Dr. Lee Ann Brady is a nationally recognized educator, lecturer and writer. She is the former Exec VP of Clinical Education for Spear Education and Clinical Director of the Pankey Institute. Dr. Brady is president of leeannbrady.com, which offers continuing education workshops, seminars and online content at www.leeannbrady.com; she maintains a private practice in Glendale Arizona, is the clinical editor of the Seattle Study Club Journal and a guest faculty member for The Pankey Institute.
Lee’s favorite quote and why:
“Out beyond ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing, there is a field and I’ll meet you there.” By Rumi. Given to her as a gift on a plaque by her then 16 year old daughter. Lee uses this quoute in the realm of her teaching to allow people to feel free to share ideas, thoughts, possibilities, and techniques knowing that we can keep whatever we walked it with or be able to say “you know what? This percent of what I heard today I want to incorporate.” To Lee, this quote is about education.
What Lee does for the dental profession:
One of the things that Lee always makes sure to do is to see patients, and help them move their dental health forward. She has also been actively involved in dental education for about a decade now. Starting with the Pankey Institute, then with Spear Education and now on her own collaborating with Ms. Mary Osborne and Dr. Mark Klieve.
She blogs, teach her own courses, and does small group workshops in her office three times a year, to help the community not only with technical learning, but also with behavioral learning.
Lee’s difficult time story:
Lee recalled how she struggled with the first four to five years of practicing dentistry straight out from dental school. Eventually, she decided to buy her own practice dentistry and owned it for seven or eight years when she realized she was done with dentistry and never wanted to go back. A lot of factors that went into it was because she was overwhelmed; she was a solo practitioner, she got married, had three kids, paying taxes and handling the accounting and doing the dentistry and managing the team. She was forced back into the profession due to her husband being downsized out of his job. She went back to work but working for a comprehensive dentist who opened her eyes to the concepts of Dr. Pankey and Pete Dawson. She loves dentistry now.
What Lee sees as the up and coming thing in dentistry:
One of the things that excites Lee about dentistry is that it’s advancing a rapid pace; it’s exciting to be able to have better, more conservative, more comfortable ways to help people keep their teeth in comfort, function, and beauty for the rest of their lives. The idea of we can now potentially regrow teeth, instead of having Titanium implants; we could actually grow someone a whole, new natural tooth, is very exciting.
The Best advice Lee has ever received:
The best advice she got was from an undergraduate adviser who told her she would never get good enough grades to go to professional school – which motivated her to do well.
The one habit that contributes to Lee’s success:
Continual learning.
Clinical or Management pearl (tip):
“Live on less than you make.” She explains that one of the things she find with a lot of dental professionals is they get themselves into place of some financial stress — which usually starts at home — because they are spending more, so then they tend to draw more from the practice, and it puts financial stress on the practice. And when under financial stress, you don’t have the freedom to make crystal clear, clinical or professional decisions. And so, that stress bleeds over into everything you do. Managing personal finances is very important.
Technology or procedure that is exciting Lee right now:
The unique occlusion workshop that she does with two Mary Osborne and Dr. Mark Klieve. They get together in her office with 12 folks and encourage the dentists to bring team members. The workshop is designed to be 6 dentists and 6 team members for the total of 12 people, so they are learning together, which makes a huge difference in what they take home.
The course is about taking home occlusion and actually implementing it in your practice in a way that’s helpful both for the dental practitioner and their patient. It’s hands on, practical, and folks go home and actually see occlusion as one piece of comprehensive care, not as a totally separate, isolated part of their practice.
Internet / App resource that Lee feels is awesome:
It’s not exactly an app, but one of the things Lee has been doing in her office is using the built in photo gallery app on the iPad for patients to look at their own photos — instead of seeing it in a big, flat screen. They upload the patient’s photographs on an iPad, hand it to them, and give them time to look at it. It engages the senses and the patient feels more in charge of their choices.
Lee’s book recommendation:
- Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice by Matthew Syed
Lee’s recommendation for those who are about to start new or restart:
Know one’s self. Spend the time to really think what you need to love your life, your personal life. You need to ask yourself first who you really are. Don’t make it just about the patient. It’s about you as well.
Dr. Lee Ann Brady can be reached at:
- Website: www.leeannbrady.com
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