The Paper Point Editorial – July 2023

Dear Endodontic Residents and New Practitioners,

Happy Endo-Anniversary! Regardless of where you are on your professional journey, I suspect that the endo chapter of your story began on or around July 1. This is a great time for each of us to reflect on where we started, how far we’ve come, and what lies on the horizon.

I cannot reflect on my professional journey without thinking of all the incredible people who have guided me along my way.  While I will never be able to truly repay these folks for the impact that they have had on me, I do know that it is my responsibility to use my gifts to help others in some way. A wise man once said:

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

In our profession it can be easy to get bogged down in the pulp stones; however, I would challenge you to constantly remind yourself of all the good that this profession allows you to do for others. Something that I do to help me stay in this positive frame of mind is to follow up with each of my patients by phone the night of treatment. I can’t even begin to tell you how much patients appreciate a follow-up call from their doctor. If I’m being totally honest, though, the real reason I spend 5-10 minutes of my night making these calls is for my own sake. Instead of wondering if all my patients are doing well, I make sure they are, and this direct feedback helps me to mentally get past those tough cases at the end of my day.

We have a great lineup of articles for you in this edition of The Paper Point, but it would be very remiss of me to not remind you that this publication is only as good as you allow it to be. Our committee is always searching for Residents and New Practitioners who would like to contribute, and we welcome anything from a cool clinical case to your favorite recipe. If you have questions, want to learn more, or are ready to submit an article, feel free to reach out to me any time at acgdmd@gmail.com.

Austyn C. Grissom
Chair, Resident and New Practitioner Committee