You can learn a lot from a 5-year-old

This article first appeared in the newsletter, DE's Breakthrough Clinical with Stacey Simmons, DDS. Subscribe here.The last day of school I found myself surrounded by 20 kindergartners, thinking and wondering what was in my big brown box. The curiosity and excitement was almost tangible! As I started pulling things out of this boring-looking container, I was suddenly bombarded by questions, begging to have answers. Who would have thought a teeth mannequin (yes, the same one from last month’s editor’s note) would be SO exciting? A toothbrush big enough to use on a horse? Way. Cool. Rounding it all out was a bottle of soda, a container of sugar, a “Bruce the Sugar Buggy” book, toothbrush kits, and models of teeth in varying stages of development. These kids were eager, energetic, and they did exactly what Dr. Seuss said to do, “Think and wonder, wonder and think.”

Truth be told, I was somewhat taken aback by the enthusiasm of these kiddos. Remember when we were in dental school and we acted like 5-year-olds? Nobody has to admit their age here, but we have to realize that we, too, can “Think and wonder, wonder and think” about things such as implant phonetics, making endo easier, and identifying pathology. And yes, we have the winner for last month’s caption contest too. You guys are certainly creative!

This month’s issue of BC will give you the chance to be a kid again—from a perspective that will hopefully bring some energy back into a clinical skill that may not currently be as cool as it once was.

Happy summer!

Stacey L. Simmons, DDS Editorial Director, DE’s Breakthrough Clinical with Stacey Simmons, DDS

This article first appeared in the newsletter, DE's Breakthrough Clinical with Stacey Simmons, DDS. Subscribe here.

LAST MONTH . . . Caption this photo and have fun with it; dentistry is a great profession!

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