What has sparked your interest the most this year between Breakthrough Clinical’s blogs by yours truly and the original clinical articles and pathology cases written by your many peers across the country? The variety is across the board, but it appears that when a topic sparks a touch of controversy and has problem-solving potential—like these two blogs: "‘If I don’t let you take radiographs, you won’t see me as a patient?’" and "A dental picture that’s worth thousands of dollars, literally"—you’re all over it. Why is that, you may ask? Well, it’s because dentistry is a dynamic profession, and if we faced each day with smooth-sailing waters, it would be a bit mundane.
My favorite blog was probably my phone call to the DIY aligner company posing as a potential customer. The controversy in this realm of dentistry is certainly ongoing, as indicated by DE’s Principles of Practice Management Editor Dr. Chris Salierno in his latest blog on SmileDirectClub’s mayhem existence. You can read it here.
I will pick no favorite among the clinical articles as they are all so different and valuable to the profession. There’s much to be learned from each of them. They are quick, informative, and will give you a perspective into a variety of topics that will, without doubt, enlighten you in many arenas. Sex trafficking and dentistry? Yup. If you’ve not read about it, you’re missing out. Two other clinical articles you seemed to like especially well are here if you missed them: "10 tips for long-term success of removable implant-retained dentures" and "How you handle mistakes in dentistry determines how good you are as a dentist."
Pathology is always a favorite. Lesions that present in both typical and atypical fashions have a way of making us put on our thinking caps and stressing us out, because navigating this part of dentistry can be somewhat daunting. Let’s face it—not many of us listed oral pathology as one of our favorite topics in dental school. That’s why I do this section in BC, because refreshers on even the most common lesions are beneficial. Take a look back at these cases if you missed them: "BC oral pathology case No. 40: The ‘empty’ lesion," "BC oral pathology case No. 41: The lesion that never changed," and "BC oral pathology case No. 42: The lesion that many of our patients have."
If you have an interesting case arise in your practice, drop me an email with a paragraph and a couple of photos. You could be the author of our next pathology case! Remember, we learn from each other.
There’s not much more to be said here, my friends. Just keep learning and loving the profession, don’t forget to give back, and enjoy all the moments in between. 2020 is going to be a good one.
Cheers and thank you!
Stacey
Editorial Director, Breakthrough Clinical
Last month: "Eeny, meeny, miny, mo: Dental repercussions from a 25-foot fall"
Editor's note: This article originally appeared in Breakthrough Clinical, a clinical specialties newsletter from Dental Economics and DentistryIQ. Read more articles at this link.
