Transforming Dentistry and Patient Relationships: Dr. Ship Maitre’s Experience With Spear Education’s Facially Generated Treatment Planning Workshop

Dr. Maitre explains how FGTP has helped his patients create value in their dental health and made dentistry more enjoyable than he could have ever imagined

Dr. Ship Maitre, a respected member of Spear Education since 2016, shares a truly eye-opening experience he had after taking the Spear workshop Treatment Planning With Confidence, which teaches the principles of facially generated treatment planning (FGTP).

“For years I had been trying to come up with a way to perform a comprehensive examination while also allowing my patients to see their condition in the same way that I saw them. My “a-ha’ moment occurred in my practice within a month of taking TPWC. A longtime patient of mine had needed restorations on multiple teeth due to older, failing restorations. While she and I had an excellent patient/doctor relationship, she never was quite on board with treatment. After I took TWPC, she happened to be in for a recall appointment. I asked her if she wouldn’t mind coming back for another appointment so I could take photographs, get mounted models, perform a more in-depth examination, and allow her to see her mouth in a way she had never seen before. She begrudgingly agreed. At her next appointment, I put her photographs on a large monitor in my operatory and walked out of the room. She immediately turned to my assistant and made a comment about how ugly her teeth were and that she would talk to her husband about restoring them as soon as possible. She had a remarkable cosmetic transformation as well as making her mouth healthy for years to come.”

In addition to the incredible improvements he’s seen with his patient communication, Dr. Maitre further explained that FGTP has given him the opportunity to become a better dentist and make dentistry even more rewarding through much more predictable and consistent treatment outcomes.  

“Clinically it has allowed me to take a step back before performing treatment on patients and focus on the small details and the process that is necessary to give my patients the treatment they deserve, whether it involves a single tooth or a complex rehabilitation.”

What’s more, Dr. Maitre has gained an invaluable peace of mind knowing that by implementing what he’s learned through Spear’s TPWC workshop, he’s not only putting his patients first, but making his practice a priority as well.  

“I’ve always loved dentistry. FGTP has helped my patients create value in their dental health, making dentistry more enjoyable than I ever could have imagined. Most dentists think that financial restraints are the primary reason that patients do not accept treatment. Implementing FGTP in my practice has proven this idea to be untrue. The primary reason most patients deny treatment is that they don’t have a true understanding of their current dental state. FGTP allows patients to get a visual tour of their mouth, along with a diagnosis and treatment options, while also understanding the benefits of treatment and consequences of not following through with treatment in a comfortable, nonthreatening way. Patients value a true, comprehensive experience with their dental team. Once this is established, dentists will experience loyalty from their patients that they have never before experienced.” 

When asked what he’d tell other doctors who might be considering the TPWC workshop for the first time, Dr. Maitre offered this perspective,  

Many dentists would say that as a dentist, we can’t afford not to take TPWC. While I agree with this wholeheartedly, I would take that statement a step farther and say we owe it to our patients. They deserve the absolute best from us, and that starts with taking the time to perform a comprehensive examination and present them with our findings. Dentistry will become more fun, more rewarding, and most importantly, our patients will get the benefit of optimal dental treatment.