Top books for The Complete Dentist

While furthering our education is normally best suited for the classroom, books will always be an essential piece of continuous learning. Whether we are learning about the timeless pillars of dentistry or the keys to finding the perfect balance in our personal lives, these resources have helped guide us to be the best we can be.

Some old and some new; check out our updated collection of books Dawson faculty have enjoyed throughout their journeys as Complete Dentists.

Clinical Books

• Functional Occlusion – From TMJ to Smile Design by Dr. Peter E. Dawson – This textbook, written by our founder, covers the many aspects of functional occlusion and esthetics. It is absolutely life and career changing. 
• The Shift: The Dramatic Movement Toward Health Centered Dentistry by Dr. DeWitt Wilkerson – This book, written by Dawson Resident Expert in Integrative Dental Medicine, addresses the paradigm shift with the dental community from treating sick care to proactive wellness care. Learn the 3 major focuses of Integrative Dental Medicine (IDM): Oral & Systemic Infection & Inflammation, Airway & Breathing Disorders and TMJ & Dental Occlusion Disorders.
• The Complete Dentist Manual: The Essential Guide to Being a Complete Care Dentist by Dr. Peter E. Dawson and John C. Cranham – This textbook is a “tell it like it is” exposure of why so many practices fall short of the satisfaction and rewards that predictably successful dentistry provides.
• Your Child and Sleep Disordered Breathing by Dr. Joseph Gaudio – This free resource, written by a Dawson Faculty member, is an introduction for parents about the causes and effects of disrupted sleep in children.

Personal Life Books

• A Better Way: The surprising path to a complete life by Dr. Peter E. Dawson – The tell-all autobiography of Dr. Dawson’s humble beginnings to finding the true meaning of ‘success’.
• The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown – A motivational and inspiring guide to wholehearted living that bolsters the self-esteem and personal development process through her characteristic heartfelt, honest storytelling.
• The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren – This is an awesome book to guide your life.

Business and Customer Success Books

• Change The Way You Go To The Dentist by Dr. Melvin Benson Jr – This book, written by a Dawson Scholar, reveals why a dental practice model centered around his patients and their dental experience is so important.
• The White Coat Investor: A Doctor’s Guide To Personal Finance And Investing by Dr. James Dahle – This book is a high-yield manual that specifically deals with the financial issues facing medical students, residents, physicians and dentists.
• Becoming Your Patients’ Hero: 9 Secrets for Creating Exceptional Trust and New Income for Your Dental Practice by Dr. Don Reid, DDS and Don Reid, foreword by Dr. Peter E. Dawson – It’s not always easy to help patients understand what is the best for them or believe that you are the one they should trust to give them the best. This essential resource gives you strategies to overcome those challenges—the mysteries that plague too many dentists!
• Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande – This book discusses how something as simple as a checklist can reduce mistakes, especially in complex industries. This is a great book for helping put in place processes and checklists in your practice.
• Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Sheila Heen, Bruce Patton – This is a step-by-step approach to having those tough conversations with less stress and more success.

 See more Books Every Dentist Should Read.

| Patrick Tomasso