When I first started at this practice 32 years ago, I worked alongside an older dentist, Dr. Clarke. He was a specialist who had even served as a dentist on an aircraft carrier during World War II. He was a great dentist, and yet every so often, when I asked him a question, he would shrug and say:

“I don’t know.”

At the time, I was fresh out of dental school, confident that I had been trained for everything. I remember thinking to myself, Really? How could he not know? After all, I was brand new and I thought I had all the answers.

Fast forward ten years. Dr. Clarke had passed away, and I was still in practice, still hearing his words in my head. By then, I had taken countless specialty courses and poured myself into continuing education. The funny thing was, the more I learned, the more questions I seemed to have. Each new layer of knowledge only revealed how much more there was that I didn’t fully understand.

Over the years, I’ve logged hundreds of hours in continuing education. I’ve even had the privilege of teaching courses myself. And yet, the truth is, when a patient asks me a tough question today, sometimes the most honest answer I can give is still:

“I don’t know.”

That may sound surprising, but it’s not a sign of weakness or incompetence. Quite the opposite, it’s a recognition of just how vast and ever-changing the field of dentistry really is.

When I say, “I don’t know,” it doesn’t mean I’m stopping there. It means I’m committed to finding the right answer, whether that’s through research, consulting with a colleague, or exploring new technology. Dentistry isn’t about pretending to know everything. It’s about being honest, curious, and willing to learn, because that’s what patients deserve.

Now, after more than three decades in practice, I understand what Dr. Clarke knew all along: the more you grow in this profession, the more you realize there’s always more to learn.

So yes, sometimes I say, “I don’t know.” But I say it with the experience, humility, and honesty that only come with time.

And in that way, I’ve come full circle, from the young dentist who thought he knew everything, to the older dentist who has earned the right to admit when he doesn’t.

— Dr. Steven Little