b'YOUR MEMBERSHIPNew periodontistcornerGet to know AAP member and newpatient takes ownership, and their confidence improves after periodontist, David Paulson, seeing how treatment has benefited them, it is more satisfying DDS, MS. Dr. Paulson completed histhan any esthetic change.periodontal training at the University of Minnesota in 2019. Is there a piece of advice you received that you try to implement daily?What is the first thing you do in the morning?Work on building relationships every day. These are important My practice begins seeing patients at 7:30 a.m., so Inot only with your patients but also with your team and your wake up at 5:30 a.m. and perform a 20-to-30 minutereferring dentists. Give a compliment, ask sincere questions, workout consisting of either lifting weights, running,pick up the phone, or write a letter.or yoga/stretching. My one-year-old daughter usually wakes up a little after 6 a.m. and then I spend a bit ofWhat do you like to do after work?time giving her a bottle and watching cartoons with her. My wife and I enjoy cooking a lot. My favorite things to cook on How do you schedule your day? are my pellet smoker and Blackstone griddle.We have implemented a block schedule in my officeOutside of work, what is the one thing you do every day so the flow of each day is pretty similar. It typicallythat brings you joy?alternates between consults and surgeries withComing home to my one-year-old daughter running to the door post-ops and other shorter appointments scatteredto give me a hug and then spending the next few hours with throughout the day. I found that having packed inher before she goes to bed.several back-to-back surgeries or new patient exams was draining and the new schedule has Any advice you would give to a periodontist that has been refreshing. recently graduated? What is the most challenging part of your day? Learn to diagnose with accuracy and treatment plan Keeping up with all of the non-clinical tasks includingcomprehensively. We are all skilled clinicians, but one thing patient notes, letters to referring dentists, and makingthat will separate you as a specialist is your ability to manage sure our office team is staying on track. complex cases and troubleshoot clinical problems that others may have difficulty with. Take a little extra time to acquire What is the most rewarding part of your day? charting, radiographs, intraoral photos, dental history, vitality testing, occlusal analysis, etc. that all go into forming a proper At the office, it is seeing the change in a patient whodiagnosis.has committed to periodontal treatment and made significant improvements in their oral health. When a AAP Periospectives| 32'