06/28/2020
https://www.facebook.com/1852552208310632/posts/2793969820835528/
So today was a bit surreal as I was part of a zoom meeting with one of the most prominent researchers on paediatric sleep disordered breathing- in the world. He was frustrated by the lack of integration of dentistry and medicine when it comes to upper airway obstruction. His opinion, and that of a leading sleep neurologist who was also part of the meeting, was that dentists and dental therapists and dental hygienists actually have a better appreciation and understanding on airway problems than medical doctors do, and that medical doctors need to really start collaborating more. Truthfully, this is my observation too. It’s not right that a dentist or the skilled professionals that are dental hygienists and dental therapists have to make up for the inadequacies of the medical side of the healthcare system, but there are so many patients fortunate that they are doing so. After that zoom meeting I was then on another one, this time as a presenter- to a course on airway obstruction and all the attendees were dentists.
I am humble enough to admit that what I new 15 years ago was woefully inadequate. I was ranked in the top 10 of my university class. I have a PhD. I am an ENT surgeon. I have a subspecialty qualification in paediatric ENT. And yet it was not until about 3 years after I had accomplished all of those things that I had any awareness or insight in to just how much dental professionals knew about airway and I unashamedly admit to becoming a student at their hands, learning about facial growth and development, myofunctional therapy, orthodontics, and a host of other things - not to become a dental professional, I have no such qualifications or even a glimpse of adequate knowledge to be compared to one, but to be a better clinician. I realised I knew I didn’t know and wanted to do something about it.
So I appeal to the medicos, many if not most of us have things wrong- very wrong. We need to form close allegiances with our dental colleagues and start taking notes- they have a lot to reach us if we are prepared to listen.
And in case you are wondering, this picture is a pretty standard image that comes out of dental clinics. You may recognise it as a slice from a CT scan- a growing number of dental clinics have one in their premises. Some have had them for over 20 years. They are way ahead of the curve and have been for a long time.