I am asked on a regular basis if I still practice or if I only lead Spear Study Clubs and teach. I understand the question, but it still takes me by surprise. I love practicing dentistry! Fortunately, all of us here understand how important it is to practice.
Our faculty practice is in “The Experience” on the first floor and I get to practice there about one day a week. I am surrounded by an incredible facility and I get to consult with the brightest minds in the dental world. I have a world-class lab one door away from my private office and I am building a really incredible interdisciplinary team with whom to work. It most certainly is part of what keeps a smile on my face when I come to work. Our faculty practice is a little different in that we see mostly dentists as patients. I love that because almost every visit turns into a CE course for both of us. We get to learn together about the patient's mouth and frequently I watch light bulbs go off as the doctor visualizes what she or he has been learning in our courses when seen in her or his mouth. I remember how my practice changed after I had my mouth restored by a master dentist. I approached my patients with a much different empathy and I could talk about restoring their mouths with the conviction of one who had been through it. It is much easier to lead people to a place where you have been yourself.