Dentistry,Cycling and CBCT(Cone Beam Computerized Tomography)

At the age of 51 I took up cycling. What I didn't know at the time was how addicting this sport was. In 2 years I own a Road bike, Cyclocross bike and a Mountain bike. Not only is it addicting it is expensive. I live in the Midwest we don't have real hills or mountains. Hats off to the real cyclers of the world who compete and live in mountainous regions. So what does Cycling and Dentistry have in common. In order to excel at anything we have to put the time in. Sometimes that means hundreds or thousands of hours of practice or training.
Cycling is a constant ritual of getting on your bike and putting in the time. Going long distances,sprinting and easy days of lighter riding. What I enjoy is how the strength and endurance builds over time. I also enjoy the freedom of buzzing through the woods or empty streets in the early dawn.
The CBCT world I entered 4 years ago. I have never looked back at this decision. It's funny fellow dental lecturers told me I was crazy to make such an investment. Those same lectures are talking about how they now can't practice with out it.
To get good at reading these CBCT and have a working knowledge of the software you need to spend extra time nights and weekends working with it. It pays off in the long run. It definitely changes your career trajectory and sets you apart from other providers. The improvement in diagnostic ability radically changes. Here is an example I had a patient in 6 weeks ago who felt in pain in number 6 took PA no pathology present. Accept for the straight facial 6mm pocket. I had one of my assistants take a small Field Of View CBCT and I found a fracture present. I sent to the oral surgeon who was getting ready to place implants 2-5 area. He and the patient elected to watch. Yesterday I received a call from him that he was about to extract 6 because it had a huge pus pocket an mobility present. The point here is get good at your game. Attend courses on CBCT. Spend time reviewing your scans. Put in the extra miles it pays dividends.