I’m hearing this term thrown around a lot lately, but what does it really mean? I liked Princeton’s Wordnet definition the best of the few I found; the expertness characteristic of a professional person. You can find this and more pearls of wise definitions here: wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn Expertness, implying to be an expert in your field, or specifically this field, Dental Technology. What does it take to be an expert in this field? Knowledge, and how do we get that, from learning, right? Where do we learn? Lectures, yes, ding, ding, ding, ding. So sign up for the soonest lecture you can attend and learn something! We can learn terminology, which could enable us to talk to the doctors more, give an air of confidence generally lacking when conversing with doctors. We can learn more of the material we use and have a greater grasp of why that porcelain pulled away at the margin. Etcetera, etcetera, just some random thoughts on professionalism, does anyone else have any other?
27 March, 2007
Dental Talk 
28 March, 2007 at 7:31 am
I’ve also found that appearance can lend one an air of professionalism. Business casual beat a tee shirt, jacket and tie or even just a tie or a suit coat can make others have more confidence what you have to say. Your choice of words that you were discussing can also make a big difference. We talk in a casual fashion but more formal email or oral communication can also increase the customer’s confidence. Just thoughts from an old broad! Great site, keep it up!
29 April, 2007 at 11:27 pm
That is a brilliant point, in fact as many of us know, we are only as good as our last restoration. Doctors can get a little pissed off if you mess with their scheduled appointments.
18 June, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Interesting thread of thinking. Professionalism is indeed how well you perform as well as appearance – but certainly extends to more than just your technical ability. Professionalism needs to be present in everything we do – including the way we market and sell our services to how we treat the customer. My two cents…
30 April, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Professionalism also extends to the written word. Spelling words incorrectly, not proofreading for grammar and punctuation, etc., are indications of one’s level of education, or level of professionalism, or maturity even.