Dawson Vistas October 2009 : Page 2
EDITOR’S LETTER honest process for managing patient care. It forms the most logical foundation for all treatment decisions and is the key to successful patient communication, case acceptance, and timely control of all clinical steps from start to finish. I I am talking about the comprehensive exam and the records that are part of it. How well this process is understood and implemented makes the difference in any practice.A correctly performed comprehensive exam is unquestionably the most powerful stimulus for patient acceptance of planned treatment, be- cause it enables both the dentist and the patient to see every problem. Only when the problem is recognized by the patient can the implications of not treating the problem be explained.Analysis of implications determines prior- ities. Some problems need immediate treatment to prevent worse damage. Others can be deferred if it helps the patient’s current circumstances, and some conditions are optional. Determining the best choices of treatment requires this understanding of implications. Why do dentists shortchange such a critical step as a complete exam? This much we know:When a dentist understands the importance of total mastica- tory system harmony and begins to recognize problems of occlusal disease, TMJ disorders, and the causes of dysfunction and oral health degradation, it becomes obvious why it is so critical to plan treatment (including smile design) based on correct jaw-to-jaw relationships—an essential part of the records process.With mounted casts (when indicated) and digital photos, radiographs, and perio exam results recorded, all options for treatment can be planned and explained to patients. We hope the focus on the exam and records in this issue will add to your understanding of why it is such an important practice enhancer. Peter E. Dawson, DDS Founder, The Dawson Academy f you want to take any practice to a higher level, there is one practice en- hancer that stands at the top of the list for proven results. It is the one totally EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Peter E. Dawson, DDS EXECUTIVE EDITORS John C. Cranham, DDS Lee Culp, CDT Glenn DuPont, DDS Joan Forrest, BA,MS Henry A.Gremillion, DDS ADVISORY BOARD Carol N. Brooks, DDS William Bruce,DMD Jane Casada,DMD Andrew Cobb, DDS Kimberly Daxon, DDS Pamela Doray, DDS Robert Frazer, DDS Shannon Johnson,DMD Gerard Kugel,DMD, MS, PhD Parker E.Mahan, DDS James R.McKee, DDS David Newkirk, DDS Shannon Pace, CDA Gayle Reardon, DDS Jeff Scott,DMD Vernon H.“Buddy” Shafer, Jr,CDT DeWitt Wilkerson,DMD Laura E.Wittenauer, DDS Rajeev Upadya,DMD
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