PAGD Keystone Explorer Winter 2020

Keystone Explorer | Winter 2020 1 from the editor’s desk | It’s a new year! After repeatedly making previous resolutions to drink more water and eat with more nutrition, I still live my life in a constant state of dehydration and cannot pass a day without a minimum of two desserts. My best resolution was in 2015, to “keep my delivery tray organized throughout the entire procedure.” I got my assistants in on this goal and we did a good job for about six weeks. I thought that after six weeks, this was supposed to be habit and automatic, but it wasn’t. What I do instead, is stealthily move the tray to the side counter and as I remove the patient bib with flare, I place it over my shameful disorganization. Nobody needs to know about the mess I’ve made. I recently switched my thinking from “Resolution” to “Word of the Year”—a single word that would create a theme for my goals of the year, whether they are big or small. In 2019 the word was “Adjust” as this was the January when I became a new mom. I adjusted to minimal sleep, my in- laws’ necessary and constant presence in my home, and a much less self-centered approach to my everyday. In 2020, the word was “Thrive!” I was ready to take my new found routine as a working mother, and spring forth from that platform into the healthy, wealthy, happy woman I imagined myself to be. In March, I changed my word to “Maintain.” End of story. As we move forward into 2021, I’m thinking about this word, “Resolution.” In our “New Year” context, it defines itself as a commitment, but there is another use for “resolution.” Resolution can also define image quality and clarity. As dentists we depend on clarity to drive our diagnosis, our treatment planning, and our case acceptance. The clarity of radiographs allows us to move forward with confidence in our procedures, knowing that our unhappy surprises will be minimized. The clarity of an intraoral or extra-oral photo allows us to perform our treatment plan, knowing that the patient has seen the problem, believes the problem, and has the confidence that our treatment is necessary to fix the problem. Our winter issue of Keystone Explorer aims to pay homage to the imaging that we so heavily rely on as dentists to provide clarity for our every decision. I’m resolving to make my word of 2021 “Resolution” (the “clarity” kind, stay with me). The last year has given me more clarity that I anticipated regarding my priorities, my family dynamics, and my community concerns. I’m guessing that many of our readers feel the same way. Let’s use the clarity we have gained in 2020 to aim once again to become healthy, wealthy, and most importantly, the happy dentists that we certainly all strive to be. MariaGarubba, DMD, FAGD Editor, PAGD Keystone Explorer Yearly Word Play MariaGarubba, DMD, FAGD “The clarity of an intraoral or extra-oral photo allows us to perform our treatment plan, knowing that the patient has seen the problem, believes the problem, and has the confidence that our treatment is necessary to fix the problem.”