Orthotown JanuaryFebruary 2025 - 8

A VOICE IN THE ARENA
CHAD FOSTER,
DDS, MS
Editorial Director
Orthodontists Who
Share Orthodontics
" It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man
stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. Th e credit belongs
to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and
blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short again and again, because
there is no eff ort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do
the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in
a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place
shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. "
- President Th eodore Roosevelt
T
here are so many orthodontists
that selfl essly serve our profession
in a variety of ways. Th is
includes but is not limited to
those in academia, research and development,
organized dentistry, and outreach
organizations just to name just
a few. Th ey and many others deserve
recognition for the work they do to
benefi t their peers and our profession.
My specifi c gratitude in this month's
column, however, goes out to a very
small group of orthodontists whom
I consider to truly be the men and
women of our orthodontic arena in the
spirit of Roosevelt's defi nition.
Th ese are the orthodontists who
openly share their clinical work with
their colleagues. Whether it happens
through a pen, a keyboard or a microphone,
these orthodontists step down
from the safety and anonymity of
the crowd to do so. More than just
off ering thoughts and opinions, these
orthodontists off er their orthodontics.
While there is also great value in the
sharing of non-clinical material, make
no mistake about it, the dirt, sweat
and blood on the arena fl oor is earned
by those risking more than words. Th e
high reward off ered in that game -the
opportunity to have your very personal
and imperfect craft analyzed, dissected,
and sometimes misunderstood
and rejected. Furthermore, except for
those who act only as mouthpieces for
a company, the far majority who do it,
do so solely to benefi t their colleagues
and to advance the specialty they love.
A diffi cult path but one of meaning
Th e clinicians that share their work
are not better than those who do not.
Without a doubt, some of the very
best orthodontic clinicians in the
world don't hold a pen, keyboard or
microphone platform. I don't blame
orthodontists who choose to not share
their clinical work-it is tremendously
time-consuming and tedious.
It is also the epitome of professional
vulnerability in orthodontics. It is not
easy, not comfortable, and not for the
faint of heart. It is badass.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 | 8 | ORTHOTOWN.COM
Th ere are many that I look up to
that have done it much better and
longer than I have. But to those out
there that would consider sharing in
the future, allow me to off er insight for
your consideration. With many paths
of little substance available before you,
this is one of real meaning.
If you can embrace and endure
the humility of the process, it will
absolutely make you both a better
orthodontist and a better version of
yourself on the other side of it. As it
pertains to orthodontics, the forced
self-refl ection, learning and evolution
is nothing short of a clinical performance
enhancing drug. It is the most
eff ective form of CE that you will ever
participate in. Ask any orthodontist
who has shared their work consistently
over a long period of time.
On a more personal level, the
unavoidable ego bloodletting (the
inherent pain of the path) eventually
becomes a very personal internal
practice, one that will allow you to live
out your relationships with others and
with yourself with a greater level of
love, humility, tolerance, acceptance
and freedom. OT
Orthotown makes it easy to share
cases and get feedback!
We invite members of the Orthotown
community to share their cases online
and gain valuable feedback from fellow
verified orthodontists.
Not a member yet? Sign up today at
orthotown.com/register and join the
conversation!
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Orthotown JanuaryFebruary 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Orthotown JanuaryFebruary 2025
