Lecture Sample:

Dr. Spencer has been invited to speak at the largest and most prestigious dental meetings in America and intimate study clubs.  His programs range from keynote addresses to multi-day mini residencies.  He's been an invited lecturer in Canada, Panama, Brazil, Bulgaria, Australia, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, India, Bahamas, Curacao, Dominican Republic...and soon your meeting!


From Anatomy to ZZZ's

Dr. Spencer's unique and engaging teaching style comes from his uncommon background and perspective.  By entering a practice limited to TMD and Craniofacial Pain directly out of dental school, he went from the frying pan into the fire.  Thankfully, he had great mentors and with their help, along with his great personal desire to learn and help his patients, Dr. Spencer has made tremendous professional advancement in a very short time.

Dr. Spencer is currently the director of Dental Sleep Medicine for the Center for Sleep Apnea and TMJ, in Boise Idaho and Salt Lake City Utah.  Dr. Spencer has personally treated thousands of patients with sleep apnea and TMJ problems, and now focuses on helping dentists help their patients with such problems.
Dr. Spencer is the Past-President of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain (AACP), a Diplomate of the American Board of Craniofacial Pain, a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, a Diplomate of the American Board of Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine and has a Masters in Craniofacial Pain from Tufts University. He taught head and neck anatomy at Boise State University, and is adjunct faculty at the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. Dr. Spencer has been invited to give lectures on TMD, Dental Sleep Medicine and head and neck anatomy throughout the United States at every major dental meeting, Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Australia, Europe and India. Dr. Spencer created Spencer Study Club, an online education, mentoring and implementation program to help dentists and their teams help more of their patients with sleep apnea and TMJ disorders.  
Dr. Spencer now lives in Pleasant View, Utah with his wife of 30 years, Jennifer, and their 2 children of 6 who are still at home. Dr. Spencer enjoys outdoor activities including running, skiing, waterskiing and mountain biking, can still out ski all of his children and would have been at the Boston marathon in 2020 had it not been cancelled.
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Dr. Spencer's love of gross anatomy began in his undergraduate studies where he acted as a teacher's assistant in a full cadaver, gross anatomy course for several semesters.  After dental school he continued to search out educational opportunities and develop his love and talent for teaching.  At that time Boise State University did not have an equivalent gross anatomy experience for undergraduate pre-dental and pre-medical students.  Dr. Spencer spearheaded the development of a head and neck anatomy course for the university and has found his passion for anatomy carrying on through his students who have gone on to excel in their own professional programs.  In fact, many of his former students have been chosen as teaching assistants of head and neck anatomy within their dental and medical schools, based on their superior knowledge.

Anatomy is where it all begins, and Dr. Spencer is one of very few lecturers who makes the basic science of anatomy interesting and, believe it or not, fun!

Craniofacial Pain and Temporomandibular Disorders are difficult subjects.  Dentists receive very, very little education and exposure to treating patients with TMJ problems.  Physicians receive even less.  Despite this unfortunate lack of training, healthcare professionals must understand how to diagnose and help their patients with these problems.  Dentists in particular must know the mechanisms that lead to TMJ problems, how to recognize them, how to prevent them when possible, and how to help their patients suffering with these disorders find the relief they so desperately need.  Maybe this is one reason why, according to the Academy of General Dentistry, TMJ Disorders are one of THE TOP subjects that recent dental graduates want to know more about.

Dr. Spencer is able to make diagnosis and basic treatment of common Craniofacial Pain Disorders and Tempormandibular Disorders simple and straight forward.  His paradigm is not based on symptomatic treatment alone, but in discovering the root cause of the problems, and explaining how BRUXISM is related.  Speaking of bruxism, did you know that bruxism is very often related to Obstructive Sleep Apnea?  If you do know that, it's not because you learned it in dental or medical school!  


Dr. Spencer is a thought leader in the field of craniofacial disorders, which include nocturnal airway problems and Dental Sleep Medicine issues.  "Dental Sleep Medicine" appears to many to be a new field within dentistry, but those who have been treating craniofacial pain problems and TMJ disorders have always been aware of the importance of protecting the airway.  For those dentists getting involved or wanting to get involved in treating patients who snore and/or have sleep apnea, oral appliance therapy is EASY--AS LONG AS YOU COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND TMJ DISORDERS.  The problem is...very few dentists understand TMD and craniofacial pain, but they want to treat their patients for their sleep problems.  The good news is that sleep problems and TMD go together, and Dr. Spencer has been on the forefront of teaching dentists and physicians alike how to screen, evaluate and help their patients with these problems.

So if you're looking for a great, engaging lecture or hands-on course on the topics of Head and Neck Anatomy, Craniofacial Pain (including all of it's various sub-categories), Temporomandibular Disorders, Bruxism, Sleep Apnea, and the connections between all of these things...you're looking in the right place.


 
For a sample of Dr. Spencer's lecturing style, click on the "Speaking" and then "Downloads" tab.   


[email protected], Cell: 208.861.5687  Office: 208-376-3600