Name: Colleen Greene, DMD, MPH
Practices at: Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Dental school: Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Graduation year: 2013
Areas of expertise: Pediatric dental trauma, child maltreatment, advocacy
Tell us about a product or technology that has recently changed your world.
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) has been used in our dental clinic for three years, and it continues to amaze me. We can avoid or delay so many sedation procedures and general anesthesia cases by using SDF in the management of children with caries.
It’s also exciting to see Hall Technique stainless steel crowns gain some momentum as a minimally invasive option, especially for early childhood caries. We learned about the technique in residency, but I’ve only recently started implementing it. The evidence is very strong, but it can be hard to overcome the inertia of conventional treatment, even as a new dentist. I’m impressed with the simplicity and effectiveness of it so far.
What’s a piece of advice you wish you knew five years ago?
Five years ago, I was in my first year of residency. I wish I knew that the feelings of insecurity I had during training were actually just the flip side of my deep desire to learn quickly and give patients the best possible treatment. I was really hard on myself when outcomes weren’t ideal early on, and it seemed as if the people around me were flawless. I wish I had been able to recognize that everyone struggles with a different area of dentistry—from operative techniques, to stress management, to persuasive communication, etc. When a challenging case comes up now, I know that every dentist has really tough days. Eventually we should recognize and accept our strengths, interests, and challenges as they come. Growth can be painful, but it’s necessary and universal.
