IAS Academy has created an exciting new programme in collaboration with Ian Buckle to meet the needs of GDPs today – the Complete GDP Course.
Since qualifying in 1985, Ian has worked in both NHS and private dental settings, accruing an extensive amount of experience with a vast range of patients. For the last 20 years he has concentrated on complete care dentistry with an emphasis on minimally invasive, aesthetic and reconstructive care.
Ian believes there are six key areas dentists need to look at to deliver ‘complete’ dentistry: teeth, periodontal condition, tissues (cancer screening etc.), building or moving teeth needs to work within the system (occlusion), aesthetics, airway and smile design. About restorative dentistry in general, Ian comments, “There is a heavy emphasis on making treatment work so that the patient is comfortable and the results lasts a long time, but there’s a lot more to it. Today, we also need to take the main six principles and add a minimally invasive approach. Everything we do will likely need something else doing to it later, so we need to consider this. There is one thing that will make any work last longer – preservation of enamel.
“It’s just as important to remember that this is the digital age. A lot of things that were a real struggle to do in the analogue world, have become much easier, more predictable and more within the reach of the GDP in the digital world. We can also utilise digital solutions to motivate and engage with patients for greater treatment acceptance and oral health enhancement.”
With all of this in mind, Ian discusses what he hopes the Complete GDP Course will achieve for delegates:
“Tif [Qureshi] and I have been talking about this project for some time so I am delighted that we are finally making it happen. I’m excited about how we can help our colleagues develop in their careers.
“The aim of this programme is to help dentists serve their patients better and at the same time make their dentistry more predictable, efficient and productive. I am happy to share the benefits of my experience, as well as the many mistakes that I have made, hoping that others will be able to avoid doing so.
“The Complete GDP course is structured to cover all of aforementioned six principles and more, highlighting the benefits of solution-driven preparation and planning for full function and aesthetics. It will help delegates to improve and learn at a steady rate, with a strong level of support available.”
The IAS ethos
This support has become a trademark of all IAS Academy courses, with a high emphasis always placed on mentorship during and beyond initial training. All delegates have access to an online support forum where instructors and peers can discuss specific cases and seek bespoke advice or guidance wherever they need it.
“Most clinicians attend one course and then another and another, waiting for the perfect patient to present with the perfect treatment needs before doing anything about their new skills. The first module of the Complete GDP course teaches the overlying concepts, how to gather relevant information and how to do some of the diagnostics. The next module focuses on how to put all this through the treatment planning process to get to the next stage and so on. We have a platform for delegates to post case progress during the course as well, allowing them to start moving cases forwards safely, between modules.”
Ian goes on to consider how the Complete GDP Course embodies the IAS Academy ethos, explaining, “This course enhances delegates’ diagnostic and treatment planning skills, allowing them to carry out the minimally invasive and orthodontic skills they have learned elsewhere with IAS Academy with even greater predictability. It will also enhance their communication skills to improve case acceptance and ensure informed consent.”
A course with a difference
The Complete GDP Course is one of the latest programmes to be added to the IAS Academy portfolio. On why he feels it differs to others on the market, Ian comments, “Many dental courses concentrate on procedures, whereas this programme provides an overarching concept that will bring everything together. This will allow dentists to carry out more of the dentistry that they want to do. There is an emphasis on examination, diagnosis and treatment planning, with much weight given to improving knowledge of occlusal principles in order to tie everything together.
“It is my hope that delegates leave the course with a renewed enthusiasm for dentistry and an ability to do more of the dentistry that they would like to. I also hope they gain the knowledge they need to direct their practice and career in the direction they want to head.”
Start your journey
No matter what point you have reached in your career so far, it is always important to refresh and develop your skills across the board. The Complete GDP Course with IAS Academy is a fantastic opportunity to do just this – find out more online.
For more information visit www.iasortho.com, email courses@iasortho.com or call 01932 336470