Thank you for your participation in the Inland Empire Perio Study Club! The purpose of this Study Club is to teach and share knowledge; you will be an integral part of this learning and training environment.
There are many reasons why your dentist might have recommended that you be a part of the Study Club.
Your dental condition is complex, and would benefit by gathering input and opinions from multiple other dentists and the Mentor.
Your dental treatment involves a procedure that would serve as a good example, and would be a good case to demonstrate to other member dentists in the Study Club.
Your treatment would benefit by the involvement of a specialist (the Mentor of the Study Club is a Periodontist).
Your treatment involves a procedure that might be considered experimental.
Your treatment involves procedures that might be new, and your dentist would like to learn more about it by doing it in an environment with the help, input, and feedback of many other dentists and the Mentor.
Your treatment involves well-established procedures, but might be relatively new to your dentist. By doing the procedure in Study Club, the dentist is learning from 18 other dentists rather than one.
What you will get: Careful treatment. Your treatment will be critiqued by many dentists as it progresses.
State-of-the-art treatment. Many of the procedures done in Study Club are based on newly-available research and published studies. These might not be commonly available yet in general dentist's offices.
Close follow-up. Your dentist will closely monitor your case after treatment, so he/she can report your progress back to the Study Club.
Benefits of many opinions. Instead of simply having a second opinion, you will be benefitting from a third opinion, fourth opinion, fifth opinion, etc. by many highly-skilled dentists.
What to expect at your appointment: Lots of people. During your appointment, there will be many dentists circulating around, watching your treatment, asking questions, giving advice.
Questions. Your dentist may frequently ask questions to the Mentor or other members, so their technique can be critiqued and constantly improved.
Delays. There are also other patients participating in the Study Club. Your treatment might reach a stage where input is requested, but the Mentor or other member dentists are with another patient. Your dentist must wait for his/her turn. Therefore, the procedure might take longer in Study Club than it would if done in the dentist's own office.
Different dentist. Part of your procedure might be done by the Mentor of the Study Club rather than your regular dentist, so he can demonstrate to the other member dentists.
Photographs and videos. As a part of the learning environment, many procedures are photographed or video taped at various stages so we may continue to learn from them in the future.
Casual environment. The dentists in this group are very close, and have formed long-term associations. Rather than a stuffy atmosphere, they prefer to remain casual, with many jokes aimed at each other.
How to prepare for your appointment: Wear comfortable clothing.
Get a good night's sleep before your procedure day.
Take any prescribed medication exactly as it says on the prescription label.
If you will be having any sedation, have someone else drive you, and remain available at the office.
Other considerations: As with most treatments, there may be other alternative procedures to the one you will receive. If you have any concerns or questions about your treatment options, be sure to discuss them with your dentist.
As with any medical treatment, you may discontinue treatment at any time.
All medical procedures have both benefits and risks. Your dentist will review these with you. If you have any questions about any risks, be sure to discuss them with your dentist.