Are you sleepwalking through your career?

Dental professionals are becoming increasingly aware – all be it, in some cases, reluctantly - of the importance of reflection and mindfulness in their professional development. Both reflective practice and mindfulness have many applications in professional life. This article looks at their role in continuous professional development, in dental education and in learning from experience. Some practical-minded dental professionals may vaguely rate their performance of a routine procedure, or a professional development experience, as being good or bad; and then move on. This instinctive process is, in some cases, no more than a passing thought, which does not have the chance to take root and, therefore, cannot contribute meaningfully to their continuous professional development. This article aims to demystify the reflective review process and enable dental professionals to embed proactive review processes into their professional learning.