Abstract

Sapere Aude. Towards a Mindful Orthodontic Practice: Navigating Complexity and Embracing Innovation

by Sachdeva Rohit

Orthodontic practice is a complex adaptive system with emergent properties, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of cognitive psychology and debiasing strategies. To respond effectively, orthodontists must grasp cognitive dispositions, recognize limitations of technologies, and appreciate the impact of patients' social and behavioral determinants. This presentation aims to cultivate situational awareness, mindfulness, and error minimization, fostering a culture of high performance and reliability. By embedding continuous learning in the point of care, it will explore various sources of errors, mistakes, and adverse responses that create inefficiencies and compromise patient safety. The future design of orthodontic practice will be discussed, highlighting novel techniques such as anticipatory care, scenario planning, discovery-driven planning, premortem analysis, and the interplay between system one and system two thinking. Risk management, managing variation, and embracing the principle of simplexity in patient care will be emphasized. Additionally, the impact of digital tools and misinformation, as well as asymmetric patient information, will be addressed, highlighting the transformation of orthodontics through hyperpersonalization using the WZDM approach developed by Dr. Sachdeva. Attributes of an expert doctor and the new face of orthodontic practice, where patients are considered partners, will be explored. This includes fostering empathy, promoting sustainability and environmental consciousness, and adopting the Festina Lente approach—acting deliberately yet efficiently. The presentation will also delve into the need for antifragility, resilience, and the acquisition of new skills, while acknowledging the potential pitfalls of technology dependency. By building a mindful practice that recognizes the impact of embodied and embedded cognition, forbidden knowledge problems can be overcome. Shared collaborative practices, interprofessional collaboration, transparency, and reporting failures will be essential in creating a culture of accountability, responsibility, and value creation rather than extraction. In summary, this presentation by Dr. Sachdeva aims to provide orthodontists with valuable insights into navigating complexity, leveraging innovation, and developing a mindful approach to patient care in the ever-evolving landscape of orthodontic practice.

Learning Objectives

After this lecture, you will be able to understand cognitive psychology and debiasing. Grasp limitations of technology. Consider social and behavioral factors. Cultivate mindfulness and mistake proofing.
After this lecture, you will be able to innovate orthodontic practice. Use anticipatory care and scenario planning. Manage risks and variation. Address digital tools, misinformation, and patient information imbalance.
After this lecture, you will be able to develop expert attributes. Foster empathy and sustainability. Be deliberate and efficient. Beware of technology dependence. Emphasize collaboration, transparency, and reporting failures.