Everyday Oral Surgery

Today we sit down with long-time friend and mentor, Dr. William Flick, to talk about the balance between working in private practice and part-time academics. To kick things off, Bill shares a brief summary of his training and current practice setup. After hearing about his stints at the University of Illinois and in the US Airforce, Bill sheds light on how to teach residents in a surgical setting....

Performing a sinus lift through the maxillary molar site is an intricate process. Today we sit with Dr. Michael Olabadu to talk about his techniques and the finesse required to perform a sinus lift. We open our discussion by finding out about Michael’s professional history, training, and current setup. After learning about his journey in maxillofacial surgery so far, Michael then opens up about so...

Despite decades of progress, diagnosing and treating nerve injuries remains a challenge for many oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Today we take a deep dive into the subject as we speak with experienced nerve microsurgeon, Dr. John Zuniga. After chatting about his professional background, we ask John how he developed his expertise in treating nerve injuries. In answering, he shares a roadmap to suc...

Dr. Michael Han is Program Director at the University of Illinois. Although he never had his sights set on teaching, he found fulfillment in the act and enjoys helping residents refine their skills to become the leading oral maxillofacial surgeons of the future. We kick off the show by hearing from Michael on his academic and professional history. After learning how he entered the world of academi...

On paper, becoming a world-class maxillofacial surgeon should be simple. The reality can be far different. Today we speak to Dr. Kevin Haddle who has found the perfect balance between work and play. We open the show by hearing from Kevin about his professional history. We learn that his entry into maxillofacial surgery was less than conventional, yet it was a friend and mentor that ultimately help...

Developing your mental strength is critical in landing and progressing through your residency. Today we speak with Dr. Chisohlm Emeka Chukwu, a resident at Case Western whose inspiring story reveals the power of resilience and mental fortitude. Early in our conversation, Emeka shares details about his background which include leaving Nigeria at 15 and working in northern Cyprus, Turkey, Latvia, an...

They don’t call him “Triple D” for nothing. Dr. Thomas Shlieve is an expert in the field of osteonecrosis and has earned his nickname as the Deadbone Doctor of Dallas. Yet the reality is that osteonecrosis is a serious condition that can greatly impact the quality of life of a patient suffering from it. Thomas knows this all too well, which is why he is hugely passionate about helping patients wit...

Today we sit with Dr. Thomas Shlieve to talk about HPV and its impacts on our health. Diving straight into the subject matter, Thomas defines HPV as a sexually transmitted disease. He goes on to explain the various genotypes, which are cancer-causing, and what age groups face the biggest threats. We learn that although HPV is typically contracted during teen years and your twenties, the onset of c...

Today we’re taking a break from talking about cutting-edge techniques and tools to focus on another very important topic: racism. Inequality and underrepresentation are unfortunately still present in the workplace, but there is hope for change; real, lasting change. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Raza Hussain about his recently published article on racism, his own experiences with discriminatio...

As today’s guest can attest, it’s never been more challenging to become an oral surgeon. And if you do have what it takes, then toxic learning cultures might discourage you from pursuing your career. In this episode, we speak to Dr. Trina Sengupta about the importance of persistence in becoming an oral surgeon. Early in our conversation, we ask Trina about her experience teaching residents who mig...

If you have a medical practice for more than a week, you will undoubtedly receive some bad patient reviews. This is a part of life as a health professional, but that doesn't mean that there are not ways to minimize the number of these or deal with them in a more suitable way. Today, we host a discussion between Dr. Stucki, Dr. Hull, and Dr. Salomon on this exact topic, looking at patient expe...

Some of us may have the sense that our accounts are secure but the truth is that criminals can do some serious damage if they find a way in. Today on the show Dr. Stucki sits down with Dr. Weiskopf to tell a story about a recent experience he had where he fell victim to a drastic case of identity theft. Dr. Stucki’s nightmare incident began with him getting his unattended bag stolen out of the par...

As medical professionals, our focus is most often on the health of others, but this does not mean that we should neglect ourselves and forget about the risks that come with being an oral surgeon. Today Dr. Stucki and Dr. Weiskopf sit down to talk about some of the important factors in staying healthy while working, looking at both physical and mental wellbeing. We first cover the array of risks th...

As we are recommended by general dentists, endodontists, periodontists, and orthodontists, getting referrals is a key part of our job as maxillofacial surgeons. Today we talk about different kinds of referrals, how to approach them, and why they’re so important. We open the show by hearing from our co-host, Dr. David Salomon, about his thoughts on various types of referrals, as he explains the dif...

Today we sit with repeat guest and old friend, Dr. William Hull. A maxillofacial surgeon based in Indiana, William has many years’ worth of treatment experience to his name. In this episode, we talk about several of these treatments and pay special attention to expose and bond techniques, along with several other ortho treatments. First, we gather William’s thoughts on bite blocks versus molts. Wi...

The best way to cut your teeth in oral surgery is through residency, but just getting there can be a massive challenge for young students. Today we speak with my kid brother Dr. Jacob Stucki about his path to residency and the means he used to get there. We open the show by exploring Jakes’s history in medical school and how he went about choosing a residency and ultimately being accepted for it....

Today we are joined by Dr. Dustin Haupt from Arvada, Colorado to talk about the practice that he recently set up from scratch! We talk about this challenging process, Dr. Haupt's motivation behind the decision, and the hiccups and stresses that he and his team encountered along the way. Our guest takes us through the period after he left the Navy, and started from square one with construction...

San Francisco is a densely populated area, thus a highly competitive market, but there are still ways to establish yourself as an oral surgeon if you decide to set up shop there. Today we talk to Dr. Aldrich Sy, a past classmate of Dr. Stucki’s, about his experiences practicing in the San Francisco area and how he has managed to get his name out there and succeed in this tough landscape. For Dr. S...

Building a practice is not something that’s taught in dentistry school. Instead, you need to dramatically expand your business skills to make a success of your new practice. Today we speak with Dr. Curt Hayes about how he built his practice from scratch and why he removed narcotics from his pain management strategy. We open our conversation by exploring Curt’s training and career, which includes c...

The time maxillofacial and oral surgeons spend in residency is invaluable, but sometimes what you learn in practice can be just as beneficial. This sentiment is echoed by Dr. Ryan Sheppard, today’s guest, who is on the show to talk about platelet therapy and internal sinus lifting techniques. We open the episode by taking a look at Ryan’s history in surgery, the influences of having a surgeon for...

Today’s guest is Dr. Alan Felsenfeld, here to talk about how he has found meaning in his dynamic career through mentorship, community work, best practices, and building good relationships with patients and fellow residents. Dr. Felsenfeld is currently retired but still very active in the community, and he is still affiliated with the UCLA Medical Center where he was a full-time faculty member sinc...

Many complications can arise during anesthetization due to factors like patient history. Surgeons need to proceed with caution during this process, taking extra care to learn about a patient’s context, even if it is not solely their responsibility to gather this information. Today’s guest is Dr. Louis Halkias, here to talk about how he takes extra care with anesthetization, as well as weigh in on...

Today’s guest is Dr. Joseph Funderburk, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Specialist at Grand Junction Oral Surgery, Colorado. He joins us on the show to talk about running a practice and share some of his techniques for surgery procedures too. Dr. Funderburk received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (UCHSC) in Denver, and he kicks the show of...

The career of an oral surgeon is intimately linked to the responsibilities of their assistants, but the topic of how to train assistants is not frequently spoken about. Today on the show Dr. Stucki sits down with his co-host Dr. David Salomon and they have a productive discussion about approaches to training assistants, as well as bite block usage and patient positioning during surgery. The show b...

If oral and maxillofacial surgeons can find the time to commit to their local hospitals and associations beyond their private practices, the integrity of the specialty will be more securely protected. This is a belief held by today’s guest, Dr. Alexis Olsson, and his career shows it. Dr. Olsson is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon practicing in Chicago, Illinois. He is currently Chief of Oral and...