An interview with Dr. Alan Winter

[site_admin]

Dear all, 

We are continuing with the interview and these are few more questions that Dr. Alan Winter has taken out time from his busy schedule and answered.

    1)   Some tips to dentists who wish to come on dental lecture circuit.: If dentists which to get on the lecture circuit I would suggest they call their local dental society and volunteer to give a lecture to the society.  If possible, they should get on staff at a dental school or teaching hospital and give lectures to the residents and students whenever they are able.   They should attend meetings.  In time, their work will be recognized and they will be invited to speak on a larger platform.

2) Interesting anecdotes from your clinical practice: The best anecdote from my practice was when I first became a periodontist, I started in an old-time, famous periodontal practice on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.  I looked very young and I would be asked almost daily, if I was old enough to be a dentist.  I was 28 at the time and put pictures of my two sons on the wall and said that I was old enough to have children, and I was old enough to treat the patients.  Then I added a picture of my third son.  When I did that, everyone asked who the childrren were.  I said they were mine.  They said it couldn’t be, they don’t look like brothers.  I must have taken the wrong one home from the hospital. 

The fact was they did not look like brothers, but to the best of my knowledge, they were my sons.  🙂   But then I wondered what if I did bring the wrong one home from the hospital….and that is why I wrote my first novel:  "Someone Else’s Son."

3)  Interesting anecdotes from your speaking assignments: The best story I can tell was when I was lecturing to the Mexican dental society on the topic of "Endo-Perio Relationships."  I took Latin and French in school and did not know Spanish.  I asked a Spanish-speaking dentist to help make some title slides in Spanish.  This was in the late 1980s, before computers, when graphic artists made slides and we used carousels.  So there was a slide that was supposed to different the rate of disease by stating:  Periodontal disease usually takes years to occur, and endodontic lesions can occur quickly.  The work Años means "years" because of the accent mark above the "n."  When the accent mark is missing, it means "anus."  Translation:  periodontal disease forms in the ass!  The audience roared with laughter and I could not figure out why?  At the end, my host who invited me said, "Dr. Winter, if you ever give this lecture again to Spanish speaking dentists, there is one slide you must change.!"

4) Common mistakes made by fresh graduates: They forget to treat patients as if they were treating their own relatives or friends or themselves.  New graduates need to be strong enough to believe that good dentistry will always prevail and that they should not take shortcuts.

5) Your favourite patient: They are all my favourites.  If they are willing to sit in my chair and have me work on them, let me inject them, cut them, drill into them, sew them up, and then stand up and say, "Than you," and give me money for it, they are ALL my favourites.

6) Do you think that bone regeneration around teeth with gum recession can ever be achieved?

Yes.  I saw a remarkable case of this two weeks ago in Tampa, Florida and the Academy of Osseointegration meeting.  This will be possible in the future.

7) How do you maintain cordial relations with GDP’s who refer patients to you? 

The key is to keep constant communications, inform them about their patients and see them socially as much as possible.  I actually host 2 wine tastings each year where we all get together and have fun.  I don’t play golf or tennis, but these are great activities to share with colleagues.  You have your cricket and other sports.  The key is to create relationships that are meaningful.

8)  Do you think CE initiatives can be commercially viable without the participation of dental trade: Yes.  I feel dentists will see and appreciate the great value of not having commercial companies interfere with their continuous learning.  In time, there will be an eUniversity.  I am already involved with creating an eFaculty.  Soon, our projects will be commonplace and accepted by all.

 

        

For one to one consultations on dental practice growth and practice management please contact : todaysmedicalmarketing@gmail.com