Back in 2000 after being in practice for 11 years, I made a personal decision, which I knew would have a great impact upon my practice. I wasn't exactly sure at the time whether that impact would be largely positive or largely negative. It was more than just a decision, I was making a stand. I was committed, and I was going to go with it and make it work no matter what. That was the year I placed my last amalgam filling. Since then, I have moved forward and while I won't say, I never looked back. I will say that I never looked back for very long. Eleven years after that decision was made, I went through the rough times. I am proud to say that my office has been amalgam-free for more than a decade. Now, keep in mind, the idea of CEREC back then was very different than it is today. CEREC was just not on my radar those days. It was an idea that intrigued me greatly; I just wasn't ready to accept it. I needed to evolve clinically. I needed to experience the pain of failure. I needed to be knocked down before I could stand tall. For me, the evolution was hard, and I fought to learn and figure out where I was headed clinically. I began doing large, labor-intensive composites that looked great for a short period of time. I then moved on to an indirect composite material called Concept. Aha, I thought I found the answer to all of my problems. Soon the material was taken off the market for a reason I never found out. Then a real breakthrough occurred. I found a material called Belleglass, promised by the manufacturer to be the best-looking, longest-lasting restorative material around. Even better, I could fabricate an indirect composite restoration in my office without using the lab, for a reasonable price, and get this -- in a single visit. This was the direction I just has to take. Soon however, I found I needed to initiate my own recall program, as these restorations began to fail miserably. I told you this evolution was emotionally difficult, financially bankrupting and just downright hard. A good friend of mine gave me a call when I was at my lowest emotional point in my practice. He was getting involved with CEREC and his practice was going through a similar thing that mine was. We were diligent clinicians who just couldn't find the right combination of materials. I jumped into CEREC with both feet. At this point in my career I was ready for it, committed to it and accepting of what it demanded from me. I spent time to get the best education possible, met great people, worked late into the night to get it right. I was rewarded with knowing I was finally giving my patients the best possible restorations. I was able to experience a revolution in materials, and am in awe of what the future holds. I went from counting the days to retirement to feeling like I can work forever. Now one final revelation. Here I am wearing a hat I never anticipated. A new descriptor: Blogger. Who would have ever thought?