Some of ClearChoice's largest advantages include its knowledgeable surgeon network and its ability to test the latest dental technology, according to Thomas Berry, DDS, MD.
Dr. Berry is the vice president of clinical affairs for ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers, and has been with the company for 17 years. He recently spoke with Becker's about the company's support for its doctors and where dental technology is headed next.
Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: What are some of the biggest ways ClearChoice supports its doctors?
Dr. Thomas Berry: I'd say the number one way is our training and onboarding of new surgeons, particularly the valuable time the surgical mentors get to spend with them early on in their careers. The surgical mentors become a really important asset to surgeons, where they're able to lean on the mentors for their seasoned knowledge and experience, particularly in the area of full arch surgery. Number two, we have 165 surgeons in our network, so there's a plethora of surgeons willing to share their experiences when a question comes up, particularly related to unusual or demanding surgical and medical conditions, which we see fairly frequently. We have a ClearChoice surgeons mastery path for surgeons who exhibit a desire for additional learning of our leadership and sharing their knowledge with others. Surgeons are also encouraged to present lectures at our annual doctors meetings as yet another way to exchange information with other clinicians.
Q: What are some of the misconceptions that you've heard about DSOs?
TB: The biggest one we've heard for a long time is that their practice is going to be controlled by somebody else. Surgeons in our network get to perform much like what they would in the private practice in which they're able to manage all the medical, surgical and anesthetic aspects of patient care. Every ClearChoice center is independently owned and operated with full clinical autonomy. ClearChoice as a company is not involved in any clinical decision-making, so it's like walking into a private practice, just maybe in a different office.
Q: How does ClearChoice stand out from other DSOs
TB: We're utilizing and testing a lot of new products all the time because our vendors come to us for that. So we're usually utilizing the latest technologies to provide excellent care for our patients. We're very patient focused, and [we're] what we call the platform of hope for individuals who've had long-standing dental problems. They come to see us because oftentimes we're the place of last resort, and a lot of these patients have had these problems for decades.
We have an outstanding knowledge base, and particularly in our sector, full arch surgery, our doctors have created over 200,000 patients since 2005. Our knowledge base resides not only in surgery for the full arch patient, but in our laboratory experience, and also we have a significant research data bank. In tandem with that is our vendor relationships, where they're able to create and test new product lines that eventually are a benefit, not only to our patients, but patients across the spectrum of dentistry.
Q: Is there anything particularly exciting to you about dental technology right now?
TB: Related to what we do, which is mostly full arch surgery, the most important trend is what we call the digital workflow process. It starts with radiography, potentially using [artificial intelligence] to help you diagnose off X-rays, and now the process is sort of becoming incorporated into the surgical process also. It starts with a digital smile design at a consult and coursing through digital treatment planning and case design to bring it into the area of oral surgery and potentially surgical navigation or even robotic surgery. So that's pretty exciting.
Secondly, with the advent of AI, diagnosing has recently come about. It's capable of diagnosing images on 3D imaging, rather than just two dimensional X-rays, which will really be a valuable asset going forward, along with [augmented reality], [virtual reality] and what we call mixed reality for treatment planning, surgical navigation for accuracy and patient safety. I see a time in the future where the surgeon might just wear an ocular and be looking through a patient's CBCT scan that's overlaid upon the patient's anatomy, and be able to really have X-ray vision. It's going to be easier for the surgeon to do the procedures, and it's probably going to be safer for the patient in the long run. So that's really exciting from that standpoint.
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges facing oral surgeons right now?
TB: I think the biggest one that I've seen over the past 10 years is, because people are living longer and our general medical care is becoming more advanced, the field of oral surgery is seeing a higher percentage of aging patients with a lot more complex medical issues that they're dealing with. As such, the medical and surgical treatment of these patients is more demanding. I think there's really an opportunity here for the field of oral surgery to support those who aspire to make oral surgery better, including those teaching in the residency programs, leaders at our national association levels and even the oral surgeons who are in day-to-day private practice.
Oral surgery has always faced its challenges in a very thoughtful way and through really competent leadership at the top. I'm a baby boomer, I'm getting older now, and I look at things from aesthetic, function and being healthy, and we're seeing a lot of these types of patients coming to our offices [who are] 70, 80, 90 years old, and they still want to look good. I think that's one of our biggest challenges, treating patients who have more complex medical issues now.