30 hours into first person view drone simulations. 
If you don’t know what an FPV drone is, imagine being a falcon you fully control. Dive bombing on command, banking to the right and pulling a barrel road right above your dental practice.
That’s the ability you have with these drone technologies. The only issue flying one of these, is the learning curve is high.
I’m just 30 hours into my training, and what most FPV pilots say, you won’t really be decent until you’ve had 100’s of hours behind the ‘sticks’. Lingo of the FPV pilot world.
My first 5 hours of flying I could barely get off the ground. I would’ve thought ‘crash and burn’ will be emblazoned as a tattoo on my left forearm. A second amalgam tooth tattoo should be on my right to make me look tough.
I’m starting to see the gains with each minute and hour of flight. Understanding the physics, handles and air braking required to maintain a controlled flight.
I remember my first crown prep on ivorine teeth. Jagged edged. Rough. Misshapenned. Perfect descriptors of my hunchback of Notre Dame look-a-like preps. But slowly, the odd sensation of slow but sure growth took place.
The distal lingual corners of #3 and 14 became less challenging. The lab called me less about not giving enough clearances. I nicked a lot less adjacent teeth… don’t judge… I would still buff them out afterwards.
These gains in confidence never came over night. It came with each and every iteration. Each hour behind the drone simulator, I can sense learning something new. Each new crown prep, I can sense learning a new nuance I didn’t have before.
It may be as subtle as waiting for the cement to completely dry before peeling it off. Wiping away wet cement with an explorer seems like a test of dentist sanity all of us go through.
Or the change can be dramatic like using a highly efficient diamond bur that reduces your prep time in half.
Our experience is gained through our dedication to practice each day. Comparing what you did when you first started, I hope you gain a perspective of how far you’ve just come. You aren’t that same person any longer. Nor will you be the same person you are today by tomorrow.
Every experience we are having in the moment helps us gain a new perspective of what it is we’re trying to learn. So don’t be so hard on yourself if something recently hasn’t panned out. ‘Crashed and Burned’ hasn’t yet been etched into your arm.
Lam