The Art of the Examination

From the Forword by Dr. Paddi Lund of Queensland, Australia:This book purports to be about the dental examination but perhaps Barry is being a little devious in his choice of title.Certainly the pursuit of the Ideal Examination is a very worthy goal. However, I believe that Barry may be concealing the real depth of the scholarship he has brought to this publication. Perhaps he wants to seduce you into a far deeper and more meaningful discourse than you expected— by pretending his work is something less ambitious than it really is.We hands-on professional people are taught to be proud of our mechanistic skills and it is easier for us to think about doing stuff than about morals, ethics, and meanings.So examinations, which of necessity require more people skills and soul-searching than other parts of dentistry, are not much fun and are often rushed. We don’t feel so comfortable communicating with people as we do performing the wet-finger areas of our work, and the less time this discomfort lasts the easier it is to bear.So a rapid, cursory Check-up is often the norm when a leisurely, detailed Complete Examination is really called for. By not spending the time and effort in this vital area you will miss out on so much for yourselves and for your patients.It is Barry’s aim to change this.But for Barry to reach this goal it requires that you indulge in far more conceptual wresting and deep thinking that a mere technical manual.You can only perform the perfect examination when: your life is in balance, you understand people, and you know how to communicate impeccably with them. The skills you need for examination are all-pervasive. They will change your view of life and your profession, and of necessity involve Barry in a lot of deep writing.Consequently, to my mind, Barry’s chosen title, The Art of the Examination, could more honestly have been The Meaning of Life: How to Live Life Happily and Fruitfully and subtitled How to Perform a Great Dental Examination.Yes, I think Barry has been a bit tricky. He definitely has another agenda—not just to make all us dentists better examiners—but also happier, more fulfilled, and more successful in our chosen profession. (But don’t let him know him I told you his secret.)—Dr. Paddi Lund Queensland, Australia Read more