A Personal Professional Odyssey

When I met Dr. L. D. Pankey, of Coral Gables, Florida, I was in the “winter of my discontent”, having practiced on my own for six or seven years. It had become apparent to me by then that I didn’t know all there was to know about dentistry, and that I’d better find out a better way of practicing, both technically and behaviorally.

I was VERY busy at the time, dedicating myself to becoming more “efficient” in my delivery of dental services. For all intents and purposes, on the surface my practice looked highly successful. I was seeing a lot of new patients, running multiple treatment rooms, employing a large staff, and enjoying a degree of monetary success. The question was: Why was I so miserable on the inside?

After spending two and half days with Dr. Pankey and only five other dental couples in a retreat setting in the fall of 1975, my wife and I had lunch with Dr. Pankey on the last day of the seminar. After hearing me tell my story of my practice, he looked me right in the eye and said: “Sooner or later, Tom, you’ll have to decide if you want superficial relationships with a whole lot of people, or life-changing relationships with a few!” I’ll never forget that moment!

That was what I had been missing—relationships!! That was my heart’s desire, and yet it was largely missing in my “time and motion” style of practice! Then and there, my odyssey to achieve the patient-centered, health-centered, comprehensive practice began. A practice with a real purpose! Little did I know that it would come with a significant price in terms of learning, and commitment!

Dr. Pankey told me: “It takes about ten years to get it (this philosophy) into your tissues.” Well, it’s now going on 33 years, and the intensity of the commitment still burns within me! I now am part of the visiting faculty for the Institute that bears Dr. Pankey’s name—a dream come true for me!! It gives me the opportunity to “give back” to my profession, just as Dr. Pankey and many others gave unselfishly to me.

What is the Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education?

In the early 70’s, Dr. Risbrudt met Dr. L.D. Pankey of Coral Gables, Florida, who had a national and international reputation as a world-class restorative dentist. Having accumulated nearly every award and honor that organized dentistry could bestow, several of Dr. Pankey’s colleagues sought to honor him in a unique way. They asked him to lend his name to an Institute for Advanced Continuing Dental Education as its honoree. Dr. Pankey graciously accepted, and the Pankey Institute was born in 1972. For over 35 years, the Pankey Institute, now located in Key Biscayne, Florida has been dentistry’s "one place" for postgraduate education that enables general dentists and specialists to… TAKE CONTROL and reshape their practices to spend more time providing the kind of dentistry they enjoy most…MASTER advanced technical skills and gain confidence to perform them…DEVELOP trusting relationships with clients to provide comprehensive and individualized optimal care….IMPROVE their esthetic dentistry and make it more predictable and long-lasting…and RECEIVE continuous support from faculty, mentors and fellow classmates.

The Pankey Institute’s Continuum of 10 advancing classes is not just about gaining competence in new techniques. It’s about experiencing life-changing discussions, new challenges and innovative approaches in a supportive environment that will impact all aspects of dental practice--from the health and well-being of patients to the satisfaction and happiness of the professional team and its principal practitioner. Dentistry is fortunate to have a place like the Pankey Institute, where dental professionals can discover what they’ve been missing in terms of behavioral understanding, clinical competence, and vision.

The Pankey Philosophy of the practice of dentistry respects the unique value of each person. Dentists are challenged to know their work, keep abreast of emerging technology and knowledge, and then master these to the absolute best of their ability. They also are challenged to know themselves and each patient well so they may more effectively apply their knowledge.

The Pankey Philosophy advocates helping the patient to the best care possible and educating the patient to make appropriate choices to achieve comprehensive treatment of the dental condition versus fixing teeth, a tooth at a time.

The dentist must ascertain what the optimal treatment is for each patient without undue consideration for expense, then learn how to accomplish the treatment to the best of the dentist’s ability, and finally counsel the patient in a manner that enables the patient to choose an appropriate course of care. When these goals are accomplished, the resulting relationship is elevated from the customary realm of patients perceiving dentistry was done to them to the understanding dentistry was done for them.

Fundamental to the application of this philosophy is an understanding that quality treatment and service cannot be rushed and that high patient volume is an antithesis to both comprehensive care and a meaningful doctor/patient relationship.

Based on the belief that dentists have the moral obligation to do the best they know how for patients who present themselves, the Pankey Philosophy puts significant value on the giving of one’s best self before personal gain. As a result, the patient receives lasting dentistry that is fairly valued—regardless of cost or third party payer influences.

The Pankey Institute Seal represents the Pankey Philosophy of the practice of dentistry which can be summed up as understanding and living out four elements:

1. Aristotle’s Philosophy (Cross) of Happiness, achieved through a balance of work, play, love and worship (a spiritual response based on one’s faith and hope).

2. Dr. Pankey’s Cross of Dentistry, illustrating the belief that professional fulfillment is achieved through four things:   knowing yourself, your patient, and your work, then applying your knowledge to the best of your ability to benefit others.

3. Dr. Pankey’s Four-Legged Stool of Dental Health, reminding us that comprehensive care addresses four areas:  the individual’s oral health, function, comfort and beauty.

4. The Latin words QUID PRO QUO, meaning “one thing for another” or “giving before receiving.”