Everyday Oral Surgery Comprehensive Treatment Planning: How to Run a Ground Rounds Approach with your Referring Docs (with Dr. Vic Martel)
Nov 20, 2025
In this discussion, Dr. Vic Martel, a Florida-based general dentist and educator, dives deep into comprehensive treatment planning. He highlights the gap in dental education that leaves professionals underprepared. Martel emphasizes the transformation from a reactive approach to a holistic view that considers occlusion, periodontal health, and overall patient needs. He shares insights on building trust with patients and the value of a strong referral network, as well as ways to overcome barriers in treatment planning for better outcomes.
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Invest Time Upfront
- Allocate more time for new-patient exams even if it reduces daily volume; it yields higher long-term production.
- Vic Martel says a few deep exams can produce far more value than many rushed visits.
Training Teaches Tasks, Not Plans
- Dental school trains tasks (crowns, RCTs) not integrative planning, leaving new dentists unprepared to holistically plan care.
- Vic Martel argues treatment-planning skill must be explicitly taught and practiced with specialists.
Specialists Should Lead Teams
- Specialists should facilitate interdisciplinary planning sessions to teach GPs how to think through complex cases.
- Vic Martel urges surgeons to host team-based grand rounds with orthodontists and endodontists present.