Preventing Instrument Injuries (with Drs. Stucki and Hechler)

12/30/24 • 51 min

For all their good, surgical instruments can also be harmful when used incorrectly or irresponsibly. Once again, we welcome Dr. Ben Hechler to the show as he and Dr. Stucki walk us through the best practices for preventing injuries caused by dental instruments. We discover how oral surgeons view their instruments before learning of the dangers of surgical blades and dental elevators. Then, we explore the importance of jaw pressure, dental drills gone wrong, common dental instruments that also pose a threat, and the slippery tools that may cause harm if not carefully considered. We also discuss forceps and how to use them better to prevent injury, what you need to know about suture needles, the inadvertent trauma of anesthetic needles, and the value of unbridled truth.

Key Points From This Episode:

How we perceive and use instruments as oral surgeons.
Examples of how surgeons can cause harm with surgical blades.
The dangers of misusing the periosteal elevator or dental elevator.
Why you always need to pay attention to the amount of pressure you put on a patient’s jaw.
Highlighting potential injuries when using the dental handpiece.
What to be weary of when using sweetheart retractors, throat packs, and sponges.
Unpacking common forceps-induced injuries that Dr. Hechler encounters.
The Minnesota cheek retractor, and other unexpected tools that may cause damage.
Suture needles, and inadvertent trauma from dental anesthetic needles.
Why surgeons shouldn’t be ashamed about their instrument injuries.
The importance of always being honest and upfront with your patients.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Ben Hechler on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-hechler/

Moana 2 — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13622970/

Wicked — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1262426/

Hamilton — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8503618/

The Music Man — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293437/

Bonhoeffer — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26237514/

Supercommunicators — https://www.amazon.com/Supercommunicators-Unlock-Secret-Language-Connection/dp/0593243919

Jingle All The Way — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116705/

Good Burger — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119215/

Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — [email protected]

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059

Key Points From This Episode:

How we perceive and use instruments as oral surgeons.
Examples of how surgeons can cause harm with surgical blades.
The dangers of misusing the periosteal elevator or dental elevator.
Why you always need to pay attention to the amount of pressure you put on a patient’s jaw.
Highlighting potential injuries when using the dental handpiece.
What to be weary of when using sweetheart retractors, throat packs, and sponges.
Unpacking common forceps-induced injuries that Dr. Hechler encounters.
The Minnesota cheek retractor, and other unexpected tools that may cause damage.
Suture needles, and inadvertent trauma from dental anesthetic needles.
Why surgeons shouldn’t be ashamed about their instrument injuries.
The importance of always being honest and upfront with your patients.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Ben Hechler on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-hechler/

Moana 2 — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13622970/

Wicked — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1262426/

Hamilton — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8503618/

The Music Man — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293437/

Bonhoeffer — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26237514/

Supercommunicators — https://www.amazon.com/Supercommunicators-Unlock-Secret-Language-Connection/dp/0593243919

Jingle All The Way — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116705/

Good Burger — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119215/

Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — [email protected]

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059

Previous Episode

Startup Out of Residency Tips (with Dr. Craig Harrison)

What does it take to launch a successful oral surgery practice straight out of residency? In this episode of Everyday Oral Surgery, we sit down with Dr. Craig Harrison, a recently graduated oral surgeon practicing in Fort Worth, Texas. In our conversation, Dr. Harrison discusses his journey of transitioning from residency to opening a solo practice and shares invaluable insights for surgeons considering the startup route. Hear about his experiences navigating real estate decisions, securing the best financing option, and hiring staff for his practice. Explore the importance of professional networks in building a practice, why finding the right people to work with is vital, and the challenges of starting a practice from scratch. Dr. Harrison also details the benefits of founding your own practice, his marketing strategies, balancing part-time work with building a practice, and more. Join us to learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and hear actionable tips for building your dream practice with Dr. Craig Harrison. Tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

Dr. Harrison shares his background, life growing up, and his training.
Find out why he decided to start his own solo practice and how he got started.
Leveraging his network for advice and other resources he found useful.
Hear about his experience working with Bank of America to secure financing.
Why Fort Worth was an ideal location and the process of finding the right contractor.
The challenges of managing construction timelines and dealing with contractors.
Staffing the practice: hiring through Indeed and leveraging family expertise for recruitment.
Balancing part-time work while building the practice and lessons from his experience.
His marketing strategy: build relationships with local dentists and enhance online visibility.
Advice for residents considering the startup route and the importance of mentorship.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Craig Harrison on LinkedIn — https://linkedin.com/in/craig-e-harrison-ii-dds-md-2b849889/

Dr. Craig Harrison on Instagram — https://instagram.com/chisholmtrailoralsurgery/

Chisholm Trail Oral Surgery — https://chisholmtrailoralsurgery.com/

Baylor University Medical Center — https://bswhealth.com/locations/dallas-hospital

The Startup Dentist — https://amazon.com/Startup-Dentist-Definitive-Starting-Successful/dp/B0BLR5C3JV

Bank of America — https://www.bankofamerica.com/

DHP Surgical — https://www.dhpsupply.com/surgical

Indeed — https://www.indeed.com/

Unreasonable Hospitality — https://amazon.com/Unreasonable-Hospitality-Remarkable-Giving-People/dp/0593418573

Outlive — https://www.amazon.com/Outlive-Science-Art-Longevity/dp/1785044559/

Icarus —https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6333060/

Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook —

Next Episode

How to Build and Keep an Incredible Team and How That Translates to Increase Revenue (with Dr. Roger Levin, from Levin Group)

There has always been a staffing problem in oral surgery but it has become more aggravated recently and needs to be solved so that revenue can be optimized. Today on Everyday Oral Surgery, Dr. Roger Levin joins us again to discuss how to build and keep an incredible team in order to increase revenue. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about how staffing issues are contributing to decreased revenue, how to solve this problem (on paper), the importance of learning how to interview potential staff, how to go about interviewing candidates, and more! We delve into how to go about asking more negative questions in positive ways before discussing the importance of the onboarding process and how to navigate it using mentorship. Dr. Levin even shares a list of things a leader has to do in order to treat his/her team well, why transparency with staff is imperative, and the benefit of delegating tasks. Finally, Dr. Levin reminds us of the impact we have on people’s lives, inspires us to make that impact positive, reminds us to thank people, and suggests that we avoid blame. You don’t want to miss this episode, so be sure to press play now!

Key Points From This Episode:

Welcoming Dr. Roger Levin back to the show.
Why staffing problems are contributing to decreased revenue in oral surgery.
The staffing concept that will bring you tremendous success.
Why surgeons need to be trained in interviewing staff and some interviewing tips.
Dr. Levin walks us through an ideal interview process.
Who should be in the interview and when to give an offer.
How to ask ‘negative’ questions in positive ways during an interview.
Navigating onboarding a new employee and why this process is so important.
The importance of focusing on increasing team longevity.
A list of things to do as a leader in order to treat your team well.
Why transparency with your staff is absolutely imperative.
How to manage all of these things as busy surgeons and when to delegate.
The impact we all have on other people’s lives.
How to motivate a team when you aren’t their boss.
The importance of thanking people and avoiding blame.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Roger Levin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-levin-69ab744/

Dr. Roger Levin Email Address — [email protected]

Levin Group — https://levingroup.com/

The Tim Ferriss Show — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tim-ferriss-show/id863897795

Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — [email protected]

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059