You are a Living National Treasure

Since 1955, Japan’s Council of Cultural Affairs has been honoring some of its highly esteemed craftspeople with the designation of “Living National Treasure.” It began with potters and eventually incorporated many art forms. This honor is a way to also acknowledge the country’s strong appreciation for one’s ability to create something valuable and unique by hand.

When I heard about this, just recently, I immediately thought about our community. Since I joined the dental industry in 1981, I was repeatedly told: “every tooth we make is unique; it is handcrafted artistry imbued with scientific knowledge.”

We know we are a changed industry.

Many once-handcrafted restorations are now being referred to as “commodities”: mass produced, unspecialized products. Caught in this transition, needing to keep up to stay afloat, we have hardly taken...