Before venturing into medicine, I was focused on aviation, training as a pilot at age 15. To this day, I can still recite every step of the engine-failure sequence from memory. Pilots are trained this way for a reason: They spend hours in simulators practicing under duress, so that when something goes wrong in the real world, they respond instinctively. By the time they are in the cockpit with passengers aboard, they are already “battle-tested” and can make sound decisions confidently.
Dentists, on the other hand, are trained very differently. In dental school, much of the learning happens in a classroom with limited simulation of “real world” conditions. When they graduate and start practicing, they face unpredictable scenarios, for example, a patient with severe pain from an abscess or tissue injuries who needs advanced care immediately.
I learned this lesson firsthand, being from a rural part of Australia, where the nearest dental specialist was four hours away. If I could not perform a procedure, my patients’ only option was often tooth extraction. That did not sit right with me. Determined to change that, I traveled abroad to learn specialist procedures from the most respected dentists on the planet. Soon, colleagues were asking how I, a general dentist, was performing work normally reserved for specialists.
Eventually, I began teaching these procedures to other dentists. At the time, advanced skills training outside formal programs was rare and sometimes frowned upon. But there is still a clear gap: Dentists are taking a weekend course, performing a procedure once, then attempting it on patients, with mixed results. Many dental school graduates can only perform a small percentage of advanced procedures when they enter the workforce, single digits. If pilots were trained this way, few of us would want to fly.
Closing the training gap
Hands-on simulation offers a better way. In aviation, pilots log hundreds of hours in simulators before they ever carry passengers, rehearsing everything from sudden engine failure to extreme weather conditions. They do not just practice in perfect, calm skies. They are trained to operate under stress and unexpected variables, so that when the real thing happens, muscle memory takes over.
Dentistry can, should, and (in time) will adopt the same approach. Just as pilots can respond to an emergency almost reflexively, dentists should be able to handle real-world challenges, such as unusual symptoms, unforeseen complications, or challenges communicating with patients without freezing or second-guessing themselves. But that requires repeated, hands-on practice long before the stakes are real. For patients today, the highest currency value they hold is their own money value of time. So, dentists who want to continue to be patient-centric need to offer consumer-grade convenience, which means being confident enough to complete procedures conveniently and efficiently, predictably so.
Cloud-based simulation technology now makes this possible from anywhere in the world, removing the need for costly travel or extended time away from patients. Dentists can train in the same environment where they treat their daily patients, making the learning more relevant and easier to retain.
Training dentists in a simulated environment can replicate realistic clinical scenarios with remarkable accuracy. They can use a dentist’s own tools and surroundings to mimic the tactile feel, resistance, and precision required in actual procedures. From learners fighting their way through dental school to experienced dentists wanting to take their careers to the next level, practitioners can push themselves to the limits, make mistakes, and problem-solve without putting a patient at risk. They can repeat the same procedure dozens of times, refining muscle memory and technique until the actions become second nature.
The future of dentistry
Geography should never limit a dentist’s ability to learn, or a patient’s access to quality care. By combining repetition-based learning with realistic simulation, we can prepare dentists to work under pressure, adapt to unpredictable conditions, and deliver better outcomes. We can also expand the dentist workforce to address shortages of practitioners who can perform advanced care. This kind of training not only sharpens technical skills but also builds the confidence to perform them efficiently and calmly when it matters most.
When dentists feel prepared and self-assured, they approach challenging cases with decisiveness rather than hesitation, which translates to smoother procedures, reduced patient anxiety, and improved trust in the dentist-patient relationship. Confidence born from repeated, realistic practice becomes just as critical as clinical skill, empowering dentists to bring advanced care to their communities, no matter how far they are from the nearest specialist.
Lincoln Harris is a dentist.
