Life Is Worth Living: Lessons from the Vision Summit with Jonathan Gegerson

In this solo short episode, Dr. Brett Gilbert reflects on a deeply moving experience: delivering a keynote at the Specialized Dental Partners Vision Summit in Denver alongside his dear friend Jonathan Gegerson, a two-time guest of the show and oral head and neck cancer survivor. Jonathan's message was simple and powerful.

Despite life's hardships, life is beautiful and worth living. And as healthcare professionals, the care we show patients gives them confidence, hope, and the strength to keep going, whether they're facing a life-threatening diagnosis or the everyday fear of dental treatment. Brett also revisits the article he and Jonathan published this year on the conventional visual and tactile exam for oral head and neck cancer. With roughly 71,000 cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year, these patients are already in our chairs. The goal isn't to diagnose. It's to learn what normal looks and feels like, so we can recognize when something isn't.

In this episode:

Why a few minutes of screening can save a patient, and an entire familyHow to approach the exam: what to look at, what to feel, and how to position the patientBrett's commitment that no patient leaves his chair without a head and neck examThe unexpected gratitude patients show when you checkFinding your authentic voice in and out of the operatory"Don't block the blessing": how to show up for someone who's suffering, and how to receive support when you're the one in needResources:

Watch Jonathan's Vision Summit keynote: Vision Summit Keynote Read the article on efficient, intentional head and neck cancer screening: A Life Saving Exam Article by Gegerson and GilbertGet Jonathan's book, Perspective C (foreword by Dr. Brett Gilbert): Perspective C Book LinkJonathan's previous On the Cusp episodes:Cancer Never Wins with Jonathan and Laura GegersonHow I Thrive with Cancer with Jonathan GegersonIf you're enjoying the show, please rate and review On the Cusp on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It helps the show reach more people. Connect with Brett at @drbrettgilbert.