How One Periodontist’s Practice Flourished Through Spear Study Clubs

Dr. Leslie Horn is a periodontist based out of Lexington, Ky. Six years ago, Dr. Horn began leading one of Spear’s earliest Study Clubs, and has been a leader ever since. We sat down with her to learn more about how her Study Club has strengthened her practice, enhanced her patient care, and allowed her to connect with passionate dental professionals from diverse backgrounds and specialties. 

From dentist to periodontist to club leader

When I started dental school, my children were 4 and 8 and I was divorced. I had to move from eastern Kentucky, so I had no family support system, and specializing was the last thing (I was thinking about). I just wanted to get through school and start practicing so I could support my kids, but I got lucky — I got a mentor who invited me to his study club.

He had his own small group interdisciplinary dentistry study club, and told me, “You should do this, you should become a periodontist.” Eventually, I applied at the University of Kentucky (division of periodontology) and I said, “If I’m meant to be a periodontist, I’ll get in.” And I did.

I started my study club about six years ago. I had one of my top referring dentists approach me about becoming a Spear Study Club leader. At the time I didn’t know much about Spear, but I’ve come to understand how incredible it is. There’s a real passion here for becoming better and for helping dentists do better for their patients. That was really exciting for me.

For me, it’s about more than just growing my practice; it’s about being a mentor. The longer I’ve done it, the more running a Study Club has become part of the legacy that I’d like to leave.  

The joy of leading a Spear Study Club

It’s so easy for dentists to keep doing the same thing they’ve been doing forever — and they can be very successful doing that but not really growing clinically, managing their team, or any of those things. So when I became immersed in Spear, it was like, “Yes, this is the way it should be done.” There are so many resources available to Study Club members that go beyond the content in the meetings: From the online learning platform, which includes team training, to the patient education resources, Spear really works to support practices on every front.

Again and again, I get to watch my younger dentists embrace the Spear philosophy and flourish. I’ve enjoyed not only watching so many dentists grow but also, most especially, seeing their patients’ lives change — literally, in some cases.

Of course there’s also no doubt I’ve witnessed my skills improve immensely, and I continue to learn. In fact, my practice has also flourished from being with Spear for the past six years. I’ve seen an improvement in not just the number of referrals but also in the quality of the patients referred — in other words, how prepared they are when they come to my office. The patient has more knowledge because the dentist has more knowledge, and that makes the whole experience for everyone much easier and much better.

What has kept me with Spear all these years, though, is the excitement I see in my referring dentists, lifting up the level of care they have for their patients and being able to take on larger, more complex cases. And I get to be a part of the treating team! The bottom line is the outcomes for the patients are better, and that’s what is most important.

Advice for future Study Club leaders

My advice to other Study Club leaders would be to make your club as inclusive as possible. I try my best to find ways to include most everyone who attends the meeting. For instance, if it’s an endodontist, we’ll try to focus on something in their field. I also work hard to include everyone, no matter how long they’ve been practicing. I say from the beginning, especially when I have a new member, “There is no dumb question. We’re all here to help each other, to learn, and to do better for our patients, and that’s what this club is about.”

“If I could go back in time to when I was younger and just starting, I would definitely expand my learning base and not just be pigeonholed in my own specialty. And that’s what I love about the interdisciplinary approach — all of us can learn and get better.” — Dr. Leslie Horn

When I think about the “secret sauce” of my success in growing a thriving practice, it would be that both my referring dentists and my patients see how passionate I am. It’s not just how much I know, but how much I care about doing the very best. I don’t know how my referring dentists would see this if it weren’t for my Study Club.

If I could change one thing, I would’ve gotten involved in something like Spear much, much earlier in my career. If I could go back in time to when I was younger and just starting, I would definitely expand my learning base and not just be pigeonholed in my own specialty. That’s what I love about Spear’s interdisciplinary — all of us can learn and get better.