 Don Reid, DDS
Lake Tahoe, CA
Co-creator of BiteFX software, a series of 3D animations to easily explain occlusal disease causes and effects(FX).
This isn't brain surgery!
In 2000, my wife, Marilyn, was diagnosed with a cerebral- pontine angle tumor. At the consultation with the surgeon we selected (after much research), I asked him bluntly to describe the surgery as he was aware I performed oral surgery.He handed me a book he had authored, and said “look at the drawings and you’ll see for yourself.”
When I commented, “This doesn’t look very difficult,” he responded, “It‘s not; just life threatening. It’s probably not as difficult as dentistry.”
After I shared with him the nature of dental treatments contrasted with brain surgery, he asked, “Why aren’t you using a microscope? It appears that dental operations are a lot more difficult that what I do.”
He told me that a surgeon removing this tumor in 1970 faced an 80% mortality rate. Today, the 98% success rate is solely due to the enhanced information that a microscope provides.
The surgery lasted 5 hours. My wife was hitting the ski slopes in 7 weeks.
The crisis of Marilyn’s surgery and quest to find the very best doctor in the world regardless of fee forced me to ask some deep intrapersonal questions: “Why aren’t I the doctor people are searching for when they want the very best possible dental care?” A neurosurgeon challenged me to use a microscope. I did, and I haven’t looked back. Dentistry isn’t brain surgery but I’m now comfortable stating I provide the world class level of care I desperately wanted for my wife. The microscope has made this possible. |
|