i How to revolutionize your practice

Interview
Dental Tribune | Mar 31-Apr 6, 2008
How to revolutionize your practice
schools. Their exposure or interest
in dentistry came from watching us
at many conferences over the last 2
years.
Dr. Sonia Leziy lectures on the international circuit and is also a world renowned opinion leader for
Nobel Biocare. We had a chance to catch up with her during one of her visits to the United States.
By Robin Goodman
I
heard someone refer to you as the
“No. 1 dentist lecturing on the international circuit”. How does one earn
such an honor?
Well, that is a very flattering
label, but I am not so certain that
it is accurate. I’ve come a long way
in a very short time because some
people opened up a few doors that
gave me wonderful opportunities,
and I have been running through
those doors eagerly. So although
I don’t feel comfortable with the
comment that I am the No. 1 dentist
lecturing today, I’m certainly working hard at it.
What is your background?
I am Canadian and went to dental school at McGill University in
Montreal. I graduated in 1989, and
then practiced dentistry for a few
years. Even during dental school I
knew that periodontics was where
I wanted to be because I enjoyed
surgery. I went to graduate school
in 1991. I finished my specialization in 1993 and have been in private practice ever since. I practice
in Vancouver, British Columbia, in
a group practice with two other
periodontists and a prosthodontist.
What I am doing today is amazingly
different than what I was trained to
do. A lot of it comes through more
education, being inspired by the
people you work with and who push
you to do everything better. Lecturing has become a whole new focus
in my career.
How is your work divided up between
practicing and lecturing?
I have the fortune that I was a
very young mom, so my kids are
grown up and married. So I’m a
workaholic now. I work full time
when I am in Vancouver, but I travel a fair amount. My stopping point
is usually thirty trips per year, and
this includes international travel. I
always feel that I am better known
in Brazil, Spain or Sweden than I
am in my own home town.
What is the nature of your work with
Nobel Biocare?
I’m a global speaker for them,
which means I discuss and represent their products. I have had a very
good working relationship with the
company, both as a clinician and as
a speaker. Their products provide
me with the high success rates and
versatility, the full product spectrum that we need in implant dentistry today. So I speak for them, but
I also use the product routinely as
the principle implant in my practice. I do a variety of other things for
them as well. For example, I have
been involved with the Web-based
Nobel Knowledge Network. I’m also
a member of their global scientific
committee, involved in organizing
major events like their Vegas conference which is held biannually.
Have either of your grown children gone
into dentistry?
Until recently, I would have said
no. Neither expressed interest in
KU_DENTAL TRIBUNE
3/18/08
You mentioned two other periodontists in
your practice.
Dr. Priscilla Walsh and Dr. Andrea
Csiszar round out our practice. Priscilla has been with me about 7
years and Andrea has been with
me for about 18 months now. Both
are really skilled and gifted women.
We have a lot of committed and
talented support staff around us too.
As I commented earlier, we also
have a prosthodontist in the practice; and I thought he was okay so
I married him. All humor aside, my
comment would be that he’s made
this career: my son is involved in
policing and my daughter was on a
marketing track. After my daughter
finished her business degree, I was
very happy to think she was going
into business or law. Recently she
and her husband announced that
they are both going into dentistry.
So now they’re in their science track
for the next six to eight months and
then will end up applying to dental
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7
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8
Interview
How to
From Page 7
us better clinicians by making us
relook at problems and diagnosis
with restorative eyes. As the only
male in the office, it’s been really
good to temper the office hormones
—18 women work in our office!
So what is the dynamic like of you two
working together and also being married?
He is an awesome husband and
an incredible support for me emotionally and in my career. It works
because we have independent practices within the same location. I
think that when one comes out of a
graduate program — I’ll use myself
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4/9/07
Dental Tribune | Mar 31-Apr 6, 2008
as an example here — you tend to
be unidimensional, which is what
I was when I came out of perio. I
was a prescription surgeon. I think
it has completely changed how I
practice to have a prosthodontist in
the office. Working with someone
who you care for is great incentive
because you always want to try to do
better for this person as well. From a
self-preservation perspective, I also
want to do my best work everyday;
it’s far better than going home with
an unhappy prosthodontist!
What do you think are some of the greatest challenges are in the field today?
I think that the biggest challenge in implant dentistry today is
that there is at times over-whelming technologic advancement that
09:44
impacts how we plan and how we
treat today. The challenges that I
am focused on today are working
with guided surgery and immediate
loading. We’ve had a huge learning
curve in this area over the last couple of years. Bringing in technology
into implant practices also means
that there are significant financial
investments for clinicians.
If I look at incorporating implant
dentistry into practice from the perspective of the general practitioner
who is getting involved in implants,
adequate education to carry out the
treatment and to do it effectively
and to the best of one’s ability is
important. I think that the issue of
education is one of the areas where
we are still challenged today. My
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Portable oral healthcare advice, online for you
and your patients
opinion is that students leave their
dental programs with a rudimentary
base in implantology. Continuing or
advanced education is essential in
this discipline.
What would you say to a general practitioner who is looking to get involved with
implants?
I would encourage this person
because I think that it revolutionizes
a practice. It is an essential treatment option to consider in the treatment planning process. It has made
dentistry much more interesting to
me at least. I would also encourage
them to exercise caution in jumping
into this without training: when I
say that, it does not mean a weekend
course and you’re an expert. Instead,
finding some kind of mentorship
program with knowledgeable clinicians to guide and make the learning process effective and positive.
Begin with simple cases and build
your skills. Ultimately, this means
that knowledge and skills to manage
bone and soft tissues are essential.
In the case of the surgically inclined
clinician, knowledge about occlusal
considerations, restorative concepts,
and materials are important. So I
think mentorship is key to success.
Do you think there is room for the general
practitioner and the specialist in terms of
doing implants?
I’m one of several mentors in a
study club and we actually teach
various elements of implant dentistry and surgical treatment. I really
do not think that I am shooting
myself in the foot by doing so. I have
found that the educated clinician
will always understand what his or
her limitations are. I have found
that they become better referrals
because they recognize that there
are certain cases where an expert in
implantology should be involved in
treatment planning and treatment.
So I have found that it’s actually a
win-win situation, and it has helped
me build better referral relationships. To try to be protectionist just
does not make sense in today’s age.
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Dr. Sonia S. Leziy
Certified Specialist in Periodontics
and Implant Dentistry
Tel.: (604) 983-9836
E-mail: info@imperia.ca