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In 1970, Senator Roman L. Hrushka spoke in support of Judge G. Harrold Carswell's nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States. The problem was that the American Bar Association and other legal groups considered the Judge to be mediocre at best but the Senator gave a speech on the floor of the United States Senate supporting Judge Carswell in which he said,
"Even if he were mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren't they, and a little chance? We can't have all Brandeises, Frankfurters and Cardozos."
Yesterday, a dentist from Arkansas posted a case that personified mediocrity. The rules of case presentation strongly recommend that you not present a photograph with the dentist's fingers holding up the lips and using cheek retractors is required. The dentist stated that he 'didn't have time to use cheek retractors' (which take approximately 5 seconds to use)and his fingers were fine. Also, his patient had told him that she hated her smile and asked for suggestions so he very marginally improved her smile with a "little reshaping" of her teeth.
Those of you that are my patients or are readers of my blog know how I feel about professionals who are mediocre. When I placed a response to the dentist's case presentation on the dental forum, I gently suggested that he used cheek retractors and he had an obligation to do a direct resin mockup to ACTUALLY show the patient treatment options.
Other dentist were highly insulted that I would be critical of another dentist and posted that I was out of place in my very gentle suggestions. Yes, I am intolerant of mediocre dentist who take patients hard earned money and refuse to do their best.
Senator Hrushka was very wrong, in my opinion, when he stated that mediocrity on the Supreme Court should be acceptable and encouraged.
I will defend your right to Excellence in dental treatment whenever another dentist speaks in support of mediocre dentistry.
