We still need to bridge the gap

When I teach evidence-based dentistry, I often recall one clinical case from dental school. A partial denture patient came to me with a loose denture that needed to be replaced. As a student, I followed my clinical supervisors’ instructions and the textbooks meticulously to make a new denture. The patient hated the final result. This led to awkward tension between my supervisor and the patient, who had very different views on the denture. After some back and forth, my supervisor told me angrily, “The patient is wrong. Why are you listening to him? I tell you, this is how it is done.”