Living Life to the Fullest, at Work and at Play
· Dr. Pat Freeman
Living Life to the Fullest, at Work and at Play Dr. Pat Freeman By Ali Skiles
Growing up in Oregon County, MO , Dr. Pat Freeman
always had a curiosity about Oregon, the state. His fam
ily spent a lot of time with competitive waterskiing, as
he grew up near pristine Norfork Lake in the Ozarks of
southern Missouri. This was a lot of work and sacrifice for
his parents and family, but Dr. Freeman recollects that the
whole experience shaped his core personality and created a
desire for similar recreational experiences for himself and
his future family. In the late '70s, Dr. Freeman learned
how to windsurf, but once accepted to dental school his
recreational time was very limited. "So four years later, I
get out of dental school and I see a windsurfer on TV going
fast. The equipment had evolved to where the sport was
a lot more exhilarating." A year after his graduation, Dr.
Freeman bought his first board. He windsurfed the Great
In dentistry, two of the things Pat enjoys doing most are comprehensive
examinations and educating his patients to their current conditions. Starting with a comprehensive examination benefits the long-term oral health of his patients.
Dr. Freeman and his team share a common goal to provide qual ity, sound dental treatment in a comfortable atmosphere.
Plains for over a decade, which, he explains, can have epic
conditions, but it was often hit or miss and it required a lot
of driving time. "Windsurfing was a passion of mine for
many years."
In 2000, Dr. Freeman transitioned to kiteboarding and
has to wonder ifit wasn't some kind of"divine intervention"
because it parallels everything he's been involved with his
whole life. "With kiteboarding, you're flying a large inflated
kite that grabs the wind, and you're controlling it, and it pulls
you over the water. You can be either on a wakeboard-type
board, or a surfboard or a surfboard with straps." He can
barely contain his excitement as he tries to describe it: "It is
just so good. It is pretty much like walking on the moon. The
thing about kiting is that the forces are always pulling you
up or sideways. That allows a kiter to catch air and even land
softly (like a butterfly with sore feet) from a 30-foot jump. At
that time, when the sport just started to take off, there were
no instructors. We all learned from each other and tried to
keep the 'kitemares' to a minimum. Lessons are a must for
safety. You learn by flying a kite, learning the power zones
of the kite, and how it works . Then they teach you how to
drag yourself through the water and how to relaunch your
kite from the water after you crash, because those are neces
sary skills. After you figure that out, you're given a board and
taught how to ride it."
HIS OWN OREGON TRAIL In 1996, after practicing dentistry for 13 years in Kansas
City, MO, Dr. Freeman was not feeling fulfilled with his life.
He was commuting over 40 miles roundtrip to his practice
each day. His wife, Camille, was also feeling the stress with
her corporate job with a major airline and her commute of
45 miles each way. And, they wanted to start a family. Dr.
Freeman vividly remembers, "Several times on my way to
work, I would get off on this exit to go to my clinic, and I
would ask myself, 'Do I really want to be here for the rest
of my life?' It was just kind of a nagging feeling." He was re
ally into windsurfing then, and even though the conditions
were very good in Kansas for windsurfing, it was really hit
and miss. And he had to travel a lot. He would find himself
driving up to 240 miles in a day just to go windsurfing. "On
one particular day there ended up being no wind when I ar
rived and all I got was the wheat report, a thunderstorm and
a goat's head thorn in the bottom of my foot. And then, of
course, the drive back home."
So on his 40th birthday, Dr. Freeman and his wife made
Staff picture from left : Valerie, Roseann, Dr. Freeman, Heidi and Mary.
the decision that he would take the Western Regional
Board Exam in Portland. They had previously vacationed
in Hood River, OR, and fell in love with the beauty of the
Columbia River Gorge. Once Dr. Freeman passed the board
exams, he sold his dental practice and decided to move to
Oregon. That was the turning point, but getting there was
not so simple. The first Northwest practice offered to Dr.
Freeman did not materialize. But shortly after that, Dr.
Freeman remembered the name of a Hood River dentist
who he suspected might be nearing retirement age. After
a simple phone call, they arranged to meet the doctor and
his wife the following weekend in a Hood River restaurant.
After dinner, conversation and a handshake, the deal was
made! Dr. Freeman had a practice and now they had a few
short months to sell their home and find a place to live in
Hood River.
Of all the places they could have chosen to move to, why
Oregon? "Because of our love of the outdoors, a move to
the Northwest seemed imminent." Dr. Freeman continues,
"Growing up in Oregon County, MO, I always had a curiosity
about Oregon the state and having visited Hood River pre
viously, the answer seemed clear. It was an appealing place
to start a family, with its small-town vibe and multitude of
recreational activities." Now, more than 11 years later, nei
ther one of them regrets the move. If you ask Dr. Freeman
to describe how he feels about where they've ended up, you
can see the excitement dance around in his eyes: "Oregon has
so much to offer. Where I live I am five minutes from kiting
on the river. My family and I can find world-class mountain
biking or road biking in less than five minutes, be on Mount
Hood snow skiing in 30 minutes, and my commute to work
is less than two minutes from home."
Interdisciplinary - Working Together for the Best Results
The patient's chief complaint was a loose filling on a lower
incisor. During comprehensive examination it was evident that
a collapsing worn occlusion existed, and #6 bridge retainer was
nonrestorable. This prompted further study with diagnostic
mode ls, occlusal analysis, radiographs and a full periodontal
assessment in order to formulate treatment options.
Being aware of the procedures available by the various
disciplines in dentistry certainly broadens the scope of what is
possible in treating our patients today.
Calling upon the knowledge Dr. Freeman gained through
Dr. Peter Dawson's courses and the two textbooks he read of
his, the latest being Functional Occlusion from TMJ to Smile
Design by Mosby, he found that it really makes treatment
planning and restoring these type of cases fun. Diagnostic
waxing all of his own cases allows him to learn most of the
idiosyncrasies and nuances of the case beforehand. In this
patient's case, the wax-up was helpful to evaluate the amount
of vertical opening needed for sufficient interocclusal space,
occlusal plane and guidance changes, placement of implant
and gingival margin locations.
The patient's anterior teeth positions, vertical and guidance
were worked out in provisional restorations. Dr. Freeman
likes to tell patients that these "temporaries" are really
"prototypes" of the final restorations and are used to guide the
dental laboratory so there are no surprises regarding esthetics
and function when the teeth return from the lab. A SO PA
(Simplified Occlusal Plane Analyzer) was used to correct the
posterior occlusal planes.
Growing up in Oregon County, MO, I always had a curiosity about Oregon
the state and having visited Hood River previously, the answer seemed clear. It was an appealing place to start a family with its small-town vibe and multitude of recreational activities.
THE PROGRESSION OF HIS PROFESSION The passion Dr. Freeman feels about his home and his
surroundings also spills over into his dental work. But it
wasn't always so. After graduation in 1983, he immediately
became an associate in a dental practice for about 18 months,
and then became a partner w ith the sam e practice in Kansas
City, MO. H e loved his profession, but he started realizing
that there w ere a lot of unanswered questions . He was often
left wondering why his patients were having the problem s
they were having; why teeth w er e worn; why they had jaw
pain; why some restorations w ere failing; why the patient
is saying their bite is uncomfortable. Sure, he could fix the
existing problems, but he wanted to know more about the
root causes. Going back, he remembers thinking, "I was
realizing that the education I got in dental school was ver y
fundamental and there was a lot more to learn." He had heard
of Peter Dawson , D .D .S ., and went to take his course in
Florida at the Dawson Center for Advanced Dental Studies.
"All of the dentists at the first seminar were very intrigued
with the course contents b ecause it was so informative and
it r eally hit home with them. Our eyes and ears were really
opened." From then on, Dr. Freeman took other courses
through Dawson in other locations . The following sum
mer, he purchased Dawson's t extbook, Evaluation, Diaanosis
and Treatment ef Occlusal Problems. He spent hours and hours
reading and absorbing the text, and it just made everything
clearer and a lot easier to work day to day because finally he
had answers to the question s he was looking for.
Dawson's courses m ade a huge impact on Dr. Freeman
regarding the diagnosis , etiology and treatment of all types
of masticatory issues. "It has m ade the dental portion of my
life so much m ore predictable. Beginning with the end result
in mind teaches you so much about the case and how to deal
with the individual nuances required for predictable function
and esthetics. Combining the knowledge gained from Peter
Dawson and the conservative esthetic r estorative options
available have made dentistry a joy to be in. I enjoy doing my
own diagnostic wax-ups, TMD orthotics and surgical guides
myself. I couldn't have become a dentist at a better time." Dr.
Freeman goes on to say that his entire dental philosophy is
based on these principles. It 's not so much about procedures
as it is how your masticatory system works. The No. 1 thing
that he would recommend to any new dental school graduate
would be to take a course from Peter Dawson or the Pankey
Institute to get a clear handle on the function of how the hu
man jaw works. "I can't imagine practicing dentistry without
that knowledge base."
The esthetic materials revolution starting in the 1980s
coincided with Dr. Freeman joining the AACD (American
Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry) . He was fortunate to be the
423rd member to join in 1988. "There was a lot of energy and
sharing of information going on during the early years of the
AACD, which now has over 7,600 members representing 60
nations worldwide ." Dr. Freeman is honored to b e one of four
AACD accredited m embers in the state of Oregon . "Becoming
accredited in 1990 drove me to do better work by critiquing
myself through all the photography of cases and presenting six
different esthetic cases of my own to the AACD panel."
Esthetic Crown Lengthening
This 18-year-old female pati ent dis liked her teeth and refused any
type of orthodontics. A diagnost ic wax-up was made, illustrat ing t o t he
pat ient what was possibl e and to al low fabrication of a surgical index.
The index was used t o position the gingival margins apically at the
predetermined goal. The rel ative co nservative approach by placing four
feldspath ic veneers illustrates the dramatic resu lt s attainable.
Veneer Case - Erosion
This case illu st rates how conservative facial incisal veneers on teeth #5-12 and multiple class V facial com posites on posterior teeth can arrest the severe erosion of unknown etiology.
THE FREEMAN CLINIC In dentistry, two of the things Dr. Freeman enjoys doing most
are comprehensive examinations and educating his patients
to their current conditions. Starting with a comprehensive
examination benefits the long-term oral health of his patients.
They are geared to address the signs of occlusal dysfunction
that can shorten the life of restorations and the entire denti
tion and TM J. He feels that his patients appreciate and pick up
on his thoroughness in diagnosing what's good and bad with
their masticatory system. Taking the time to explain and hav
ing excellent tools for education is paramount in conveying
your message. Dr. Freem an says, "Addressing the patient's
initial concern is priority, but I am a firm believer in steering
the patient into a comprehensive exam where we get a good
handle on each patient's condition. Determining the cause
and knowing how to treat the source of the problem enhances
the final result of all the procedures we do in dentistry." Many
patients stop him halfway through the exam and say, "Wow,
I've never had anybody check my teeth like this !" He does an
exam that allows him to define the source of the condition that
is there. The patient then becomes knowledgeable and can make
a self-determined decision on their own . "It's not me telling
my patients what to do. I give them options ." Again, you can
see the lights in his eyes as he exclaims, "It has m ade a huge
difference in how I practice."
At the office, Dr. Freeman is supported by a talented t eam
consisting of a front office manager , two assistants and 2
hygienist s . Dr. Freeman is grateful to have a staff that shares
his philosophy. Their common goal is to provide quality
sound dental treatment in a comfortable atmosphere. _"I
have the perfect size staff for the way I do dentistry. It's not
too big, not too little." Camille's background in accounting
Combining the knowledge gained from Peter Dawson and the conservative esthetic restorative options
available have made dentistry a joy to be in. I enjoy doing my own diagnostic wax-ups, TM D orthotics and surgical guides myself. I couldn't have become a dentist at a better time.
is a tremendou s asset in relieving Dr.
Freeman of a lot of administrative du
ties that go along with running a small
business. She has the convenience of
doing thi s from home while she juggles
household management and raising
their daughter, Madison .
Using the software program BiteFX in educating Dr Freeman's patients has helped eliminate the confusion patients previously had when discussing t heir masticatory workings and occlusal education.
I f you have a really sound basis of how the
masticatory system works, then you can formulate the end result. Dentistry today has so many options available with the different disciplines that you can really get some amazing results.
GIVE KIDS A SMILE DAY Dr. Freem an happened to be president
of Mid-Columbia Dental Society when
the ADA started the annual national day
to examine and treat, when appropriate ,
the underprivileged kids of America. He
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very modestly gives thanks to the many dentists in his community
who have participated each year since its beginning, noting that
with their help, it has been a great success. Several of the local
dentists, Dr. Freeman included, take on some of these patients
in order to complete their treatment pro bona in the next few
weeks and months following the national day. They schedule in
a couple a week for treatment until they're finished.
Dr. Freeman obviously enjoys this work a great deal: "It's
refreshing to be able to help kids in such a way. The last
couple of years we are seeing some of our efforts paying off
as we're noticing less decay and better home care from many
previous participants."
With kiteboarding, you're flying a large inflated kite that grabs the
wind, and you're controlling it, and it pulls you over the water.
The Freeman family loves the outdoors, whether they are mountain or road biking , skiing , camping or watching Dad kiteboard . The scenery around Hood River is breathtaking. Pictured at one of th eir favorite spots: Camille, Pat and Madison .
Pat enjoys an after-work kiteboarding session. Only 5 minutes from his office , it 's one of many reasons why he moved himself and family virtually along the Oregon Trail from Missouri. Even light winds of 12-15 mph can 't keep kite boarders grounded on a bluebird day in The Columbia River Gorge.
It's pretty easy to get Dr. Freeman to open up about the
things in his life that bring him great joy: his family, his work
and his love of the outdoors. When asked how moving to
Oregon has changed his life, Dr. Freeman says, "It's about
quality of life. I know my practice and family life would be
very different back in the Midwest. Let's just say, 'It's good
in the Hood."' •
Patrick Freeman, D.D.S. 1130 7th Sreet
Hood River, OR 97031
541-386-3525