Latest Blog Post

I went to a lecture recently and one of the delegates got upset with the lecturer and the rest of the audience because they didn’t understand the way this person wanted to do something and why they thought it was correct.

The individual jumped up and down at the back complaining that nobody understood and then left.

I am pretty sure that the individual that did that was really good and ‘in their hands’ the thing they were discussing worked very well. But the problem is that Dr Joe Average is ‘below average’ and the thing that they were good at and the technique that they used to get it right might not work for the 80% in the competent area of the curve.

It’s great to have individuals that chase perfection and we can look up to them and strive to be a bit more like them at times, but we can’t let them teach us and the difficulty is, we often can’t teach them.

When we teach, we need to teach for the lower end of the curve.

We need to set the bar at a level which includes as many people as possible because that includes changes and affects the lives of as many patients as possible.

I can show you techniques to use custom healing abutments in implant placements with simultaneous grafting and healing at six weeks but it’s unlikely you will have the technology or the experience or even the developed skills to be able to carry that procedure out. So, I’m showboating and wasting my time. Better that when I teach, I develop a system of teaching new techniques which work for ‘normal people’ and not encourage you to chase perfection.

I’m not suggesting that our standards shouoldn’t be high and I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t learn from our mistakes, but I’m suggesting that to shout at people because they are not as ‘perfect’ as you is toxic and teaches no one anything.

Blog Post Number: 1807