In the lead-up to his first visit to Perth to present his highly anticipated Orofacial Pain and TMD course in April, we caught up with Dr Davis Thomas.
We are lucky to have some of the best local and international speakers presenting the 2024 WA Dental CPD courses – and Dr Davis Thomas is bring his wealth of experience to Perth for this first time in April.
Davis completed his Bachelor of Dental Surgery in India – receiving an Advanced Education in General Dentistry from NYU. He then progressed to three different Master’s degrees in Orofacial Pain (Rutgers University, USA), Headache management (University of Edinburgh) and Sleep Medicine (Sydney Medical School), so it isn’t surprising that he says he believes in perpetual learning and is just as passionate about educating others.
“I love to see the glitter in the clinicians’ eyes when they learn new things and sometimes ‘unlearn’ old un-scientific philosophies,” he says. “Also, knowledge is the only wealth that grows when you share!”
He adds he most enjoys finding the diagnosis of the ‘needle in the haystack’ condition, and considers it a blessing to give relief to countless numbers of chronic pain patients.Davis will be presenting the Orofacial Pain and TMD Hands-On course in Perth on April 20. This one-day course will provide a review of OFP and TMD, screening for these disorders, help identify ominous signs of OFP and make succinct, prompt referrals to oral medicine specialists and medical colleagues and suggest ways to help avoid the frustration of managing these conditions.
Learning outcomes will include:
“It will be a robust full day course with didactic and active hands-on components,” Davis explains. “Clinicians should be able to screen for TMD/Orofacial Pain/ Obstructive Sleep Apnea upon its completion. In the hands-on portion, they should be able to familiarise with Cranial nerve screening and basic TMJ exam and begin to format some diagnostic philosophies. Also, for clinicians to pick up red flags for more ominous diagnoses that masquerade as ‘TMJ/TMD’.”
The course is a great opportunity to learn from this passionate educator, who has been inducted into several international universities over the past couple of years (including India, Chile, UAE and the USA). “I am super excited to visit and teach all those programs,” Davis says. “I am also continuing my mentorship for international dentists.”
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What three words best describe you?
Passionate, Compassionate, Enthusiastic.
If you weren’t in the dentistry field, what would you be doing for a living?
Neuroscience.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Traveling internationally a lot; Family get-togethers, and road trips with family.
What is your favourite book?
Bhagavatam (an Indian spiritual book written 3000-5000 years ago: the best psychological counselling for the human mind, I believe).
If there anything people might be surprised to learn about you?
I love music; and known to be a good singer.
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