Dr. Arlet Dunsworth This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. Dr. Arlet Dunsworth -- a Dental1 Hero

   www.dentalone.org/hero/dentalh - [Cached]

   Published on: 3/11/2005   Last Visited: 12/29/2007

   Dental1 Hero: Dr. Arlet Dunsworth
   
   Dr. Arlet Dunsworth: Caring for the Lost Boys of Sudan
   ...
   Dr. Arlet Dunsworth has been practicing Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Dallas since 1975. When he completed his residency at Baylor Medical Center in 1973 he became the Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1975, he returned to Dallas as a full-time faculty member in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Baylor. He opened his full time private practice in 1982.
   
   Dental1: When did you first know you wanted to be a dentist?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: I knew that when I was a junior in high school. I had a wonderful science teacher that encouraged me to look at the medical and dental professions. My Cub Scout den mother's husband was our family dentist in Wichita Falls, Texas.
   
   Dental1: What was it that attracted you to the profession?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: Well I think it was the ability to have a really independent job where you could make your own decisions about what you do and the hours that you work. Part of it was also not being on call at the hospital like a physician would be.
   
   Dental1: What do you find the biggest challenge as a dentist?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: I think one of the biggest challenges is trying to organize the scheduling and keep the office running smoothly. Another big challenge is staff in the office, especially finding and keeping qualified staff. That's one theme that runs throughout our profession.
   
   Dental1: When your patients come in to see you what is their number one concern?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: How much is it going to hurt?.
   
   Dental1: How do you handle a question like that?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: I tell patients there are multiple ways to make the procedure absolutely and completely comfortable.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Dentistry is a profession where you start off in dental school in an environment where everything you do is judged on a level of perfection that is almost unattainable.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Well I think that comes from longevity of practice.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Technology.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Well, I think the implant system that has been designed and produced by the Straumann Company in Switzerland is one of the best on the market and that's the one we like using. It's effective, it's successful and it's very easy to use.
   
   Dental1: How do patients find a qualified practitioner to do implants?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: We view the implant process as a team approach between a surgeon and a patient's dentist. I think the first approach is for the patient to seek advice from their personal dentist. Their dentist will be working with surgical specialists, hopefully oral surgeons, to have a team approach where the dentist decides how many implants need to be done and then works with the surgeon to design a plan to put those implants in the right position so they fit appropriately.
   
   Dental1: Is there any special training needed to do implants?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: Yes. Many dental schools today are offering implant training.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: With the implant procedures most people tell us afterwards that it was not as uncomfortable as they thought and certainly not as uncomfortable as getting the tooth taken out.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Not really.
   
   Dental1: Is there any special maintenance required afterwards?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: Most patients for whom we do implants are extensively counseled about the need for care and cleaning and having excellent oral hygiene. They've lost their teeth for one reason or another.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Occasionally.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Generally not.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: A typical patient who would not be a good candidate would be someone with uncontrolled diabetes or a patient who is not well controlled with the medication they are taking, especially blood thinners like Coumadin. Patients with significant heart trouble or blood pressure not well controlled might not be good candidates.
   
   Dental1: Aside from the infections that you mentioned earlier, are there any other complications that cause the implants to fail?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: The other complication that causes implants to fail is if teeth that are placed on the posts are not constructed correctly so when they are adjusted they don't have the proper amount of biting force. Most practitioners can construct the crowns very, very effectively so there are very few problems like that.
   
   Dental1: What is it about the Straumann procedure that you prefer?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: They were the first company to introduce a technique what we call One Stage Implant.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: The main criteria for placing an implant has to do with whether or not there is enough bone to place the implant without getting into the sinus or injuring the nerve in the lower jaw.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Mostly the cost.
   
   Dental1: Do you think we expect more from our dentists nowadays?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: I think so.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Well I don't do primary cosmetic surgery.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: I think as the research and development proceeds we are going to see the time decrease from surgery to getting the final teeth, and that immediate loading will become the norm.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: I've really enjoyed working with a wonderful orthodontist, Dr. Michael Ragan, and an excellent restorative dentist, Dr. Tommy Ding.

2. 2. Dental1.org - Dr. Arlet Dunsworth

   www.dental1.org/hero/dentalher - [Cached]

   Published on: 3/11/2005   Last Visited: 7/29/2005

   Dental1 Hero: Dr. Arlet Dunsworth DentalÔ Hero Dr. Arlet Dunsworth:
   ...
   Dr. Arlet Dunsworth ... Dr. Arlet Dunsworth ...
   ...
   Dental1 Hero: Dr. Arlet Dunsworth
   ...
   Dr. Arlet Dunsworth:
   ...
   Dental1 Hero: Dr. Arlet Dunsworth
   
   Dr. Arlet Dunsworth: Caring for the Lost Boys of Sudan
   ...
   Dr. Arlet Dunsworth has been practicing Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Dallas since 1975. When he completed his residency at Baylor Medical Center in 1973 he became the Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1975, he returned to Dallas as a full-time faculty member in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Baylor. He opened his full time private practice in 1982.
   
   Dental1: When did you first know you wanted to be a dentist?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: I knew that when I was a junior in high school. I had a wonderful science teacher that encouraged me to look at the medical and dental professions. My Cub Scout den mother's husband was our family dentist in Wichita Falls, Texas.
   
   Dental1: What was it that attracted you to the profession?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: Well I think it was the ability to have a really independent job where you could make your own decisions about what you do and the hours that you work. Part of it was also not being on call at the hospital like a physician would be.
   
   Dental1: What do you find the biggest challenge as a dentist?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: I think one of the biggest challenges is trying to organize the scheduling and keep the office running smoothly. Another big challenge is staff in the office, especially finding and keeping qualified staff. That's one theme that runs throughout our profession.
   
   Dental1: When your patients come in to see you what is their number one concern?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: How much is it going to hurt?.
   
   Dental1: How do you handle a question like that?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: I tell patients there are multiple ways to make the procedure absolutely and completely comfortable.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Dentistry is a profession where you start off in dental school in an environment where everything you do is judged on a level of perfection that is almost unattainable.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Well I think that comes from longevity of practice.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Technology.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Well, I think the implant system that has been designed and produced by the Straumann Company in Switzerland is one of the best on the market and that's the one we like using. It's effective, it's successful and it's very easy to use.
   
   Dental1: How do patients find a qualified practitioner to do implants?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: We view the implant process as a team approach between a surgeon and a patient's dentist. I think the first approach is for the patient to seek advice from their personal dentist. Their dentist will be working with surgical specialists, hopefully oral surgeons, to have a team approach where the dentist decides how many implants need to be done and then works with the surgeon to design a plan to put those implants in the right position so they fit appropriately.
   
   Dental1: Is there any special training needed to do implants?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: Yes. Many dental schools today are offering implant training.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: With the implant procedures most people tell us afterwards that it was not as uncomfortable as they thought and certainly not as uncomfortable as getting the tooth taken out.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Not really.
   
   Dental1: Is there any special maintenance required afterwards?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: Most patients for whom we do implants are extensively counseled about the need for care and cleaning and having excellent oral hygiene. They've lost their teeth for one reason or another.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Occasionally.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Generally not.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: A typical patient who would not be a good candidate would be someone with uncontrolled diabetes or a patient who is not well controlled with the medication they are taking, especially blood thinners like Coumadin. Patients with significant heart trouble or blood pressure not well controlled might not be good candidates.
   
   Dental1: Aside from the infections that you mentioned earlier, are there any other complications that cause the implants to fail?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: The other complication that causes implants to fail is if teeth that are placed on the posts are not constructed correctly so when they are adjusted they don't have the proper amount of biting force. Most practitioners can construct the crowns very, very effectively so there are very few problems like that.
   
   Dental1: What is it about the Straumann procedure that you prefer?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: They were the first company to introduce a technique what we call One Stage Implant.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: The main criteria for placing an implant has to do with whether or not there is enough bone to place the implant without getting into the sinus or injuring the nerve in the lower jaw.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Mostly the cost.
   
   Dental1: Do you think we expect more from our dentists nowadays?
   
   Dr. Dunsworth: I think so.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: Well I don't do primary cosmetic surgery.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: I think as the research and development proceeds we are going to see the time decrease from surgery to getting the final teeth, and that immediate loading will become the norm.
   ...
   Dr. Dunsworth: I've really enjoyed working with a wonderful orthodontist, Dr. Michael Ragan, and an excellent restorative dentist, Dr. Tommy Ding. We've been taking care of one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Mike has done his orthodontics, I've done his implant, and Tommy is going to do his final crown restoration.
   ...
   Dr. Arlet Dunsworth: Caring for the Lost Boys of Sudan