Embracing Change in the Dental World

I just came back from Peter Diamandis' Abundance 360 conference, which I've been attending for the last 10 years in Los Angeles. There were about 350-400 entrepreneurs discussing the future. It was essentially a firehose of information with 12-hour days and 15-minute TED Talks covering a wide range of topics like Bitcoin, artificial intelligence, and longevity. We also discussed what we call the longevity escape velocity — the idea that, within 10 years, if we can live through the next decade, there’s a good chance we may be able to live forever. Is this true, or is it just fantasy? I don’t know, but things are evolving so quickly that it’s hard not to be intrigued.

The Rapid Pace of Change

A hundred years ago, the average life expectancy was around 35-40 years. Today, we can expect to live to 75 or 80. In the future, we may live to 120, or maybe even 200 or 300 years. There are people who believe they will live forever due to the advancements in medicine, technology, and the concept of longevity escape velocity, where they believe they will be able to fight off diseases and extend their lives indefinitely. Is this possible? I’m not sure, but I know things are changing rapidly.

When I first started practicing 40 years ago, we used X-rays that weren’t digital, and we had to develop them in a darkroom. Now, we take digital X-rays, and the results are immediate. Charting used to be done by hand, and today, everything is computerized. When I first started, there were no computers, no fax machines, and no internet. If I had been a child in today's world, I would have thought I was living in a fantasy. That’s how quickly things are changing.

The Future: A Rapidly Evolving World

Experts say the pace of change in the next 10 years will dwarf the progress made in the last 4,000 years. All of humanity’s knowledge could be doubled within the next 10 years. Think about that—how fast things are moving. People who were once given a death sentence from diseases like cancer are now able to survive thanks to advancements in treatment. The same goes for people with HIV or AIDS, who, years ago, would have passed away within 18 months to 2 years. Today, with the right treatment and medications, the virus can become undetectable in the blood.

While some things in life remain the same—we still need to eat, sleep, exercise, and take care of our bodies—many things are evolving rapidly. And as a result, we must be prepared to adapt.

The Challenge of Change

There is a quote by Charles Darwin: “It’s not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.” Are you being responsive to the changes around you? Are you embracing the technologies available to you? Are you doing everything you can to improve your life and your practice by taking advantage of the advances happening in the world today?

With embracing change comes responsibility. It’s important not to become overwhelmed by the digitization of our world. While technology can be incredibly powerful, it can also be destructive. I see it every day—people at bus stops, ranging in age from 9 to 14, staring at their screens, not interacting with each other. They’re physically present, but mentally, they are lost in the digital world.

While technology is powerful, it is also crucial to maintain human connectivity. I write about this in my book Treating People, Not Patients: The Power of Human Connectivity and Creating Great Relationships with Other Human Beings. It’s essential to be present with people, to spiritually connect with them. I feel that connection in two places: when I’m alone in nature and when I look into another person’s eyes and connect with them. This is a kind of spirituality that has nothing to do with evolving technologically, but everything to do with evolving as human beings.

Adapting to a New Era

Are you embracing the pace of change? It’s happening, and you can’t avoid it. The key is to accept it. Even though you might not like everything happening, accepting it is essential to living a fulfilled life. Along with acceptance comes gratitude—tremendous gratitude for the life we have today because of technology. The world we live in now offers more education, greater wealth, less poverty, and a higher quality of life for more people than ever before, despite what you might hear on the news.

Yes, we see the world through the lens of news outlets, but the reality is that, overall, the world is better than it’s ever been. Look around and see how great things are today. Focus on the positive and be the gift to others. We need you out there, showing kindness and sensitivity to others.

Conclusion

The world is rapidly evolving, and so is dentistry. By embracing these changes and adapting to new technologies and methodologies, we can continue to thrive in this ever-changing landscape. Let’s not resist change, but instead, embrace it and take full advantage of the opportunities it brings. Stay ahead of the curve, accept the evolution happening around us, and keep growing, both as professionals and as human beings.