the host of Dentistry Rising podcast, Dr Bette Robin! https://youtu.be/N_u8LkD8EnY Dr. Bette Robin, who desired to make a massive change in her life and left clinical Dentistry some years ago and went in to Law and practice sales – she never looked back!  Join us in this light hearted discussion where we chat about: Cultural differences in USA vs UK Dentistry – dental school, earnings, biggest barriers, treatment plans How the national health systems compare Finding different paths out of Dentistry How to become a better communicator SplintCourse update: Enrolment ends on Monday 21st June! Enroll now by clicking here to join a community of Dentists around the world who want to End Splint Confusion!  If you enjoyed this episode, then do check out Dr. Bette Robin on her Dental Rising Podcast You might also enjoy The American Dental Dream – PDP002 with Dr. Kristina Gauchan!

How to do Deep Margin Elevation? What are the most important factors in achieving high bond strengths for our restorations? I sometimes look at modern onlay preps and think, ‘God MUST exist’, because I think it’s a miracle how these flat, table-top onlays stay on! I am joined by a world-famous educator in Biomimetic and Adhesive Dentistry: Dr David Gerdolle David Gerdolle, based in Switzerland, introduced me to contemporary ceramic onlays 8 years ago. It took me 3 years to convince myself the techniques would work in my hands! In this episode I want to fast-forward your progress so you can gain more perspective on adhesive restorations and DME (Deep Margin Elevation). https://youtu.be/cOkEAaawgdI Super pragmatic and scientific bonding principles! Protrusive Dental Pearl: How can you show patients what shorter anterior teeth might look like to them discing them down? Use a black Sharpie marker, colour in the part of the edge (maybe 0.5-1mm) that you’re considering removing. Take photograph and show it to them! It helps if their mouth is open for the photo so we see the dark backdrop of the oral cavity. With the knowledge of Dr. David Gerdolle and biomimetic dentistry, we discussed how it is possible to bond a material to the tooth structure in those ‘table-top’ style, flat onlays.  It doesn’t happen magically. It’s about the nitty gritty detail, the micro steps and respecting certain criterias. “If you don’t remember anything of your bonding protocol, just remember that, it has to be clean and rough” – Dr. David Gerdolle Clean and Rough, that’s it right there! In this episode, we also talked about: Failures in using biomimetic dentistry and what we can learn from that How these restorations have resistance form Bonding protocol step-by-step for adhesive dentistry Deep Margin Elevation – how to do it As promised, DM me on Instagram @protrusivedental for the PDF copy of the steps of deep margin elevation.  If you enjoyed this episode, then do check out Dr. David Gerdolle for more courses. You might also enjoy Ceramic Onlays from Preps, Temporisation and Bonding Protocols by Nik Sethi!

‘The Riches are in the Niches’, apparently. In the last episode we already touched on the topic of finding your niche but this time we were able to dive deep in to this. Will your career sky rocket when you find your niche? Or are you better off being the jack of all trades?  What are the benefits of finding a niche, how to go about it? And what does it ACTUALLY mean? https://youtu.be/aGniihvrNpg Protrusive Dental Pearl: a Challenge for you – grab a pen and paper and write down ALL the clinical procedures that you LIKE to do, and then also what procedures you would like to do MORE OF. Figure out where your niche could lie. And don’t forget, it’s not a race! It helps helps to make a list of procedures that don’t excite you (for me, I have no affinity to facial aesthetics!) My guest, Dr Pav Khaira is a MASSIVE geek and I loved that he quite openly admitted to failure in the past and helped us learn some lessons. I also enjoyed hearing that it is TOTALLY FINE to change your niche as you mature as a clinician. In this episode, we talked about: Being a super GDP vs niching down? Young dentists rushing to find their niche Is it okay to niche too soon or is too late to find your niche? The opportunities of learning Becoming a ‘go to dentist’ The downside of niching  If you enjoyed this episode, then do check out the Dental Implant Podcast by Dr. Pav Khaira. You might also enjoy 6 Signs You are a Comprehensive Dentist!

When I see an already beautiful smile plastered with Composite Veneers, it makes me a little bit anxious. I think that maybe the patient just ‘needs’ minor edge bonding and teeth whitening. In our latest podcast, we are very lucky to have such an amazing, high caliber dentist and we get to hear his take on composite veneers. It’s none other than George Cheetham aka George The Dentist. You’ll also get to know a powerful communication/consent tip that I will implement in my workflow straightaway. https://youtu.be/k–Wjqjg2S4 Protrusive Dental Pearl: I love the Eve Twist Composite Polished by DiaComp (Not sponsored by the way). It’s my favourite polishers in the whole world. If you are looking for a new polishing system for your composites, you should definitely try the Eve Twist. It gives a high lustre relatively quickly. Check them out. In this episode we discussed: Establishing a practice as a young dentist George’s take on composite veneers Finding your dental niche Tips and tricks in managing your case documentation (and social media) Dealing with and treating fellow dentists Breaking down biomimetic dentistry George’s rapid quick fire about anything and everything dental If you like this episode, you’ll also like Alan Burgin’s Journey with a Young Dentist!

‘An average Dentist working with an excellent Technician can go very far’, was the message my old training program director gave me. Technicians are often the unsung heroes whilst the Dentists collect all the praise and accolades. Who do we blame when things go wrong? Our technician, of course! Not fair at all – this is why I welcomed RDT Graham Entwhistle of Trueform Dental Laboratory to air his frustrations at Dentists – you will pick up some great tips here to improve your working relationship with your dental technician! https://youtu.be/NRDdRCg-9QI How to work better with your dental technician Protrusive Dental Pearl: Use websites like Loom or even Whatsapp to communicate with video and voice with your technician. Great, clear communication will ensure expectations are met for both parties. SPOILER – the 5 things that Technicians wished we Dentists knew: Dentists need to improve their communication! Back to basics – if you want better work, you have to fill a better prescription form. Even just the lack of basic info drives technicians mad! We also discussed about Ivoclar Ingots for your ceramic Make sure your tooth preparation is appropriate for your material selection! Decide the material BEFORE you prep the tooth! Your impressions need to be clearer please! Do you always check for distortions, drags or voids? Could you consider trying Impregum? Shade guides – they can vary and can discolour over time. It’s important to ensure the shade guide matches your technician’s and the materials they use. Acrylic shade guides will discolour over time! We share some shade taking advice for Dentists Do you etch your own ceramic? If not, why not? Take control of your bonding, consider etching yourself to prevent ceramic over-etching. You can’t hold your technician accountable for your bond strength! Check our Graham’s work on Instagram! If you liked this episode, you will also enjoy the classic with Jason Smithson on eMax Onlays and Vertical preps!

Lower Complete Dentures are the bane of Removable Prosthodontics. I know many Dentists who ‘hate making lower full Dentures’, likely because they are difficult to master. So difficult that I got Dr Rupert Monkhouse to give the Protruserati a podcast masterclass on how to improve in this frustrating area of Dentistry! https://youtu.be/cW41CHiLgGI Why won’t you stop floating, damn you! Protrusive Dental Pearl: The power of silence! When you present your patients a solution or treatment plan, or tell them the fee, there may be a silence. Embrace it. Expect it. Don’t panic. This is normal! DO NOT but in with a ‘why don’t you just think about it…’ In this episode we discussed: How can you predict if a suction lower denture is anatomically possible? What materials Rupert likes to use What and how to adjust at the Try in stages of complete dentures How to get the wax try-in to stay in the mouth! Communication pearls surrounding lower complete Dentures If you enjoyed this topic, why not also check out the Master himself, Dr Finlay Sutton on Troubleshooting Chrome Dentures! For details on Rupert’s Denture course, DM him on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/dentistrupert/

Dentistry is busy. How can we make sure that we live a balanced and fulfilled life in our hectic profession? As an associate, I am already struggling with time, I often wonder how practice principals and specialists play this game?! I am joined by my dear friend, Dr. Ricky Bhopal Specialist Prosthodontist to discuss how we work smarter and not harder. https://youtu.be/KpsHgDR2q6M Work Smarter Protrusive Dental Pearl: Do you carry out virtual consultations with your patients to discuss Orthodontics (Invisalign) or Smile Makeovers? How do you make notes for this? I am enjoying using Otter.ai to transcribe our Zoom virtual consultation In this episode we discuss: Ricky’s top tips to be productive and overcome procrastination How to make time for our loved ones and hobbies What is green space and why is it so important? How can we live a more fulfilling life as a Dentist? If you enjoyed this episode, you will enjoy How to Win at Life and Succeed in Dentistry!

We wrap up STRAIGHTPRIL with a HUGE one – what makes aligners predictable? How can we make aligner treatment protocols efficient starting right from the planning stages and the Clincheck. I am joined by a fellow podcaster and specialist Orthodontist Dr Farooq Ahmed who is a wizard with Aligners! https://youtu.be/FL1nDqYX7Ls Make Aligners Predictable Again – Donald Trump Protrusive Dental Pearl: Use floss to create loops and use a chain retainer, like Ortho-Flextech which has made it much easier in my hands! In this episode we discussed: How to pick the winning cases Which movements are tricky and how we can overcome them (including deep bite!!) Should we overcorrect expansion? What is Farooq’s take on elastics and aligners? Clincheck golden nuggets! Do check out Farooq on Ortho in Summary Podcast! If you liked this episode, you should check out IPR for Dummies with Dr Devaki!

As you get more experienced with clear aligner therapy you learn a universal truth about those pesky lateral incisors that will refuse to extrude! I am joined by Dr Robin Bethell from Aligner Nation to help us learn more about the use of Elastics as auxiliaries for Clear Aligner protocols. https://youtu.be/mOADKbT1uyo Dr Robin Bethell might surprise you! Protrusive Dental Pearl: The Bethell IPR Technique! Click Here for the Video of how Dr Bethell uses the bur for IPR Interestingly, Dr Robin Bethell has not used intermaxillary elastics for over 3 years. He primarily uses them for vertical movements. I personally have used them extruding lateral incisors, which works very well. Here is the video to share how to extrude lateral incisors with elastics: https://youtu.be/eAsbJBvYA2I 1/8 inch and 3.5 Oz would be ideal We also discussed: Common causes of Posterior Open Bites during aligner treatment How to manage Posterior Open Bites (the key is diagnosis) The role elastics play in clear aligner treatment Dr Bethell’s views on GDP Orthodontics Here is the link to the evidence base Dr Bethell referred to Be sure to follow Robin Bethell on Insta and check out @protrusivedental for more if you enjoyed this, you will also like Comprehensive vs Compromised Orthodontics as part of the Straightpril series!

Is it possible to be a Comprehensive Dentist on the NHS? How did Dr Devang Patel rise within NHS Dentistry to provide high level, complex care to his patients? https://youtu.be/Wy3NiZVa-3U Only on Protrusive Website Protrusive Dental Pearl Free Communication course by Dr Devang Patel >>>click here<<<< Free for Protruserati! Sponsored: If you want to provide your patients with written treatment plans that looks amazing and are easy to understand, do a 21-day free trial of MakeMeClear and see for yourself why I love it so much. Use code ‘protrusive’ for 25% off MakeMeClear (it works after you submit payment credentials) In this episode we hear Dr Devang Patel’s journey from working in a 99% NHS clinic to now carrying out complex general Dentistry at a very high level. I quizzed him on how it’s possible in a public funded system? If you enjoyed this episode, you will like the Case Acceptance in Smile Design episode with Gurs Sehmi!