067 Live with Dr. Israel Puterman and Dr. Matthew Fien

We are Live today with Dr. Israel Puterman and Dr. Matthew Fien. Dr. Israel is a periodontist in Washington D.C. and Dr. Matthew Fien is a periodontist in Florida. They are both really excited about modern advancements in perio treatment and teach the course Hands on Guided Bone Regeneration.

Both doctors take treatment and treatment planning very seriously and understand the importance of predictability, explaining all options to patients, and keeping teeth when possible. We talk about how they ended up being periodontists. What they think is important in patient care, treatment planning, continuing education, photography, and of course Instagram.

You can find our Dr. Puterman and Dr. Fien here:

Israel Puterman

Matthew J. Fien

Show Notes:

[02:24] Dr Israel decided to become a dentist after shadowing his wife's dentist. He almost fainted, but ended up doing periodontics.

[03:45] He went to Dental school in Boston. He didn't want to be a periodontist.

[05:34] He did an implant residency in Loma Linda and discovered he did want to be a periodontist.

[06:44] Dr. Fien was planning on become a physician, then he hung out with a periodontist and learned what dentists do.

[08:09] He went into periodontics right after graduating.

[10:35] There is a huge overlap between periodontists and oral surgeons.

[14:26] After dental school is when the education really starts. Real learning is done on the job.

[16:10] Periodontists are trained in school to treatment plan bigger cases.

[16:44] Looking at the full scope of the patient instead of planning one tooth at a time.

[17:04] Dr. Fien helps patients by giving them road maps and giving alternatives to actually save teeth.

[18:23] Periodontist are trained to see the big picture.

[18:38] Now the pendulum is swinging back into saving teeth rather than taking the teeth out.

[18:53] Taking out a tooth is always a choice, but there are alternatives.

[22:15] Labeling patients and what they can afford is a big mistake. Give the patient the information they need to make a decision about their treatment plan.

[23:12] Demographics aside, all patients should be given all options.

[25:07] LANAP laser treatment for periodontists is very popular and there is some good data on it. The data is best for single teeth.

[32:30] Dr. Israel did his three years of implant residency in Loma Linda and then an extra two years of perio. He was planning on going to Manhattan, but then ended up in Washington DC.

[34:38] He now has his own practice in DC that he opened up 8 years ago.

[35:21] Dr. Israel has a lot of patients that are politicians. They have unique needs.

[36:32] Matt graduated in 2009 and now he is down in Florida.

[37:11] After a year or two of working for offices. He wanted to give his patients more attention. He focuses at three or four offices that he is most happy at.

[41:30] Taking great pictures and using Instagram makes you a better dentist.

[43:49] Israel has always been interested in photography. Last year two of his assistants went to the When Pictures Really Matter course. Then he went to the course and that is where he met Matt.

[46:42] Matt is excited about regeneration and bone and tissue grafting. For him it is about predictability and safety. He is excited about making things as safe as possible. He loves sharing cases on Instagram.

[50:13] It's a passion for him to get really good at regeneration and bone grafts.

[51:05] Everybody needs mentorship. That's how you grow.

[51:33] It's not about the materials it is knowing the thought process and why you are doing what you are doing.

[54:04] The Hands on Guided Bone Regeneration Course developed out of a need.

[59:17] There are new products and vendors making the procedures easier.

[01:01:21] It's important to start small and get really good before moving on to advanced perio and surgical techniques.

[01:03:10] Both doctors love teaching and are doing it for fun not money.

[01:07:39] Millennials are excited about education. Learning and become a better dentist is a win win for everyone.

[01:09:19] Get out of the cave, learn, go to meetings, and learn hands on.

[01:10:03] Go with your gut and build what you want and keep your end goal in mind.

As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected].  

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