From student to young dentist... how the MSM experience helped me.
Ajay is currently in his FD year where he has been practising in Telford since qualifying. He attended the hands on course in Manchester in April at Mini Smile Makeover course.
Q. Why did you choose Mini Smile Makeover as the practical course to attend?
A. Given the many courses currently available to young dentists across the country, it is important to choose the right one for you and be able to differentiate between them. I chose MSM for many reasons, the first being Dipesh. His reputation precedes him and I have personal experience with his work. 9 years ago, Dipesh helped restore my UR1 and the same restoration is still here today, without causing any problems. It's what got me thinking about dentistry many, many years ago. In more recent years, I've been following Dipesh's work and I'm constantly wondering how he manages to consistently achieve perfect results in anatomy and function. Obviously, I knew that simply attending a course wouldn't make me as good as Dipesh, but I knew it would give me an idea of how to start working towards achieving clinical greatness.
Looking at the MSM course compared to other courses on the market, I quickly saw the many great reviews from dentists who had taken the course. The biggest thing I noticed from the beginning was how Dipesh not only talked about these techniques as a concept, but showed the group his own experience in using these techniques. Other aspects that attracted me the most were the fact that the course uses the best materials and instruments (Cosmedent), with practical and in-depth explanations on how to use them. I will elaborate on this aspect later. I also saw that there are a great networking opportunitythe other delegates and the chance to make good friends. All of this put together made me see that this is an extraordinary opportunity.
Q. Why did you initially want to take a course on minimally invasive dentistry?
A. The world of dentistry today revolves largely around preserving as much of the natural healthy dentition as possible. Minimally invasive dentistry should be the concept for all aspects of dentistry, but coming out of university or as a young dentist, we are not aware of certain techniques that can help preserve as much of the natural tooth as possible to achieve a functional aesthetic result. As I said, I had a personal experience with a dental trauma that left me with a class IV fracture on the UR1. I didn't want to have more teeth pulled than necessary, so I'm glad I had a clinician who knew how to handle these situations well. This is something that all young dentists should be aiming for, and learning how to overcome these issues is something that really interested me because of the examples I saw all over social media and in case presentations.
Q. Would you like to tell me a little about your experience with the Mini Smile Makeover?
A. I participated in Mini Smile Makeover course from Manchester in April, not knowing much about what to expect, other than knowing that I would learn a lot. The course lasted two days and focused on different aspects of recreating nature through composite. The first day focused on simple layering techniques, as well as basic anatomy and modeling techniques. This was very helpful for me, as there is not much emphasis at university on how to aesthetically restore the function of anterior teeth.
This was very beneficial for me as I was able to gain a final understanding of the form and function of natural-looking restorations, being taught by Dipesh, who has done countless cases of this kind. At the university, As students, we very easily dismiss dental morphology and dental materials as two such small and therefore irrelevant modules.. We have been shown that this is of paramount importance, and Dipesh helped us understand this through his teaching style.
“This course was very useful for me, because at university there is not much emphasis on how to aesthetically restore the function of anterior teeth.”
The course was mostly taught by Dipesh, who talked us through the theory behind composite layering, showing us from his personal first-hand experience. In my opinion, seeing his own work helped us all visualize the correct way to do it. It was very motivating to listen to him talk about his career development and how to improve himself, it was very clear how passionate he was about this topic. This was evident during the speech, which made it very engaging for all the delegates.
Throughout the entire first day there was a constant stream of new information that I had to jot down, such as the different layering protocols that can be used in different situations, which was completely new to me. It was also helpful for me to learn how to plan the treatment of these cases to get the right final result. Dipesh explained the importance of photography and at the same time instructed us on the correct settings and methods to get the best results.
For me, this was great because I was wondering how it was possible to get consistent results using just the naked eye (whether magnified with a magnifying glass or not), but it'sxemplying the use of photography and computer programs to help identify different shades in the tooth. Basically, it was a quick masterclass in shade mapping.
“It was a quick masterclass in shade mapping”
The practical aspect of the course consisted of first making a shade sheet of Renamel composite and then attempting to build a single shade. It was great as it allowed us all to put into practice the modelling techniques explained and introduced us to a range of Cosmedent tools which were practically invaluable in getting the primary and secondary anatomy that allows us to mimic nature. Using Casi and IPCL showed me how easy it is to quickly and consistently recreate the results as long as I understand the technique.
The practical aspect was also helpful, as we weren't just left to try these techniques on our own. Dipesh, Payman and the others demonstrators (Stuart Ray and Chiggs Patel) were also on hand to help us with this practical activity. They were all walking around the room checking our work and understanding to ensure we were recreating nature as the theory had taught us. The demonstrators were a great addition to the course as they had a lot of experience with these builds and protocols and were able to give us practical advice to help us through the process. They also made the course more enjoyable as they and all the staff were so approachable and willing to give us advice and a laugh.
After the first day, Payman took us all out for dinner at a great restaurant in Manchester city centre. It was a great evening, getting to know the other delegates, laughing and sharing stories. It was a great way to make friends and network. The rest of the delegates were all great and we had a great time. It added a personal touch to the course and allowed everyone to relax a bit.
The second day continued from the first day with a brief recap of the techniques we used and then a theoretical presentation of how to perform multi-shade layering techniques for single tooth reconstruction to mimic natural teeth. This was a more complicated process, but Dipesh described each step using clinical photographs to explain the best way to do it, which made it very easy to follow. He explained techniques to simplify the process, such as using photography to analyze adjacent teeth.
Kunal Patel did a excellent presentation of how we can use our work to attract more patients. I think this is what really set MSM apart from other courses. Kunal shared his own experiences of using MSM to market his practice and become an MSM provider. He showed us how easy it can be to explain the simplicity of MSM to patients, using marketing techniques that make it easier for patients to understand, such as the ABC initiative, which is a play on words with the ABB technique used.
Q. As a student/young dentist, do you think it was useful for you?
A. This course was invaluable to me. At university we are not taught how to manipulate dental materials to fuse a restoration to a natural tooth, which will not only make the restoration aesthetic but also increase the patient's confidence.
For me, the MSM course was very good for understanding the primary, secondary and tertiary anatomy of an anterior tooth, as well as how to match them to what the natural dentition would look like. It was interesting for me to see how I could improve my techniques and how I could fine-tune the manual dexterity required to shape materials.
It was also great to meet the other delegates who have been practicing for some time. They gave me their own advice and tips on how to provide excellent treatment to patients. For me, as a young dentist, it was great to hear what other dentists have struggled with and how they have overcome these challenges. MSM allowed me to connect because we all sat together and were able to interact with Dipesh about these issues.
Q. How have you used the knowledge you gained from the MSM course in your practice, now that you have started DF?
A. The knowledge I gained from the MSM course was not just limited to composite layering techniques. It also involved planning and evaluating these mini-smile makeovers. With the knowledge of what can be achieved with a mini-smile makeover, I am able to inform patients of the possible results that can be achieved.
I can alsomentally identify which cases are viable and which would require a multidisciplinary intervention, so I can provide my patients with information on how to proceed. Even at this very early stage in my career, I have been able to inform some patients about the procedures that would suit them best.
I had several opportunities to practice composite techniques to integrate into a natural tooth and create a strong bond that increases the longevity of the restoration. All of these were adapted from the techniques I learned in the MSM course.
Case example
An example of how I used these techniques is presented from a trauma case that I had to resolve quickly. I had a 30-minute appointment to restore two class IV fractures in a child. I used the techniques from MSM to solve this case. I used one of the layering protocol techniques explained, as well as the Casi and IPCL that I had purchased to be able to restore the tooth and make it look natural. I would not have been able to do a decent job in such a short time with my experience without the teachings from MSM.
I have another case coming up that involves a hypoplastic UL1 due to a previous trauma that the patient has dealt with her entire life, but now she wants something done about it. Covering tooth lesions was another thing I learned on this course. This is a problem that affects so many patients with fluorosis, MIH, hypoplasia, etc., but many dentists don’t know how to treat it in a minimally invasive way. It was invaluable to learn this on the course and see how it can be put into practice first hand in my practice. I don’t just mean the practical side, but also being able to explain the different treatment modalities to the patient, their benefits and risks, as well as telling the patient what to expect. This helps me address the consent issue that presents itself in today’s dental world.
Q. Do you recommend the MSM course to young dentists?
A. To summarize everything I have said, there are a number of reasons why I would recommend the MSM course to young dentists:
- Developing practical skills.
- Developing knowledge of anatomy to recreate nature through composite restorations.
- Single-shade and multi-shade composite layering techniques.
- Further improving knowledge that goes beyond the boundaries of what is taught at university.
- The course also included a business presentation that allowed us to understand how to reach more patients and provide quality care.
- MSM was a great way to create a network of contacts with like-minded dentists who were also very willing to share their experience with a young dentist and help me improve my knowledge.
I was very grateful to be able to attend the MSM course and now I can continue to put this knowledge into practice for my patients, who are now in their dental foundation.
I would like to thank Dipesh, Payman, Chiggs, Stuart and the entire Enlighten team for such a great experience and the invaluable knowledge and friendships we made.
Source: enlightensmiles.com
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