Aug 11
24m 9s
👉 Join Elevated GP Virtual Study Club Here
Host: Dr. Melissa Seibert
Guest: Dr. Christian Coachman (Founder of Digital Smile Design, Dental Technician, Dentist, Adjunct Professor at Penn)
In Part 1 of this two-part series, Dr. Melissa Seibert sits down with Dr. Christian Coachman to challenge fundamental assumptions in modern dental practice . They draw a hard line between treatment planning and procedure planning, break down why dentistry excels at improving quality but struggles at controlling it, and discuss how borrowing mistake-prevention systems from aviation and manufacturing can transform clinical outcomes . Finally, Dr. Coachman dives into the traps of "camouflage dentistry" and outlines the vital shift every clinician must make to evolve from a cosmetic technician into an Oral Physician .
Procedure Planning: Planning how to execute a specific task after the procedure is already decided (e.g., using ClinCheck for aligners, using software for guided implant placement, or marking prep finish lines in Exocad) .
Treatment Planning: An interdisciplinary, comprehensive exploration of all diagnostic possibilities before deciding on specific procedures . It defines the overall blueprint and clinical sequence .
The Misconception: Most digital dental software marketed today is actually procedure planning software improvising backwards . True treatment planning requires interdisciplinary diagnosis prior to software execution .
Dentistry focuses heavily on improving quality (e.g., taking CE, getting better with hand skills) but fails at controlling quality (ensuring consistent, repeatable results without errors) .
Chairside fixes or lab remakes should not be viewed as wins just because the patient left happy; they represent a system failure that allowed the mistake to happen in the first place .
The Aviation/Manufacturing Mindset: Dentists must act like production line managers . When an error occurs, stop to analyze why it happened and build a system to guarantee it never happens again .
"Fixing a problem is successful, but the fact that the problem was there in the first place was not a success. Every time a problem occurs, stop and ask: why did that happen, and what system can I implement to avoid it next time?" — Dr. Christian Coachman
The Trap: Placing thick veneers on premolars and molars to create a wider, prettier smile without treating the underdeveloped arch underneath .
The Underlying Etiology: A narrow arch directly impacts tongue space, airway volume, and nasal structure . "Camouflaging" it with ceramic leaves the structural, functional, and airway issues untouched .
Severe Tooth Wear: Placing veneers on a 30-something patient with severe wear without investigating the underlying cause (airway, occlusion, erosion) misses the opportunity to preserve health for the long term .
Cosmetic Dentists: Prioritize short-term aesthetic fixes (immediate satisfaction) .
Oral Physicians: Evaluate systemic connections, airway, long-term longevity, and comprehensive function .
Aesthetics as a Consequence: When you treat the underlying cause and optimize health, function, and arch dimensions, aesthetics becomes the beautiful consequence of doing the right treatment .
[ ] Separate your diagnostic treatment planning phase from your digital software procedure planning .
[ ] Treat every clinical issue or lab remake as a system failure to investigate .
[ ] Diagnose underlying etiology (wear, airway, arch width) before presenting cosmetic solutions .
[ ] Communicate long-term health benefits to patients rather than defaulting to quick aesthetic shortcuts .