Dr. Alan Stern received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry in 1981. He taught and served as Chief of Restorative Dentistry at Monmouth Medical Center's Dental Residency Program. A gifted teacher and speaker, Dr. Stern's lectures have been enthusiastically received by dentists and other professionals throughout the region. Dr. Stern practices adult restorative and cosmetic dentistry in Ocean, New Jersey. He has completed the Continuum at The Pankey Institute as well as Dr. Michael Schuster’s management program. He has been published in the Pankeygram, the Journal of the New Jersey Dental Association, and other national dental news letters. Dr. Stern is also an adjunct clinical instructor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He is a member of the Jersey Coast Dental Forum, a comprehensive care study group, the Academy of R.V. Tucker Cast Gold Study Clubs, and the Academy for Sports Dentistry. Alan is an advisor and contributing author to Co-discovery.org and lives in West Long Branch, New Jersey with his wife, Fran, and children Neil and Tracey. Dr. Alan Stern is available to speak to local dental societies and study clubs on Team Building and other topics. He can be reached at www.alansterndds.com
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High Tech vs High Touch
by Alan Stern, DDS
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As I look back over the past 20 years at all of the so-called "innovations" in dentistry, a very broad list of products comes to mind. (posterior composites tooth colored inlays, air abrasion, lasers, cosmetic imaging, tooth whitners and so on.) All have been heavily marketed to us. Bold, aggressive salesmen urged us to buy what was promoted to be a better mousetrap. It was implied that if we didn't do so, the guy down the street would, and all our patients would ultimatley leave because we would be percieved as being behind the times.
The big danger is that we can be easily lured into believing the new propaganda aboiut a product or technique without critically analyzing it first. We easily lose perpective and make poor choices. Some folks would even have us believe that the latest trend in technology should define a practice. In fact, I've seen a lot of practices whose raison d'etre is the use of a particular type of technology.
It seems that some have forgotten about the most important tool in helping our patients improve their oral health; the trusting, caring relationships we have the opportunity to cultivate with them. The truth is that there is no product, technology, or magic bullet that can displace the value of a skilled practitioner's judgment. The truth is that the best outcome occur when people seek dentistry, for the right reasons, at the right time, and from a dentist who has their best interest foremost in mind.
Over time, I have come to realize that only a few of these “better mousetraps” were totally useless. Some in fact, have helped me to deliver better dentistry to those entrusted to my care. However, it is clear that these advancements -no matter how great - never exceeded the value of what I learned from L. D. Pankey: To Know my patients, To know my work, To know myself, and to appropraitely apply my knowledge. By applying what Dr. Pankey taught me, I naturally knew when and where to use the lastest innovations to the benefit my patients.
The rapid expansion of technology will not end any time soon. It will fuel more and more innovations at an ever increasing pace. And as a result, more and more companies will try to profit from appeasing our fast-paced, quick-fix-oriented society. They will do so by directly appealing to consumers (think Lumineers) and bypass dentists as a consultative source. With this, will come more confusion regarding about whether or not a particular dentist is competent simply because he or she does or does not offer the latest "thing".
It is my hope that we all will come to realize that no product or technology can subsititute for a well-trained, well-intended dentist. We must always remember to "hoe our rows" and continue to work at improving the relationships we have with others first, before considering how the latest techology might benefit the situation.
