The Dentist’s Dilemma: Why We’re Blind to Our Own Mistakes (But Not Everyone Else’s)

Our teams make mistakes. As dental practice owners and leaders, we do as well. After all, we’re human—though some days, after seeing two new patients, three emergencies, four crowns and five implants, we might feel superhuman. But here’s the real question: Why are we so quick to spot mistakes in others yet often oblivious to our own?

Part of this phenomenon comes down to our built-in biases—those sneaky mental shortcuts that Nobel Prize-winning legends Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky spent their careers uncovering. One of the biggest culprits? Confirmation bias.

What Is Confirmation Bias, and Why Should You Care?

As healthcare undergoes rapid change, confirmation bias becomes a greater liability, as it could impeded adaptation and growth.

Confirmation bias is our brain’s tendency to favor information that supports what we already believe while conveniently ignoring anything that contradicts it. It’s the mental equivalent of that patient who swears they use their morning aligner every day—yet their bite tells a very different story.

For dental leaders, confirmation bias can manifest in all kinds of practice-crippling ways:

How Confirmation Bias Leads to More Mistakes

When we’re trapped in confirmation bias, we reinforce poor decisions rather than learning from them. We don’t adapt. We don’t improve. And worst of all, we unknowingly create a culture where our team is afraid to speak up. No one wants to be the assistant who questions why a certain protocol is in place—especially if the doctor has already convinced themselves it’s perfect.

Breaking Free: How to Overcome Confirmation Bias in Your Practice

The good news? Awareness is half the battle. Here are a few ways to keep confirmation bias in check and create a culture where mistakes become learning opportunities, not repeat offenders:

The Bottom Line

We all have blind spots, and confirmation bias ensures they stay… well, blind. But the best leaders recognize this, actively challenge their assumptions, and create an environment where growth trumps ego. Your practice—and your team—will be better for it.

So next time you catch yourself thinking, “This is just the way we’ve always done it”, pause. You might just be one open mind away from your best decision yet.

Michael

P.S.  If you want to have a complete set of SOP’s, drop me a note and I’ll share a valuable resource you can use to customize SOP’s for your practice.

P.P.S.  Want to dip your toes into an amazing coaching program without spending 10’s of thousands?  Check out The Dental Growth Mastermind Program.