Dawson Vistas April 2010 : Page 2
EDITOR’S LETTER W hen the first high speed handpieces became available to replace the old belt driver handpieces with which I started my practice, it was evident that going from 250 RPM to 200,000 RPM had major conse- quences in how I could practice.All of a sudden I was able to cut enamel with such ease and preparation time for crowns was reduced so much, it was tempting to prepare for full coverage when more conservative preparations were an acceptable choice. Some clinicians were actually advocating full cov- erage as a faster way to a higher income. I searched for a definitive bench mark for maintaining total integrity in how I chose the type of treatment that was in the patients’best interest. Out of that soul searching came the perfect solution: WIDIOM, an acronym for “Would I Do ItOn Me.” I decided then and there that I would never recommend any treatment that I would not want in my own mouth. I have consciously followed this process now for many years with one additional proviso:Would I Do It On Me IF I were in the same circumstances as the patient. This means that I must spend whatever time is needed to know each patient’s circumstances. This led to this routine explanation to each patient, following a complete exam and treatment planning: “This is what you should do if you can do it, but if having this treatment plan creates a problem for you that is bigger than the problems in your mouth, we should look at what alterna- tives could be considered.My role is to help you make the best decision for you.” There are very few treatment plans that can’t be phased over time. Many immediate problems can be converted to deferred status. The key to best solutions is a complete exam with knowledgeable treatment planning. Giving priority to periodontal concerns, occlusal stability, and repair of decay buys a lot of time.Even doing a single tooth at a time is usually acceptable in a healthy mouth when it fits into a long-termtotal plan. So the next time you’re faced with a treatment decision ask yourself:WIDIOM? In our next issue, I’ll discuss some further aspects of the WIDIOM rule.Until then … Enjoy your practice and your life. Peter E. Dawson, DDS Founder, The Dawson Academy 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 Brinker,CDA,CDD Gayle Reardon, DDS Jeff Scott,DMD Vernon H.“Buddy” Shafer, Jr,CDT DeWitt Wilkerson,DMD Laura E.Wittenauer, DDS Rajeev Upadya,DMD
Editor
When the first high speed handpieces became available to replace the old belt driver handpieces with which I started my practice, it was evident that going from 250 RPM to 200,000 RPM had major consequences in how I could practice. All of a sudden I was able to cut enamel with such ease and preparation time for crowns was reduced so much, it was tempting to prepare for full coverage when more conservative preparations were an acceptable choice. Some clinicians were actually advocating full coverage as a faster way to a higher income. I searched for a definitive bench mark for maintaining total integrity in how I chose the type of treatment that was in the patients’ best interest. Out of that soul searching came the perfect solution: WIDIOM, an acronym for “Would I Do It On Me.” I decided then and there that I would never recommend any treatment that I would not want in my own mouth.<br /> <br /> I have consciously followed this process now for many years with one additional proviso:Would I Do It On Me IF I were in the same circumstances as the patient. This means that I must spend whatever time is needed to know each patient’s circumstances. This led to this routine explanation to each patient, following a complete exam and treatment planning: “This is what you should do if you can do it, but if having this treatment plan creates a problem for you that is bigger than the problems in your mouth, we should look at what alternatives could be considered.My role is to help you make the best decision for you.” There are very few treatment plans that can’t be phased over time. Many immediate problems can be converted to deferred status. The key to best solutions is a complete exam with knowledgeable treatment planning. Giving priority to periodontal concerns, occlusal stability, and repair of decay buys a lot of time. Even doing a single tooth at a time is usually acceptable in a healthy mouth when it fits into a long-term total plan.<br /> <br /> So the next time you’re faced with a treatment decision ask yourself: WIDIOM?<br /> <br /> In our next issue, I’ll discuss some further aspects of the WIDIOM rule. Until then … Enjoy your practice and your life.<br /> <br /> Peter E. Dawson, DDS Founder, The Dawson Academy
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