How often do you review your risk management? Do you follow the appropriate radiography guidelines or palpate canines when you are supposed to? These are not the exhilarating or rewarding parts of our clinical practice but they are fundamental and foundational.

In this episode with Dr. Lucy Nichols, a general dentist who also does some dento-legal work in the UK, she shares her 10 commandments for safer dentistry and avoiding dento-legal claims.

 https://youtu.be/0MhOC-LLxbI 

Protrusive Dental Pearl: ‘I don’t have time’ is just not true. It’s a lie we tell ourselves. We should reframe it. Instead, we should say “I’m not making [task / activity / necessity] a PRIORITY in my life right now”. We should reflect on what are we making a priority in our lives right now.

Highlights of this episode:

• 1:17 Protrusive Dental Pearl
• 4:33 Dr. Lucy Nichols’ Introduction
• 8:08 10 Commandments for Staying Out of Trouble:

1. Thou Shalt Take Bitewings on Children 9:08
2. Thou Shalt take Bitewings on Adults 13:31
3. Thou Shalt Always be Suspicious of a Non-healing socket 15:29 
4. Thou Shalt Always be Suspicious of Sore Patches on the Side of the Tongue or on the Cheek 18:21
5. Thou Shalt Know How to Deal with a Hypochlorite Injury 21:24
6. Thou Shalt Not Use Chlorhexidine Mouthwash as your Root Canal Irrigant 30:34
7. Thou Shalt do Further Charting when you have 3s and 4s on your BPE 35:06
8. Thou Shalt Not Rely on Only a Single Visit Scaling without Local Anaesthetic on Patients with Increased Pocketing 40:42
9.  Thou Shalt Not Underestimate ID Nerve Injuries 45:29
10. Thou Shalt Always Palpate for Canines at Age 10 53:39

PDF Infographic available in the ‘Protrusive Vault’ in the App (iOS and Android)

Check out Dr. Lucy Nichols website 

If you loved this episode, please check out Passion and Values in Dentistry

I am a big believer that the culture of your work place is probably the number one determinant of your fulfilment and joy from clinical Dentistry.

 https://youtu.be/cGFpxUn6WXw 

Check out this full episode on Youtube.

In this non clinical episode I talk with Dr. Sandy about his past experiences and the reasons he had to make a significant change in order to find fulfillment in his career. We also discuss how to recognize a toxic culture in Dentistry and how to stand up for yourself if you’re in one of those environments. 

We hope this episode inspires you to take some sort of action, whether it’s small or large, that will improve your enjoyment of work.

Highlights of this episode:

• 2:13 Dr. Sandy’s Introduction
• 3:16 Dental Public Health Experience
• 6:16 Dr. Sandy’s Transition from Public Health to Private Practice
• 10:11 Taking massive action
• 14:10 Recognizing a toxic working culture
• 17:29 Stepping out of the toxic work environment
• 19:33 Significance of having a plan for your career
• 24:57 Importance of taking clinical photos
• 29:26 Improving Dentistry through social media
• 34:48 Dealing with litigations and patient complaints
• 41:55 Recognize solutions rather than problems

If you enjoyed this episode, you will also like Being Unstoppable with Ferhan Ahmed

Have you ever prepared the last molar for a crown? And just when you check the occlusal reduction, the patient bites down and as if by magic, the reduction has all DISAPPEARED?! It is the phenomenon that we call ‘The Last Tooth in the Arch Syndrome’

This episode with Dr. Mahmoud Ibrahim will give you more confidence in recognizing, screening, and managing such complications in practice. But like I say in the main episode, optimistically, this phenomenon will never happen to you AGAIN if you follow these protocols for screening.

Protrusive Dental Pearl:  Watch out for the patient with quite flat teeth as they are more susceptible to the last tooth in the arch syndrome / bite change. They do not have good posterior coupling/stability and therefore more likely to ‘forget’ their bite as the cuspal inclines do not guide the mandible back in to maximum intercuspation.

Highlights of this episode:

Dr. Mahmoud Ibrahim and I are currently working on a huge project called OBAB, Occlusion Basics and Beyond – it will be the best occlusion resource in the Milky Way…and that’s our mission! We want to finally demystify Occlusion and make it Tangible AF!

Join the waiting list HERE!

If you loved this episode, you will like If You are Not In Centric Relation, You Will Die

From the entire Protrusive Community – we wish Sanj a speedy recovery – keep smiling Sanj and stay strong!

In the previous episode with Sanj Bhanderi on ‘how to extirpate properly and efficiently‘, we briefly touched on postoperative pain control. In this episode, we’re focusing more on postoperative pain and the dreaded severe pain after the obturation appointment (or in-between visits).

 https://youtu.be/RJzQZNhBup0 

Check out this full episode on YouTube

Highlight of this episode:

• 2:27 Post-op pain after endodontic treatment
• 7:43 Flare-ups
• 9:46 Guidelines in antibiotic microbial management
• 11:03 Flare up in between visits (RCT has not been finished yet)
•  13:40 Crown Down approach

Dr Finlay Sutton is coming down South for his one-day signature RPD Masterclass on Saturday 14th of January 2023!  Limited to 12 delegates, reserve your seat now!

If you enjoyed this, you might also like my episode with another talented Endodontist, Dr Ammar Al-Hourani, on Is Single Point Obturation Acceptable? 

Have you ever been planning a smile (this could be a complete denture or some veneers!) and thought ‘where do I begin’?

Planning aesthetic dentistry involves more than just the teeth. A great smile is ‘facially driven’ – where do the teeth sit in relation to the face?Today we are joined by Dr. Josh Rowley to share the four rules of planning Aesthetic Dentistry (you will love them).

 https://youtu.be/2jbfK2WU1e4 

The Protrusive Dental Pearl: Don’t start complex/comprehensive treatment on someone who is not sure or not motivated.

Highlights in this episode:

• 2:58 The Protrusive Dental Pearl – Communication Tip
• 14:49 Screening for the first point of contact for Orthodontic patients
• 16:36 Four rules of planning Aesthetic Dentistry
• 35:10 SureSmile Aligners
• 39:35 Low trim height
• 41:24 High trim height
• 44:03 Support system for Sure Smile

Check out the courses that Dr. Josh teaches through IAS Academy and SureSmile Aligners

When you Extirpate a Hot Pulp – do you need to find ALL the canals? Do you need to file to the apex? Which is the sedative of choice?

In this episode, we’ve got specialist Endodontist Dr Sanj Bhanderi to talk us through the CORRECT way to extirpate teeth in acute pain WITHOUT wasting time or making things worse for future treatment. It’s packed full of gems for pain relief, diagnosis and isolation.

So, what is your protocol for extirpation? This episode is all about how to get the job done right and minimize discomfort for your patient.

 https://youtu.be/SjYWxr1sSDc 

Click Here to watch this episode on YouTube. For the full notes check out the Protrusive App on iOS and Android.

“I call it Ninja endodontics – get in and GET OUT – Stealth!” Dr. Sanj Bhanderi

Highlights of this episode:

• 2:38 Dr. Sanj’s journey to Endodontics
• 6:30 Emergency extirpations
• 8:42 Diagnosis Protocol Irreversible Pulpitis
• 11:57 Anaesthetic for Hot Pulps
• 15:33 Caries and Restoration Removal Before Extirpating?
• 19:16 Vital pulp therapy
• 21:19 Isolation Protocol
• 25:30 Sedative Dressing for Acute Pain
• 28:42 Temporary restoration of choice
• 31:39 Post Op Medicaments

Tune in for the Part 2 of this episode – next week we cover post-operative pain after endodontic treatment.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like my episode with another talented Endodontist,  Ammar Al-Hourani, on Is Single Point Obturation Acceptable?

Orthodontics for the mixed dentition is not well taught at Dental School – for which malocclusions should you intervene and by what age? Dr. Amanda Wilson will show you how to identify whether early or interceptive orthodontics is right for your young patients as part of their antero-posterior, vertical and transverse development.

 https://youtu.be/8OksXwy_yDQ 

The Protrusive Dental Pearl: Prevent misdiagnosing ectopic canines by palpating the permanent canine early (from age 10 onwards). Put your index fingers a little bit apical and a little bit distal to the lateral incisors and you should be able to feel a 5-10 millimeter bulge

Highlights of this episode:

• 1:58 Prevent misdiagnosing ectopic canines
• 8:55  Difference between Interceptive and Phase one
• 16:15 Phase 1 Interceptive Treatment Guidelines
• 20:20 Arch Expander Guidelines
•   24:07 Crossbite Tendency
•  24:57 Rapid versus Slow Expansion
• 27:42 Guidelines using functional appliances
• 28:21 Invisalign Mandibular Advancement
• 31:10 Deep Bite Guidelines
• 34:08 Q: Percentage of patients that would undergo Phase 2
• 36:43 Patient(Parent) Communication
• 39:51 Retention Protocol
• 43:36 My Phase One Smile PDF

Get this My Phase One Step-By-Step PDF Checklist by Dr. Amanda to get started and help you diagnose malocclusions

Check out Straight Smile Solutions for more Orthodontic Consulting and StraightSmile Solutions Orthodontic Coach for GPs for Orthodontic Educational Videos

If you enjoyed this episode, you should also check out General Dentists Doing Orthodontics 

Is flapless implant placement really a solid technique? What percentage of cases are amenable to flapless implant placement?

The cynic in me wondered if this is indeed a novel technique, or was it made mainstream to attract Dentists who seldom raise flaps?

I brought on straight-talking Implant genius Dr. Pav Khaira on today’s Group Function to discuss flapless implant placement – ‘what’s the deal?!’

 https://youtu.be/679HAttBQ1c 

Check out this full episode on YouTube

Highlights of this episode:

• 4:36 The Rise of Flapless Implants
• 7:04 Indications for Flapless implants
• 9:43 Immediate implant placement
• 13:59 Advice to Young Dentists considering implants
• 18:56 Implant Mentorship
• 24:11 Dr. Pav’s Implantology Course
• 27:46 From Course to Implementation

Check out The Dental Implant Podcast for information on dental implants and the Academy of Implant Excellence to learn how to place implants or upgrade your skills.

If you enjoyed this episode, you will also like ‘Can I Probe This Implant?’

As a Dentist, the first years are always the hardest. You have to adjust to unfamiliar situations and people constantly. A newbie’s nerves can lead to self-doubt and hesitation whilst navigating this steep learning curve. I brought on recently qualified Dr. Saeed Cheraghi to guide you through the first few years of the ‘University of Life’.

 https://youtu.be/PXt3hvsV9LI 

Check out this full episode on YouTube

“You come out of Dental school thinking you know things and then you go into the real world and you realize you actually don’t know that much at all!” Dr. Saeed Cheraghi.

Highlights of this episode:

• 8:31 Indirect Dentistry experience 
• 10:15 Challenges in terms of treatment phasing
• 12:17 Level of support being a newbie dentist
• 15:03 Dental training
• 18:07 Overcoming lack of experience
• 30:34 Worrying about litigations
• 35:05 Importance of Health
• 39:59 Lesson from experience

This episode is not eligible for CPD but you can check out other CPD-verified episodes on our Protrusive App on a web browser or you download the iOS App or the Android App.

This episode is brought to you by Enlighten Smiles, a premium brand of teeth whitening. They also run the Mini Smile Makeover Course – a composite course I really recommend.

If you liked this episode, you will love How to Win at Life and Succeed in Dentistry – Emotional Intelligence

My story of coming to the UK as a refugee from Afghanistan aged 6 and my journey in to Dentistry. I share some tough times and what drives me today. I explained why I think Dentistry was mis-sold to many of us as a 9-5 job (HA!) and my top books and influences.

I’m delighted to be a guest on the Soft Bites Podcast. The hosts, Manuela and Jorge, have both been guests on the Protrusive Dental Podcast in the past.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pznVMyEDwTE 

Highlights of this episode:

• 4:48 My Story: Refugee 1996
• 7:17 Life adversities
• 17:13 Importance of going through difficult moments
• 22:31 Podcasting Journey
• 27:38 Practicing a positive mindset
• 31:51 Importance of education and information
• 35:36 Good communication skills
• 45:38 Balance between the professional and personal life
• 55:25 Core values in life
• 59:30 Future goals for The Protrusive Dental Podcast and clinical dentistry

Dr. Mahmoud Ibrahim and I are launching an occlusion course called OBAB (Occlusion Basics And Beyond). This course is o help you design and execute restorations from a single tooth to anterior aesthetic cases to full mouth rehab.

Also, sign up for our monthly occlusion tip for you to get the kind of clinical content that we are preparing with OBAB

If you loved this, be sure to watch Dentistry is STRESSFUL – this Podcast will help you