I had a conversation with a colleague recently and was surprised to learn that some of her articles are considered ‘controversial.’ She has been told this by editors and by readers but she continues to write and thankfully so. I kept thinking about it though – why are her ideas even labeled in this manner? If journals (not just medical and dental but all of them) published the same stuff over and over again, no new light bulbs would click on. And we all lose.
Many years ago, using the web to attract patients was an uncertainty. Implants were unpredictable. Advertising was unprofessional. And can you imagine that gloves were ever optional because clinicians didn’t buy into this new thing called “infection control”? My point is (and I told her this) that the label of ‘controversial’ is a positive one. It means you are pushing someone’s buttons and making them think. Even if they object to something new the first time, the evidence will pile up either in favor of or against your position. But at least you put the seed in their brain. And that’s what being an educator is all about – planting the seeds so that conventional wisdom can be challenged. Or we’re all just spinning our wheels.
