Dr. Robert McNeill: Lessons Learned from Working on the State Dental Board

As Dr. Robert (Bob) McNeill knows all too well, being on the State Dental Board means that you have to put up with a lot of mistrust from fellow medical professionals who (wrongly) believe that you have ulterior motives. Through his many years of experience on both sides of the fence, Bob has come to understand that communication is one of the most valuable skills that an oral surgeon can learn. Examples of other valuable skills that Bob advocates for are stress-relieving techniques, such as meditation, and the ability to practice hypnosis, which is especially pertinent with the anesthesiology battle that oral surgeons are currently facing. Bob has so many fields of interest, and although he sometimes struggles to balance them all, it makes for a fascinating conversation which I hope you enjoy as much as I did! 

Key Points From This Episode: 

• Bob shares an overview of what his OMS journey has looked like to date. 
• One of the main reasons that people get reported to the board. 
• How people often respond when they find out that Bob is on the State Dental Board. 
• The song which helps patients and surgeons relax (and the time that it didn’t work).
• Benefits of working in a multispecialty practice. 
• Post-op complications that Bob commonly sees as a member of the State Dental Board.
• Examples of how Bob communicates effectively with his patients. 
• Bob’s thoughts on hypnosis, and when he likes to use this technique. 
• Opportunities that Bob has been afforded through being a Dental Board member.
• What an amygdala hijack is, and how to deal with it. 
• Different communication strategies and how to know when to use which one. 
• The importance of self-care for oral surgeons.
• I share the reasons that motivated me to start the Everyday Oral Surgery podcast.
• Relaxation techniques that have worked wonders for Bob and I.
• The approximate percentage of board complaints that are related to poor communication.
• Why you should tend towards the minimum with regard to anesthetic drugs. 
• A rapid fire round with Bob. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

The Surgical Dental Specialists — https://www.dfwdentalimplants.com/ 

Robert G. McNeill on LinkedIn — http://linkedin.com/in/robert-g-mcneill-dds-md-mba-facd-87012715

Between Two Teeth — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4KXk4VI0STVSCM_7eDnBPw/videos?app=desktop 

Lifespan by Dr. David Sinclair — https://lifespanbook.com/ 

Headspace — https://www.headspace.com/ 

Calm — https://www.calm.com/ 

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — grantstucki@gmail.com

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059