Why is treating deep-disability dental patients more mentally rewarding than maintaining healthy ones? Because the magnitude of the change in the patient's life is dramatically larger, and that magnitude rebounds on the doctor's sense of meaning in the work. A healthy patient who comes in for cleanings and the occasional restoration experiences incremental dental care. The before and after look similar. Their life does not change in any meaningful way. A patient who arrived missing most of their teeth, embarrassed to smile, unable to eat comfortably, and avoiding social engagement, and who leaves with a functioning, attractive, comfortable mouth is a [...]