Show notes:

As a small community, oral and maxillofacial surgeons need to share what they have learned to ensure everyone's practice thrives. In today’s show, Dr. Raza Hussain gives us insights into the knowledge he has gained through both his academic and faculty surgery work. Raza practices in Chicago, where he is the Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Jesse Brown Veterans Administration Medical Center. We dive right in, discussing Raza’s approach to dealing with peri-implantitis, where he shares why he uses the controversial implantoplasty as a treatment and the importance of collaborating with the restorative doctor. We then hear about the most difficult cases Raza has encountered working at a VA hospital. From transmandibular implant removal to necrotizing fasciitis, Raza has handled incredibly unique cases that many oral and maxillofacial surgeons are unlikely to encounter over the course of their careers. The conversation then moves onto protecting oral and maxillofacial surgeons’ outpatient anesthesia rights and why the current campaign to remove these rights is unfounded. Raza acknowledges that support staff might not be well-trained, but he believes that it is the practicing surgeon's responsibility to get his team on the same page. He shares what those of us in private practice can do to ensure we will continue to be allowed to do jobs in a way that is best for our patients. To hear this and more, be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know Raza, his professional experience, and what he’s up to now. 
• The improvements that Raza has made with his implants over the last few years.
• What Raza does with implants that have two or three threads exposed on the buccal.
• Why Raza uses an implantoplasty to treat implants that have deteriorated.
• The level of bone loss or peri-implantitis which prompts Raza to intervene.
• The importance of having a good relationship with the restorative doctor when treating peri-implantitis.
• Patients are unlikely to change their habits, so surgeons should try new techniques.
• Hear why removing transmandibular implants is so difficult.
• Insights into the trickiest case Raza has had to treat that involved necrotizing fasciitis.
• Why Raza has not changed his third molar extraction technique much over the years.
• Coronectomy versus piezo: Which technique results in greater complication.
• Tried and trusted methods; why Raza sticks with a regular course of antibiotic treatment for third molar extractions.
• How Raza’s anesthetic technique has changed seeing as his wife is an anesthesiologist.
• Why trying to take oral surgeons’ right to outpatient anesthesia is misguided.
• Raza’s firm approach to putting patients to sleep and why he does not tolerate joking around at that time.
• The bad press that oral and maxillofacial surgeons get when anesthesia goes wrong.
• Negative outcomes of not allowing oral and maxillofacial surgeons to administer anesthesia.
• What oral maxillofacial surgeons in private practice can do to support the profession’s rights.
• The complications that Raza has seen with TMJ disorders and his preferred courses of treatment.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Raza Hussain

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Dentistry

Jesse Brown VA Medical Center

AAOMS

Keywords: Raza Hussain, Dental Implants, Implantoplasty, Coronectomy, VA, Anesthesia, Academia