CPD Spotlight

Meet

Dr Josh Graieg

Dr Josh Graieg has become a familiar presenter on the WA Dental CPD circuit this year, with his winning combination of general practice experience and specialist expertise.

Josh with his family

Josh Graieg has had a varied career – working in a mix of private practice, government clinics, university and hospital-based dental clinics since graduating. When asked why he originally decided to pursue dentistry, Josh says it’s because he enjoys the mix of both art and science. He worked as a general dentist for 15 years before completing his specialist training, a Doctorate in Clinical Dentistry (Prosthodontics) at the University of Sydney. “After working as a dentist for about seven years, I then decided to get involved with the Royal Australasia College of Dental Surgeons and completed the primary course and examination, and then went on to complete the Fellowship,” Josh recalls. “This involvement with the RACDS really renewed a passion to learn more and improve my dentistry. This led to undertaking as many CPD courses as I could, both locally and internationally, resulting in me wanting to focus on dental reconstruction and oral rehabilitation. “Having a good grounding in general dental practice has given me a more holistic understanding of dentistry; this is particularly important in prosthodontics, which is largely involved with multidisciplinary patient care.” Josh will be presenting the Direct Veneers CPD course on September 4. “The veneer course aims to give participants understanding of how to select cases for direct composite resin veneers, contrast some different techniques (like natural layering and injectable composites), and ultimately give practitioners some protocols to plan, place and finish the restorations,” Josh explains. Josh will also be presenting the Crown Preparation – From Conventional to Bonded course on October 14. This course will help dental practitioners improve their clinical knowledge on when to perform a traditional crown preparation and when to use a bonded approach. The course will cover: • Ideal conventional crown preparation – reduction, taper, preparation, retentive features and margin design relating to restorative material. • Bonded crown preparation – introduction to biomimetics and adhesive protocols, preparation design IDS and DME. • Conventional vs bonded - when to prep and when to bond. • Material selection – monolithic or layered? Highperformance polymers, pressed glass, zirconia,

PFM, gold.

“I am really passionate about biomimetic dental principles – being minimally invasive, conserving tooth structure, and carefully analysing the dental literature (both the latest research as well as historical research) to ensure that we have a good scientific base, and can provide the best dental care for our patients,” Josh says,

Having a good grounding in general dental practice has given me a more holistic understanding of dentistry.

Direct Veneers

presented by Dr Josh Graieg and Ass Prof Glen Liddelow

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 4 9.00am–5.00pm, UWA Dental School

Crown Preparation – From Conventional to Bonded

presented by Dr Josh Graieg

THURSDAY OCTOBER 14 6.30–9.30pm, Uni Club, Crawley

when asked what he enjoys most about lecturing. “I really enjoy sharing knowledge and discussing tips and tricks.” Josh has also been involved in ADAWA’s New Practitioner Program, which supports recent graduates. “I really enjoyed my involvement with the NPP; I love the passion and enthusiasm that many young dentists have,” he says. As well as working at the Branemark Center, Josh is a prosthodontic consultant with the Craniofacial Unit at Perth Children’s Hospital. “Working at PCH is basically my dream job,” Josh says. “It is a real pleasure to help restore the oral function and aesthetics for children who have many different congenital dental problems. Seeing them smile for the first time is absolutely priceless. Giving a young boy some teeth and then seeing him come back a few months later and seeing his growth shoot up is also really rewarding.” Josh is also a self-confessed gadget obsessive. “As we all know, working in the mouth is like working in a small, dark cave and we need a lot of different gadgets for various different jobs,” he explains. “I don’t think I could practise dentistry without high magnification loupes and LED light. “One real gem that I can recommend is the Sonicflex by KaVo, which I find essential for finishing delicate margins for bonded porcelain restorations or minimally invasive direct composite resin restorations. It has fine tips that work via elliptical oscillations, which are safe-sided, where one side is non-cutting so you can get right up close to an adjacent tooth.” Next on his to-do list? Josh is launching a small multidisciplinary study group, or work group, with recently graduated dentists, and specialists he works with.

Josh Graieg

What do you do in your spare time? I have three young kids, and I love spending time with the family. Getting outdoors and having fun with the kids… kicking balls, riding bikes, exploring the bush. When I get a chance, I enjoy playing sport, especially basketball. I like a nice beer; my favourites styles are Saison’s (which are Belgian-style farmhouse ales), or Wild Ales (which are ales brewed with wild yeasts like Brettanomyces).

If you weren’t in the dentistry field, what would you be doing for a living? Hopefully running a craft brewery! Haha!

What is your favourite book/author? I enjoy reading fantasy novels. My favourites would be Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, The Belgariad by David Eddings, or Magician by Raymond E Feist.

Is there anything people might be surprised to learn about you? My surname “Graieg” is technically an Australian name, because my Great Grandfather was an orphan, as his mother died during childbirth. He later tried to trace his roots, and with some help, actually made the name “Graieg” up! So, if you meet another person with the surname Graieg, it is likely to be a close relative of mine!