We had the privilege of sitting down with the esteemed Dr. Rudolph Slavicek to engage in a comprehensive and enlightening conversation on the captivating realm of Interdisciplinary Dentistry. Dr. Slavicek, an authority in the field, graciously shared his profound insights and expertise during our in-depth interview. What follows are the invaluable responses he provided, shedding light on the intricate world of Interdisciplinary Dentistry.
Prof. R. Slavicek: At university dental studies and general medicine are two separate studies.
Nevertheless I consider all stages of the dental education and formation as well as practical work integrated in general medicine, whereby interdisciplinary issues must not be neglected in any of these areas.
Interdisciplinary dentistry means the cooperation and coordination between different medical specialist areas and dentistry. In dentistry we include for instance orthodontics, prosthodontics, periodontology and all the others, and not to forget prosthetic dentistry. But for a responsible approach in interdisciplinary dentistry other medical fields have to be called in.
The interdisciplinary approach should be a concept which can be used in a standardized way for all patient cases. Problems can be identified already at an early stage without taking the risk that health problems settle or become chronic.
Prof. R. Slavicek: With due regard being paid to the patient’s requirements and wishes an exact diagnosis and hence a detailed case planning has to be made. This gives the necessary evidence if a specialist of another medical field has to be called in. In any case, the patient always is the centre of attention.
Prof. R. Slavicek: To guarantee a successful and a frictionless procedure, the main contact person will be the dentist responsible for the restoration. In the final therapy plan he /she will involve other specialists, e.g. orthopaedics, physiotherapists, ENT physician, eye specialists or psychotherapists.
Prof. R. Slavicek: For patients with psychic or psychiatrical problems it is necessary to be very sensitive and empathic. In these cases psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists play an important role to support both the patient and the dentist. This team should consist of a well matched group of very experienced specialists.
Prof. R. Slavicek: The various and increasingly occuring problems due to bad posture are mainly caused and intensified by our sedentary way of life. Our upright posture is one of the risk factors which we have to owe to evolution and our becoming two-legs. Posture problems, backache, headaches and tension are caused by shortened and weakened muscles. A large part of the problems and of the pain can be put down to a lack of mobility. For these cases we call into action the parallel disciplines of manual medicine, first of all physiotherapy for a physical treatment of muscle problems. The treatment of posture problems with pain resulting out of it and other symptoms has to be done in consultation with the dentist
Prof. R. Slavicek: During treatment of complex cases the dentist, as the main contact person, should in any case be informed by all other attending physicians about diagnosis, therapy plans and medication. Well performed communication with the regular exchange of medical findings can make it easier to establish a good therapy plan and to get optimal and satisfying results.
Prof. R. Slavicek: Especially during childhood and youth it is important to focus on dental prophylaxis. Early disorders can lead to serious consequences if not noticed in time. Regular checks in all stages from primary dentition to mature dentition must also be seen from an interdisciplinary aspect and are therefore a definite must.
A typical day in the office. You are busy, you are running behind and your hygiene patient says, “Doctor I have a sore jaw, and it clicks”. You know that you have NO time to deal with this. And all too often the patient is told “you need a night guard”.
What is the hinge axis? Any three dimensional object that rotates does so around a central axis. In the case of the mandible we have two condyles joined by a rigid body (the mandible). Location of the hinge axis of the mandible can be used diagnostically (electronic Condylography, and hinge axis transfer of study casts to an articulator).
VieSID Canada Mini-Residency 2024 finished in June. Our exceptional students spent 15 days in 3-5 day modules studying Occlusal Medicine and Functional Dentistry
Professor Rudolph Slavicek emphasized the importance of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) as part of his gnathologic triad concept. It is critical that we consider the occlusion, the muscles and the TMJ in all of our diagnostics and treatments as they must exist in harmony with each other
What is the “elephant in the room”? The question we receive most is why should I take programs from VieSID? our comprehensive hands-on programs offer extensive training that benefits all dentists and applies to every procedure completed.
In previous blogs we have discussed our patient interview, and clinical examination. To have a thorough understanding of the stomatognathic system it is essential to palpate the muscles that are responsible for creating movements that allow function to occur. Mastication, swallowing, speech, bruxism and respiration are the main functions that we need to consider.
