Dr. Thomas Kearns blends his personal philosophy with The Dawson Academy culture

Dr. Thomas Kearns says The Dawson Academy has helped him keep a good balance between his professional life and family life while receiving high level education from the continuing education provider. 

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your practice…
TK: I graduated from the University of Michigan, School of Dentistry, married a wonderful wife and now have two terrific children (young adults), both entertaining dentistry for their professions. I have been in private practice 20+ years, with a staff of nine talented individuals.

Q: Ongoing education is often reduced to a couple lectures here and there. What was it that led you to The Dawson Academy?
TK: Upon graduation from dental school, I knew this was just the beginning of a lifetime of dedication and commitment to learning enabling me to provide my patients with a high level of professional care. I sought after an institution that would provide the framework to obtain this learning at an advanced level. This lead me along a path that intersected with The Dawson Academy in 1994.

Q: What has been the most memorable class that you participated in?
TK: The Dawson Academy “Seminar One,” now titled, “Functional Occlussion-From TMJ to Smile Design,” was my most memorable class. It was during one of the first days of this seminar that I became aware that being a dentist was much more involved than “just filling teeth.” To truly be a dental professional meant that one had to become the physician of the entire masticatory system.

The Dawson Academy philosophy involves an understanding of how the TM joint, muscles, proprioceptive input, and the teeth are designed to function in harmony with one another, and when there is disfunction in any part of this system, what the resulting implications are.

Q: What’s different about the way you practice now than before you took the classes? How has what you’ve learned in the Dawson curriculum changed your practice?
TK: The Dawson Academy has provided the groundwork to practice “Complete Care” Dentistry. Every patient deserves complete care and this begins with a comprehensive examination, and a thorough understanding of everything we see in their mouth, and the implications of these conditions. This allows every patient the opportunity to make an informed decision about their dental health.

Q: How has the Dawson curriculum inspired you in the practice outside of just clinical care? How has it inspired your team?
TK: The Dawson Academy “culture” is embodied in everything I do in my professional and also my personal life. Maintaining balance between family, professional, and religious priorities is, at times, challenging. However, The Dawson Academy has helped me keep this in focus. I have always tried to live by the Hawaiian tradition of Ohana, meaning family first and no one is left behind. I find that this personal philosophy blends well with The Dawson Academy philosophy and culture.

FEATURED OFFERINGS

Concept of Complete Dentistry Series
This series teaches the principles and clinical skills that make dentistry completely predictable. Teeth are only one part of the masticatory system, and when the entire system functions in harmony, teeth are healthy and stable. When examined within the framework of the entire system, problems such as excessive tooth wear, sore masticatory muscles, and fractured restorations can all be solved– no guess work required.

DVD: Digital Dental Photography
Digital Photography is a key component for diagnosis, treatment planning, case presentation, and marketing your practice. This DVD will take you through the key camera settings, patient positioning, creating a file in your computer, and a great way to store images. It is designed for both the Doctor and the team to standardize the photographic process within your practice.

DVD: Porcelain Veneers within the Dawson Philosophy
You will see a patient treatment planned for a full-mouth rehabilitation, and the first phase taken to completion. Learn how to prepare teeth for porcelain veneers, fabricate provisionals, obtain optimum impressions, predictably bond veneers to place, and how to obtain an ideal occlusal scheme during provisional and delivery phases of treatment.

Textbook: Functional Occlusion from TMJ to Smile Design
This book uses an interdisciplinary approach to explain the origin of and possible solutions to many different occlusal problems. Dr. Peter Dawson provides balanced explanations of theory and technique. He also debunks many popular misconceptions through practical discussion of their origins and the deficiencies of the arguments behind them.