Why does the saying that a trained monkey could do dental procedures actually hold a kernel of truth?
Because the technical execution of dental procedures, once trained and practiced to mastery, becomes second-nature autopilot work. The point is not that clinical work is trivial. It takes time, energy, money, and effort to acquire the technique. What it acknowledges is the gestalt phenomenon: once a complex skill has been built through enough deliberate practice, the discrete steps disappear from conscious attention and the doctor executes fluidly without thinking about each motion. A trained chimpanzee with sufficient drilling could perform the rote motions of many basic procedures, badly. The point of the analogy is to redirect the doctor’s attention. If technical skill were the binding constraint on practice success, every dentist with advanced training would be too busy to keep up. They are not. The binding constraint sits elsewhere. The constraint is marketing, selling, and case acceptance, which most dentists have never trained on and which most never will master without deliberate effort. Recognizing where the actual constraint lives is the first step toward addressing it.
If the answers you are finding here resonate with you, my team and I work with a small group of clients each year. The next step is a complimentary Discovery Consultation and Practice Review with Dr. McAnally.
