Dr Miguel Stanley is on a mission to help dentists promote the link between systemic and oral health among their patients as part of his lecture at the highly-anticipated BACD 20th Annual Conference.
The divide between dental and general health care is something that Dr Miguel Stanley – adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania and visionary founder of the White Clinic in Lisbon – wants to help change. But Miguel notes there are communication barriers for dentists when promoting both the oral and systemic health of a patient:
“What you say can mean different things depending on the demographic that you are engaging with and where in the world you are working. A healthy Gen Z or millennial has very different views about oral health compared to a baby boomer who has had extensive restorative work for over 50 years. We must calibrate our vocabulary and consider what our words mean to them in order to better communicate with our patients.
“For instance, we know there is a correlation between periodontal disease and systemic health issues. To understand periodontal disease, you have to know about the array of complications that can occur, from mild gingivitis symptoms all the way to severe tooth mobility. How we communicate this with the public is the greatest challenge for the dental community.”
Regarding the gap between dental and health care, Miguel is optimistic about building a bridge:
“It is not about being right or wrong or better or worse – it is about having a seat at the wider table of systemic healthcare. Doctors and dentists are not yet in the same universe. I hope to inspire dentists to grab the opportunity to create mechanisms, therapies and diagnostic tools which will elevate dentistry within the field of systemic healthcare. Doing so will help a lot more people enjoy an improved health span.”
Considering patient understanding, Miguel acknowledges the areas still lacking:
“We need to understand that no two dentists are the same due to different education, practices and technologies. No two patients are the same either. As the founder of the Slow Dentistry Global Network, I have always advocated for seeing fewer patients per day and doing extraordinary diagnostics with effective explaining and communication where possible.
“Finding common denominations between unique dentists and unique patients can be impossible. Artificial intelligence will play a huge role in this. Companies selling products in the field will also have a role to play. All of these actors must be sitting at the same table to find better ways of communicating with and educating patients to ensure improved healthcare for all.”
Miguel offers some technological recommendations to help with everyday communications and solutions in cosmetic dentistry:
“A panoramic x-ray is a ubiquitous tool that gives you a full understanding of the patient’s mouth. You can spot things that may go undetected from visual assessments in an appointment. An intraoral scanner is fundamental for those wanting advanced digital design as well. Too many cosmetic dentists want to build the smile rather than design the smile. You can more predictably understand the smile outcome when you correctly utilise this technology.”
When it comes to educating patients in way that supports the provision of ethical cosmetic dentistry, Miguel adds:
“Cosmetic dentistry is a massive passion of mine. We can change people’s lives by giving them back a smile. However, I am saddened to see that some practitioners across the globe focus just on aesthetics rather than also on biology and function.
“If dentists aren’t prepared or patients don’t want to pay, they try to do quick-fix aesthetics which create problems down the line. Having teeth filed down to pegs is a tragedy. Organisations like the BACD have to come together to stop this, to find profitable alternatives that allow dentists to perform extraordinary cosmetic dentistry with a huge amount of ethics. I will be showing some of the tools dentists can use during my lecture at the upcoming Conference.”
Miguel’s lecture at the BACD Annual Conference in London this November is titled “Beautiful Teeth and Systemic Health, Time to Rethink the Dogma”. Miguel reflects on what else he hopes to cover.
“My lecture will explain how minimally invasive restorative dentistry – using tools that we already have – can help patients live better and longer from an immunology perspective. We’ll explore how we can use the weapons we already have to go beyond the mouth and support patients’ immune systems and neurological health, skin, and overall wellbeing. Systemic diseases are on the rise so I will show how, as a dentist, you can help tackle this. It will be a fun, dynamic lecture to hopefully inspire clinicians and their teams.”
Along with the network of passionate professionals and the world-class speakers, Miguel considers why the BACD Annual Conference is the place to be this November:
“I have a lot of respect for UK practitioners as they face a challenging landscape. British practitioners need a lot of support from allies around the world. I commend the BACD for always bringing world-class speakers to the stage, building a legacy to improve dentistry for all across the UK. I really look forward to being among my colleagues and also seeing the companies among the trade show demonstrating their amazing technologies and supporting the entire ecosystem.”
Don’t miss the BACD Annual Conference this November and help us celebrate 20 years of excellence – Book today!
BACD 20th Annual Conference
7-9 November 2024
It’s Our Birthday And We’ll Smile If We Want To!
Please book at bacd.com
