A D2 lecture on root canal system disinfection
Dr. Martinho with Drs. Brenda Gomes and Patricia Tordik at AAE19 in Montréal
procedures among new general practitioners. He focuses both on engaging undergraduate students and giving them a healthy perspective on their limits relative to the training of endodontic specialists. “The important part is having the foundational knowledge to know how to refer and when, which helps them to treat patients who need a simple RCT, but he also guides them to understand why they need to refer some patients when they don’t have the equipment or skill set needed to deliver certain types of care,” Tordik says. “I show them a case where a treatment failed and is being referred to post-grads,” Martinho explains. “I don’t just stop there because it’s being referred out. If you leave it to just what’s at their level, that’s not engaging. Other specialties like implant dentistry are showing them how to place an implant. We need to show them our next level, too.” Meanwhile, Martinho acknowledges that “when I
started as a predoc endodontic director I had a feeling they always wanted to do any case just to meet their requirements, but they were never looking at the complexity of the case.” He responded by instituting a requirement to complete the AAE case assessment questionnaire to triage each treatment plan. “Since we introduced the app to the predoc students, I’ve seen them not try to push to do cases for which they are not prepared. I think if we train them in the app, they will follow the app in the future. Sometimes when dental alumni have an endo case in their practice, they contact me to talk about it… so it sounds like it’s working.” “The predoc director of endodontic education is really critical from that perspective,” Tordik says. The role is “not just how do you have a successful site visit every seven years from CODA or what are the requirements for them to graduate? It’s not really about that. It’s about how you want
them to practice once they have their degree. If some of them become interested in endo along the way you can really nurture that…" “The bigger role is so that the GP has a good understanding of what endos do, and can do, to help them make the right treatment decisions for their patients," Tordik explains. "They’re the gatekeepers… you’re not going to get referrals unless they have an understanding… if they’re more comfortable with implants and prosthodontics, then that’s what they’re going to recommend to their patients. “We only have a small amount of time to make a good impression.” “So, Fred has a lot of responsibility. In my opinion the most important position in the endo division or even in any endodontic department in any school is the predoc director. Those are the ones who have the greatest potential to make the largest impact.”
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