Dr. Andrew Cobb from the Dawson Academy is back to talk about visualizing the treatment plan from the wax up to definitive restorations. Dr. Cobb had frustration as a young dentist when handling complex cases. He discovered the Dawson Academy and it was an eye opening experience. Now he teaches there and is the director of core curriculum.  

Using checklists and taking the time to plan out the case properly is the key to predictable outcomes. Dr. Cobb breaks things down into a four part process from visualization, to models for the lab, to patient provisionals, to the final outcome. The focus is to have procedures in place to avoid costly mistakes and meet and exceed the patient expectations. If everyone practiced dentistry this way there would be happier dentists and patients.  

  

You can find Dr. Andrew Cobb here: 

Cobb Dentistry 

The Dawson Academy 

Dr. Andrew C. Cobb on Facebook 

 

Show Notes 

[02:05] Tooth by tooth dentistry isn't always the best approach for complex cases. The Dawson Academy focuses on the more complex restorative cases. The goal is predictable dentistry. 

[03:03] Dr. Cobb was drawn to the Dawson Academy because he wanted to tackle and do a better job with the complex cases.  

[03:40] We don't want to have those bad days where things don't work out. 

[04:02] We want you to have the ability to identify which patients may need a different path and which patients are fine with the tooth by tooth approach. 

[04:11] Dr. Cobb has been teaching with the Dawson Academy for about 10 years. He is the director of the core curriculum. 

[04:29] Education from the Dawson Academy is life-changing. 

[04:44] How there is more stress doing comprehensive dentistry because expectations are higher. 

[04:53] You need to be able to match the patient's expectations or exceed them. 

[05:19] Predictable dentistry and being able to do what you say you're going to do. 

[05:36] Working efficiently and getting a great result for the patient. 

[07:24] You want to create a treatment plan that's within the financial and time constraints of the patient. 

[07:47] Run through everything with your patient and then have the scheduler come in. Have everything scheduled when the patient is still in office. 

[08:25] Take care of the previous steps, so you can get to the dentistry. 

[08:46] As a restorative dentist you want to work as efficiently as you can. 

[08:52] The 2-D and 3-D are your roadmap to work efficiently. This will help with preparations and prototypes. 

[10:01] As a dentist, you can pick and choose what procedures you do. 

[10:40] The keys are following the process and sticking to it. 

[11:23] You can't get into trouble when you have a checklist for every step of the way. 

[12:51] You have waxed up your first session of treatment.[Text Wrapping Break][13:24] Visualize ideal aesthetics from the 3-D wax up.[Text Wrapping Break][13:32] Make stent guides to use for prep. 

[16:57] Proper preparation ensures predictability. 

[19:39] Most people can do a better job if they would just take the time to slow down. Doing things right the first time is the most cost-effective 

[22:27] Make provisionals because it's easy to make changes in plastic. 

[24:08] You can follow the checklist on the Dawson Diagnostic Wizard. 

[27:47] The importance of not skipping the verification process. Make sure everything fits perfectly before you send your order to the lab. 

[28:54] Have a lab communication checklist. Make sure you get the lab everything they need to do their job. 

[33:20] Predictable laboratory design is predicated upon precisely contoured prototypes. 

[34:55] The foundation of everything is a thorough and complete exam. 

[35:20] Decide whether the patient is a general patient or a specialty patient. 

[35:33] Can the patient breathe? Do they have an acceptable airway? 

[36:00] Are the patient's joints healthy? Is there something to treat and stabilize? 

[37:58] Spending a little extra time up front is worth it with cases like this....