Dr. Kirk Preston president@cda-adc.ca The Paradox of Doubt In dentistry, having confidence is important. Patients place enormous trust in us, often at moments when they are feeling vulnerable. Yet one of the great paradoxes of professional life is that the most thoughtful practitioners are often the ones who carry a measure of doubt. At first glance, that may sound counterintuitive. We tend to associate leadership and expertise with certainty. But research from Oxford University suggests something different: doubt, when approached in a healthy and reflective way, can strengthen trust, deepen empathy and lead to better decision making. Oxford professor Michael Smets observes that doubt is “not the antithesis of confidence, but its foundation.” Smets co-authored a report1 based on interviews with more than 150 global CEOs, that found that many highly effective leaders experience uncertainty and anxiety, but use those feelings constructively to challenge assumptions, test ideas and make better decisions. Smets argues that the power of doubt lies in its ability to serve as a catalyst for judgment and learning. Rather than creating paralysis, constructive doubt encourages curiosity, reflection and humility. That idea resonates deeply with me as a dentist. We work in a profession that requires us to make decisions in the face of uncertainty, where outcomes are influenced not only by clinical skill, but by biology, human behaviour and other circumstances beyond our control. Early in my own career, when I was a general dentist, I pursued training in implant dentistry. After completing a mini-residency program, I came away with an unexpected realization: I had learned enough to understand how much I still did not know. Rather than discouraging me, that experience pushed me to continue learning and ultimately complete specialty training in prosthodontics. In hindsight, that uncertainty was not weakness, it was an opportunity for growth. I suspect many colleagues have had similar experiences. Healthy doubt can make us better listeners. It can encourage us to slow down, seek advice from our peers and communicate honestly with patients about risks and limitations. In my experience, openness builds trust far more effectively than pretending to have all the answers. Smets also highlights another important lesson for our profession—leadership today is shifting away from a traditional model of the infallible expert. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders were expected to always project certainty. But the pandemic forced leaders to make difficult decisions with incomplete information. The report notes that leaders who acknowledged uncertainty while remaining thoughtful and compassionate often earned greater public trust. Dentistry has always embodied these values. We balance science with human connection and expertise with compassion. At the same time, we must acknowledge that the emotional weight of dentistry is real. The pressures of practice ownership, patient care, financial stress and rapidly changing technology can contribute to burnout. That is why strong professional communities matter so much. Organized dentistry, mentorship and peer support remind us that we do not face these challenges alone. As dentists, we should never be afraid to continue learning or leaning on one another. A degree of doubt does not diminish our professionalism. In many ways, it reflects the conscientiousness and humanity that define our profession at its best. From the President 1. White A, Smets M, Canwell A, Sutherland F. The CEO Report: Embracing the Paradoxes of Leadership and the Power of Doubt. Oxford: Saïd Business School, University of Oxford; 2021. 7 Issue 3 | 2026 | CDA at Work
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