After six letters about how medicine and dentistry ended up on opposite sides of the same patient, I owe you something we can actually do.
I’m putting together the first 1840 course. I want hygienists in it first, because I think we have underestimated what can happen in that chair.
You may have cared for someone for fifteen years. You remember their mouth before the medications changed, before the diabetes diagnosis, before taking care of themselves became difficult. You have measurements, images, and a familiarity with that person that takes years to earn.
What you’ve noticed ought to matter to everyone treating them. Getting it into that conversation is another matter.
You still have a schedule to keep. The dentist is between patients. There may be something in the medical history you want to understand better, but no obvious person to ask. You write a good note and hope it gets picked up.
We ought to be able to do better than hope.
That’s what I want us to work on.
The course will run for six weeks. We’ll meet live each week, with guest faculty joining me, and work through de-identified patient records. We’ll look at the images, read the history, compare visits, and discuss what we think is happening. We’ll also have to explain why we think it—and be willing to change our minds.
Sometimes a finding will deserve further investigation. Sometimes we’ll need a better measurement before making anything of it. Learning to tell the difference is part of the work.
Between meetings, there are eight foundations lessons and a capstone covering the history and examination. But I’m especially interested in what happens when you return to your practice.
How do you bring something forward when the dentist has three minutes? What do you say when you’re concerned but not certain? How do you make sure somebody follows up?
We’ll practice those conversations. You shouldn’t have to figure out that part alone after the course ends.
I also want you to bring your experience into the room. Tell me where this works in theory and falls apart at eleven on a Thursday. We need to hear that while we’re building it.
Dentists will come next. Physicians after that, with a physician teaching alongside me. Eventually, I want those conversations happening together.
A word about my own interests. I’m involved in oral-health products, and you deserve to know that up front. I won’t be selling them during the teaching. Any product sessions will be separate and clearly labelled. My products will have to answer the same questions as everyone else’s.
We’re pursuing AGD PACE provider approval. CE credit isn’t confirmed yet. I’ll tell you when it is, and exactly what is available.
The larger platform I wrote about is still being developed. I’m not ready to show it to you. But there is useful work we can begin together now.
I’ve been rebuilding OVN Nexus, and that’s where we’ll do this work. I’ve put the first hygienist course there so you can see what we’re planning and leave your name if you’d like to join us.
If there’s something you want to ask me first, just reply to this letter. I’d like to hear from you.
If you’re a hygienist and this sounds like work you’d like to do, reply. Tell me about something you noticed in a patient that was difficult to get anyone to act on. Please leave out identifying details. A few sentences is plenty.
I’ll read every reply. If you’d like to join the first cohort, tell me that too.
And if you’re a dentist, I’d like you to think about the hygienist you turn to when you want to know what’s really going on with a patient.
Please send this to them. I’d like to meet them.
Thad Connelly
Oral and maxillofacial surgeon