{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"AME: Talking Myself Off the Ledge","description":"In this throwback episode of The Alan Mead Experience, Alan dives into the universal struggle every clinician faces: the days (or weeks) when it feels like everything you touch falls apart and imposter syndrome sets in. Drawing from an insightful thread in the Very Dental Facebook community, Alan discusses navigating clinical failure, managing patient expectations, and the vital role of peer support. He also shares a candid story about an emergency root canal case that spiraled into clinical self-doubt\u2014until an unexpected twist revealed the real issue at hand. Episode Highlights & Takeaways The Reality of Clinical Funk: Every dentist experiences runs of tough cases\u2014missed canals, separated root tips, or persistent post-op pain. Acknowledging that bad outcomes happen even with perfect technique is key to maintaining mental health. Insights from the Very Dental Community: Perspectives on clinical perfectionism, managing complications in-person rather than over the phone, and leaning on colleagues rather than suffering in isolation. Quick Clinical Tip: How Dr. Mead uses Ivoclar\u2019s Adhese Universal (VivaPen) as a reliable chairside solution for exposed dentin and post-operative hypersensitivity. The Root Canal Gone Wrong (Or Did It?): Alan details an emergency endo case on a lower second molar that caused days of anxiety over potential perforation and failure, only to find out the situation was driven by drug-seeking behavior rather than a botched procedure. The Importance of Case Selection & Boundaries: Learning when to refer, recognizing red flags early, and giving yourself grace when cases don't go as planned. Some links from the show: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells Ivoclar Adhese Universal Pen (get it at Crazy Dental using coupon VERYDENTAL10 and save 10%!) The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you\u2019d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! We're proud to be supported by the folks at Net32! I\u2019m a big fan of the Bioclear Method! I think you should give it a try and I\u2019ve got a great offer to help you get on board! Use the exclusive Very Dental Podcast code VERYDENTAL8TON for 15% OFF your total Bioclear purchase, including Core Anterior and Posterior Four day courses, Black Triangle Certification, and all Bioclear products. Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you\u2019ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com\/crazy and use coupon code \u201cVERYSHIP\u201d you\u2019ll get free shipping on your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com\/wonderist! Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com\/enova to see their whole line of products! CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you\u2019ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com\/CADRay! ","author_name":"The Very Dental Podcast Network","author_url":"https:\/\/verydentalpodcast.com\/","html":"