Advertising feature The lightbulb moment
Dr Neil Harris describes how he had a moment of clarity while on a course at The Dawson Academy
T
hroughout dental school we were taught many things that are no longer relevant to our day-to-day lives
working in a general dental practice. All the names of the bacteria that exist in a periodontal pocket, a clas- sification for all the cysts of dental origin or the neural pathology of pain; and many more things that I have forgotten with the passing of the 20 years since I graduated. In those 20 years I have found the
area of dentistry that I have a passion for – cosmetic dentistry. I learned the different aspects of smile design, the different types of veneer prepa- ration, the best adhesives, etc. The list goes on. Given how many course I have
undertaken, it still amazes me that nobody explained to me, at any point during my dental career, the fundamental relationship between the teeth, muscles and jaws, and the effect that this has on the patient’s wellbeing and the longevity of our dentistry. It wasn’t until I spent time at the
Dawson Academy UK, with Dr Ian Buckle and Dr DeWitt Wilkerson, in 2010 that the mechanics of the jaws were explained, and how this “TMJ-Occlusal system” affected all parts of dentistry. They helped me fit all the pieces
of the jigsaw puzzle together into a defined, structured learning pathway that I could take back to my practice. The Dawson systems ensured that when any patient approached me I could deliver ideal functional and aesthetic dentistry that I knew would last. The Dawson Academy separates
its courses into four modules which gradually build to give you the full picture of ‘complete dentistry’. I remember being sat in a class of 20 people, in the Comprehensive
70 Scottish Dental magazine
Examination and Records module, with Dr Buckle describing the rela- tionship between the teeth, jaws and muscles, when suddenly everything I had learned in the last two decades suddenly fitted into place – what I always describe as my lightbulb moment! Throughout the weekend course
I was shown techniques that allow you to accurately record the elusive point known as centric relation, and ensure that all the information I recorded at the examination would allow me to go on and deal with all of the issues diagnosed; even in the most complicated cases. It also left me knowing I was
on the cusp of discovering how to develop and formulate treatment plans for my patients that could solve many of the problems seen day to day, such as tooth wear, why teeth break, why jaw joints click and when this is serious. I couldn’t wait to get back and learn more! During the following module I learned how to develop the skills to treatment plan every case using the Dawson systems (Treatment Planning module). The systems are designed to ensure that a treat- ment plan is developed to deliver optimum outcomes from functional, aesthetic, biological and structural perspectives. The following module covered
the dark art of equilibration (Equi- libration module), along with splint therapy. By the end of this weekend we had a full understanding of all the different types of splint to use and the clinical situations where they are best used. Dr Buckle also managed to explain equilibration to all the students on the course which allowed us to complete a trial equili- bration on models. The final course showed us how
to prepare teeth for veneers, crowns and direct composites using modern
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr Neil Harris is the clinical director at HRS Dental Care in Gloucestershire. Neil’s practice opened in 2004 and has been amalgam free since 2006. His practice focuses on cosmetic dentistry, TMJ-occlusal problems, implant dentistry and adult
orthodontics. He is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, The Association of Dental Implan- tology, the British Dental Association and Gloucestershire Independent Dentists. He is also a mentor for the Dawson Academy UK, helping teach aspects of occlusion and TMJ problems to students from all over Europe. Dr Harris is a Director for the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and is lecturing on the BACD/BDTA Roadshow at the BACD regional meetings
throughout the year.
minimal preparation designs (Restoring Anterior Teeth module). With the increasing number of wear and erosion cases walking into prac- tices, being able to restore anterior teeth in a minimally invasive way is an essential tool to have. There is also a lot of time spent
on the design of provisional resto- rations so that you can be sure that the final prostheses are perfect for function, aesthetics and phonetics. Because of the Dawson UK
courses, my practicing life has changed, allowing me to understand my patients’ problems on a much higher level, and provide them with solutions that will work long term. Most importantly the relationship
doesn’t end the moment you leave the building; the team at the Dawson Academy UK are also on hand to mentor you after the course and help you start developing the systems within your practice. If you really want to help your
patients, practice better dentistry and have more successful dentistry then The Dawson Academy UK is the place to start.
Dr Neil Harris
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