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Supporting Your Practice

View from the Chairside: Bad Decisions Make Great Stories!

It is always a pleasure to host Dr. Paul Belzycki on CDA Oasis. He is back with an interesting clinical case and a valuable learning moment. Dr. Belzycki has been in general dentistry practice for forty years and he has shared some of the most viewed presentations here on Oasis. We are thankful for his willingness to share his time and expertise. 

Dr. Belzycki’s Thoughts

Indeed, bad decisions make great stories. But in the field of healthcare, bad decisions could result in profound negative consequences; and with this in mind, bad decisions make sad stories, particularly for the individual on the receiving end of treatment. This is such a story.

I submit that except for implants, nothing much has changed in dentistry. I fully realize that more materials and technologies are available to us, but what of it? Hard and soft tissue must be manipulated and contoured in an exacting and delicate manner, regardless of the tools employed to do so. Ideal crown preparations must be impressed accurately, either by conventional or digital techniques. Durable materials must be employed to survive the harsh environment of the oral cavity. Ever more sophisticated imaging techniques are alluring, but all this diagnostic information must be carefully considered in the mind of a trained clinician focused on the well-being of a fellow human. We must always be cognizant of the privilege granted to us as healers. This, my fellow colleagues, will help us avoid bad decisions.

Notes

  • This video presentation is intended for oral health care professionals. Please email me at oasisdiscussions@cda-adc.ca to retrieve the password to view the case. 
  • The Password will also be included in the March 20th Edition of the CDA Oasis Bulletin (electronic digest). If you do not currently receive our CDA Oasis Bulletin and wish to do so, please email me at oasisdiscussions@cda-adc.ca and I will make sure to add your email to the list.  

 

We always want to hear your thoughts and questions about this post and other topics.

Leave a comment in the box below or send us your feedback by email at oasisdiscussions@cda-adc.ca or call us at 1-855-716-2747.

Until next time!

Chiraz Guessaier, CDA Oasis Manager

Read/download the transcript of the presentation (PDF)

Oasis Moment/Preview (2.36″)

Full Case Presentation (40.34″)

8 Comments

  1. Dr. Marshall Kochberg March 20, 2019

    Paul, this was an excellent presentation which could certainly benefit newly graduating dentists. You’re so correct at the ending, that ‘patients don’t really care what you know until they know that you care’. Well done, and congratulations.
    Marshall

    Reply
    1. Dr. Paul Belzycki, DDS March 20, 2019

      Marshall, aren’t you a very distant cousin I have met twice in my life?
      Or is it our parents came to Canada on same boat after WWII?

      Your kind comments are much appreciated.
      Dr. Paul Belzycki, DDS

      Reply
  2. Brian Kucey March 20, 2019

    Another solid presentation of ‘old school dentistry’ by Paul. This is the life of the prosthodontist every day.

    Reply
    1. Dr. Paul Belzycki, DDS March 20, 2019

      This to avoid misrepresenting myself, kindly note I am a GP, as I state it explicitly in my introduction.
      I happen to focus on these sorts of complicated cases. More correctly put, they seem to find me.

      Cheers Brian,
      Dr. Paul Belzycki, DDS

      Reply
  3. lorne berman March 20, 2019

    I have seen Dr. Belzycki’s presentations and have enjoyed these valuable lessons. May I respectfully suggest that he refers to the tooth numbers using the International numbering system instead of the American system. For example, the upper right bicuspids are “numbers one-four and one-five”, not “numbers fourteen and fifteen”. Thank you for allowing me to make this request, in part to avoid confusion, and in part as “proudly Canadian”.

    Reply
    1. Dr. Paul Belzycki, DDS March 20, 2019

      Thanks Lorne for pointing out the confusion regarding nomenclature. I thought saying fifteen or one-five was interchangeable. This has never seemed to have been a problem in the past when speaking informally to colleagues. Live and learn.

      If nothing else, your comments does prove you were paying close attention. Wonderful.
      Dr. Paul Belzycki, DDS

      Reply
  4. Tony Mancuso March 21, 2019

    Thanks Paul. Another great presentation. Keep it up.

    Reply
    1. Dr. Paul Belzycki, DDS March 21, 2019

      Tony, your sentiment is much appreciated.
      Dr. Paul Belzycki, DDS

      Reply

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