Dr. Ronni Brown is a practicing dentist, speaker, author and a public dental health specialist who enjoys working with patients in the community. Her career took an unexpected path when she accepted a position as the dentist in a jail. She has been there for 23 years and recognizes what a pivotal moment it was when she accepted that role. Early in that position, she was introduced to patients suffering from extreme dental decay and discovered that it was due to their use of methamphetamines. The patients were honest with their use, allowing her to explore the effects of substance abuse on a person’s dental condition. 

In this episode, Dr. Brown delves into the challenges and complexities of recognizing the addictions people have and how those impact their dental treatment plans. She has recently written a book, “A State of Decay - Your Dental Guide to Understanding and Treating ‘Meth Mouth.’” This book has transformed the messaging of key concepts in her presentations and was written for dental teams as a resource for those who attend her presentations. It is also for anyone to read as a resource on managing people with addictions and trying to begin conversations to prevent patients from ever starting drugs. Be sure to listen to this episode - it could be life-saving.

Highlights from this episode:

• The dental devastation created by methamphetamine use by a patient
• The idea of buffering… a person’s method of separating themselves from dealing with stress, problems or concerns by turning to some other activity or possibly a bad habit such as an addiction that triggers the reward center of the brain. (Hint: dentists do it, too!)
• An intriguing story featuring how she learned about professional responsibilities and ensuring the safety of patients
• Acknowledging that addiction can happen to anyone and the importance of reaching out to and having empathy for them to understand the complexity of that challenge for them

Resources and links mentioned: 

Dr. Ronni Brown

“A State of Decay - Your Dental Guide to Understanding and Treating ‘Meth Mouth’”

The Life Coach School Podcast 

The Life Coach for Busy Dentists

Leading Better Starts with Feeling Better - free E-course 

Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!

~ Laura