It was the usual gathering of a small group of friends for what was becoming a monthly tradition known as "first Fridays." About twelve couples getting together at first mostly by accident now met regularly at a different home, each bringing a bottle of wine and a small culinary creation of their choice to share.

Having allowed myself to become wrapped up in a life pace resembling a hyperactive juggler's convention, my wife and I expeditiously went by the gourmet food shop to gather our last minute "entry into the entrée's." Our offering was well received and out of sheer courtesy or delight our "store bought" dish was wholly consumed even though I had come to understand an essential ingredient was missing.

As with most things, it wasn't evident to me at first, but as the night grew longer and each very skilled person shared the story of their special preparation it became more clear that the most important ingredient of all, the personal touch of a master's hand, was not included in mine. Oh it was good, perhaps like some of our dentistry. Our clients "like it" but does it truly represent our best? Is it given with love, gratitude, and respect? Perhaps, like me, you find there are times when you are not fulfilled because you don't bring the best to the table.

So what do you bring to the table that represents your best authentic self? Does your care resonate the uniqueness of both you and your client? Is your esthetic care designed for individualized, natural beauty, or does it look like a golden proportion rubber stamp inked in shade B1? Why exactly do you do what you do? On whose behalf?

Can you move beyond the hype of the latest technique, trend or piece of technology to provide long term, comprehensive treatment options for your client? Will you resolve to allow adequate time to be, become and do your very best? Are you committed to establishing your practice as a learning institute especially relative to your clients learning allowing them the real informed choice? These are the questions many of us struggle with when faced with the task of defining our preferred future.

Recently, I conducted a three-day workshop on the Role of Occlusion and the Concept of Natural Adaptive Dentistry. It was a wonderful gathering of very bright dentists who came with both typical and atypical questions, concerns and fears about the subject of providing naturally adaptive solutions to care. At the end one dentist had a very interesting and familiar observation. He suggested that rather than me personally fabricating my occlusal splints "in house," the lab could produce a heat-processed splint so I could be free to be "productive" somewhere else. My response is similar each time I am given this type of recommendation. What exactly do you mean by productive? Because in our practice philosophy providing naturally adaptive care means individualization, and the fabrication of the bite splint is the very first analysis I have of the potential restorative design. What would be more productive? More importantly what could be more effective?

Through my personal involvement in the development of key aspects of care, I better understand the detail and potential design, and I can now teach that to my lab assistant who also can now better understand the form-function connection and offer that same knowledge to the client. The focus of naturally adaptive care is on effectiveness, not efficiency. Yet, ultimately the system is efficient as well -- that's just not the focus.

Like all my work, each bite splint embodies an element of my personal craftsmanship that is the authentic representation of my values expressed as my working principles and my promises.

Every practice and every life is unique and different, and it is the expression of that uniqueness through our work that brings our best to the table.

In our next issue we'll discuss the concepts of individualization of care and Naturally Adaptive Dentistry.

Dr Otten speaks and conducts workshops on the topics of Occlusion, Naturally Adaptive Dentistry, The Occlusal Restorative Interface, Naturally Beautiful and Functional Esthetic Care and the Behaviorally Centered Optimal Care Practice. For more information about working with your practice or group, please call Vickie at 785-843-6404 or email at jotten@sunflower.com