The Oral-Systemic Connection: Why Dentists Need to Look Beyond the Mouth (w/Dr. Witt Wilkerson) [Ep.164]
The DOC PodcastShow Notes
Summary: In this episode, I sat down with one of the most respected voices in dentistry, Dr. Witt Wilkerson - Director of Dental Medicine at the Dawson Academy and a true pioneer in the intersection of occlusion, TMD, airway, and integrative dental medicine. We had an incredibly rich conversation about the paradigm shift that I believe is transforming our profession: moving away from reactive, tooth-focused treatment and toward a whole-health, root-cause approach. Dr. Wilkerson shares his 44-year journey from treating bruxism purely as a bite problem to recognizing airway and sleep-disordered breathing as primary drivers of dysfunction. We challenged the siloing of dental specialties, made the case for dentistry as oral medicine, and explored the enormous opportunity we all have, dentists and hygienists alike, to screen for and address systemic health issues, including inflammation, blood sugar dysregulation, and sleep disorders. This is a conversation you do not want to miss. Timestamps: 0:00 - Welcome 0:23 — I introduce Dr. Witt Wilkerson and what we'll cover in today's episode 4:46 — Dr. Wilkerson shares his background: joining Dr. Pete Dawson's practice in 1982 and a career built on the question, "Is there a better way?" 6:07 — We discuss the segmentalized state of dentistry and medicine, and why the younger generation is finally starting to change that 8:33 — The 2009 Baylor article that changed everything for Dr. Wilkerson: the link between sleep apnea, bruxism, and airway 12:51 — I ask Dr. Wilkerson about the courage and humility it takes to admit you were wrong, and to update what you've been teaching for decades 28:23 — Dr. Wilkerson walks us through the three pillars of Integrative Dental Medicine: inflammation/infection, airway/sleep, and TMD/occlusion 29:26 — Why salivary testing should be part of every new patient exam, and what it can tell us about systemic health 30:06 — The diabetes-periodontal link we've known about since dental school, and why almost none of us are acting on it 30:52 — How continuous glucose monitoring is being used as both a periodontal and whole-health tool in Dr. Wilkerson's practice 45:41 — We get into orthodontics and TMD, including the defensive reaction from the ortho community that held the profession back, and what I think the specialty should do instead 50:05 — A critical clinical protocol: why you should always study sleep before placing any occlusal appliance on a bruxer 54:43 — The adult complex restorative patient: how I believe we should be approaching these cases from a truly interdisciplinary standpoint 1:14:16 — The future of treatment sequencing: why airway therapy may need to come first, before any restorative or orthodontic work 1:18:15 — How to connect with Dr. Wilkerson, the IDM Scholar Society, and the S3 Workshops Call to Action: If this conversation lit a fire in you the way it did for me, here's what I'd encourage you to do next: Connect with Dr. Witt Wilkerson and learn more about the IDM Scholar Society and his S3 (Sleep, Saliva & Sugar) Workshops at IDMScholarSociety.com, or reach out to him directly at [email protected] Join me and Dr. Daniel Camacho at the Early Orthodontic Treatment Comprehensive Course - a two-day hands-on event, November 13–14 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. We'll cover early airway-focused interceptive treatment, CBCT reading, live patient observation, and so much more. Includes 41 CE hours. Space is limited, so grab your spot at https://www.earlyorthotreatment.com/ Share this episode - If this conversation shifted your perspective on dentistry's role in whole-body health, please pass it along to a colleague. The more dental professionals hear this message, the more patients we can help and the stronger our profession becomes. Join The DOC Community on Facebook for ongoing discussions, resources, and more content like this. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/ Work with me directly - Head to theorthocoach.com to access my CE cour
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