Recently, I’ve been seeing many terms being used in dentistry:
“First time in the world”
“Never done before”
“Novel treatment protocol”
“Revolutionary technique”
“Unique attachment system”
“Innovative workflow”
Sometimes when I read these posts, I get the feeling that I’ve seen something similar before-maybe in an old paper, a conference presentation, a thesis, or a lesser-known journal article.
This is not meant to question anyone’s work. Innovation is important and every field needs it. But it does make me think about how difficult it is to truly say something is being done for the first time. Dentistry have decades of literature, and many ideas get modified, refined, or rediscovered over time.
Personally, I feel educational posts become even more useful ultimately when they include the relevant article, reference, or evidence behind the concept. It help clinicians who read learn more and verify the information themselves, also acknowledge previous work if it exists.
Sometimes an idea may genuinely be new. Sometimes it may be an adaptation of something already described years ago. Either way, sharing the evidence along with the educational posts probably benefits everyone.
What are your thoughts on this ?
MBH/PS