677: Finding the Best Learning Around Dental Sleep Medicine - Dr Steve Carstensen

In this episode, Kirk Behrendt explores the world of dental sleep medicine education with Dr. Steve Carstensen. With a plethora of choices available for dental professionals seeking to expand their understanding of this vital aspect of dentistry, Dr. Carstensen shares insights on how to navigate through the overwhelming options. From historical perspectives to the current landscape, this episode sheds light on the importance of dental sleep medicine and the evolving educational opportunities. The conversation also delves into the profound impact of collaboration, finding one's professional tribe, and the transformative power of education beyond dentistry. Dr. Carstensen shares valuable resources for continuous learning, encourages dentists to embrace adjacent fields, and highlights the importance of being evidence-informed practitioners.

Episode Resources:

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• Book Recommendations: 
• "Brain Rules" by John Medina: Dr. Carstensen recommends the book "Brain Rules" as a valuable resource for understanding the relationship between 
• "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear" by Elizabeth Gilbert: Dr. Carstensen recommends this powerful book for its insights on overcoming fear and fostering a mindset that propels success.
• "Outlive: How to Set Your Mind to Transform Your Life" by Peter Attia: Mentioned in the episode, this book explores the concept of evidence-informed medicine and applying knowledge to improve patient outcomes.

Main Takeaways

• Paying It Forward Ethos:
• Dentistry is a noble profession where practitioners are encouraged to pay forward their knowledge and experiences for the betterment of the profession and the next generation.
• Finding Your Professional Tribe:
• Emphasizes the importance of connecting with like-minded individuals, study clubs, and communities that resonate with your values and language.
• Transformative Power of Education:
• Education extends beyond the acquisition of knowledge; it fuels passion, enhances patient care, and brings meaning to the dental profession.
• Global Impact Through Teaching:
• Dr. Carstensen shares a heartwarming story about his involvement with the World Sleep Academy, illustrating the global impact of sharing knowledge and expertise.
• Collaboration Beyond Dentistry:
• Encourages dentists to explore adjacent fields, collaborate with physicians, and adopt an evidence-informed approach to healthcare.
• Continuous Learning and Nuggets of Wisdom:
• Recommends a focused approach to continuous learning, emphasizing the importance of gaining small, impactful insights (nuggets) rather than overwhelming oneself.
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Quotes:

“The first thing to do is to look at your dental sleep medicine part of your practice and think, what's missing here? What don't I know? What do I need to learn to be more comfortable? Is it the literature? Is it the medicine behind dental sleep? Is it the appliances? Is it the testing program? You know, what's missing for you? And when you've identified what's missing, okay, now where can I find that component? And then you go looking for the best place to learn that component.” [12:00 - 12:37]

“If you're going to invest money and we've said it on the podcast many times, you're going to bet on anything. Don't bet on technology. Don't bet on marketing, bet on you. You know, like go all chips in on you and your team. And, um, when you start to do that, you're going to see the investment, not only in the return on the outcomes, but you're also going to see like you'll find it keeps the fire lit.” [15:13 - 15:36]

"It's important for you to choose a time that you're going to be a learner and then be really disciplined about that. Make that sacred time. If it's Friday morning for two hours from nine to 11, then your world becomes that on Friday morning, from nine to 11. And you don't let anything interrupt it. If somebody calls and says, Let's go play golf. No, your time is from 9 to 11. And then you become a disciplined learner. Another reinforcement for your brain that way. [21:39 - 22:11]

“If you can exercise first – so, if you're nine to 11 on Friday, for example, you get up that morning and you do a little bit of light exercise. Then your brain is just so filled with oxygen and ready to go. That helps out. If you can do your timing that way, just make sure you're doing exercise a couple of days a week. Your best learning is going to be around those times when your heart rate's been up for a little while, and you're coming back down.” [22:46 - 23:14]

“A little tip that you can do that I love to pass along is, for a dentist who wants to learn this is - get a focus time. I've made up Fridays from 9 to 11, whatever time works for you, but you do have times that every day you think about a sleep problem, a dental sleep medicine issue, a question, you talk to a patient, you're curious,  find a book, open it, read, learn something, read a paragraph, read a chapter if you can, read, just learn one fact per day, and you're going to gain a bunch of knowledge that way. Just have that in your head all the time.” [35:45 - 36:22]

“The other thing we need to do is get outside of dentistry and learn about learning, learn about, uh, creating a good kind of an attitude about what we want to do in life.” [37:22 - 37:32]