{ outreach in action } by Paul Roberts • Foundation & Outreach Director


What Does Wordle Have to Do with Dentistry?


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I have a confession. I love games and puzzles. Always have. Probably always will because the frequent ads on most of my phone app games advocate that “doctors say I’ll live longer if I play this game 10 minutes a day.” I sure better listen to the doctor. You’re a doctor so I think you would agree, right? Ever since childhood, I found myself more energized to learn something or solve a problem if it involved a game or a puzzle. In my prehistoric youth before computers and the internet, I relied on card games like Concentration or board games like Scrabble to teach me focus and creativity. Crosswords and Find-a-Word were also big hits. Long road trips were more easily tolerated if I had a Ticonderoga #2 pencil and a variety game book from the five and dime loosely bound and arrayed on flimsy newsprint paper.


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Illustrative electronics moved the gaming challenge to a more quest-oriented focus as I tried to reach new levels and higher scores while dodging all manner of opponents from Ms. Pac Man to Donkey Kong. I’m not sure the dark, noisy arcade years did much to advance my mental acuity, but I know for certain I almost single handedly kept the U.S. quarter circulation up to snuff. With the ad- vent of the smart phone, the variety and ease of access to games abounded. Starting with Solitaire (still a daily devotion) and growing to all manner of word-related puzzle games, I have enjoyed a renaissance of play. Admit- tedly it can be a distraction—squirrel! But it makes waiting in line anywhere way more tolerable.


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Enter Wordle, the New York Times daily puzzle that is sweeping the nation (and this author). The game gives you six chances to


22 focus | MAY/JUN 2022 | ISSUE 3


determine a five-letter word. After each turn, your entered letters turn gray if they are not anywhere in the word; they turn yellow if they are in the word but in the wrong place; and they turn green if they are the right letter in the right place. Players start with a measured first guess word. I mean most words have vowels, and Wheel of Fortune has taught us that R S T L N are the major consonants, so you can start smart. From there it takes some deliberate thought, a willingness to risk letters, a decisiveness to submit your next guess, an openness to consider new op- tions and a resolve to get it right. It’s the right mix of fun, challenge and reward. There’s even a dental version of the game where all the words are related to the profession. That makes me want to S M I L E! Given what I’ve just shared about my approach to life and love for games, you can see how I might ap- ply this simple Wordle exercise to the riddles facing MDA.


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Pick your poison for the riddle du jour: insur- ance reform, member engagement, work- force issues, COVID whiplash, school debt, and on and on. MDA leaders and staff have experience and resources to make a smart start to any problem but it’s unlikely to be solved in one pass. This game is like life, it requires patience. Next, we try to apply some deliberate thought. We may survey member- ship or consult with partners. Because total agreement is elusive in a profession as large and diverse as dentistry, there comes a time to risk some capital and try something. An informed and decisive attitude propels the process forward. There’s satisfaction in real- izing some actions are not only correct, they are also in the right place for success. Still, refinement is often required and this means an openness to other options and viewpoints.


You don’t know what you don’t know, and you can’t grow if you don’t proactively listen to those different than you—in age, location, practice model, culture, etc. To get to this point takes some resolve, but more often than not the result is six green letters indicat- ing success. That is rewarding.


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I’ve seen my Wordle matrix proven time and time again. Whether it be with our approach to connecting with dental students at the schools or taking two or more legislative ses- sions to pass beneficial laws that protect you. A strong membership and an experienced staff team will eventually get those letters green. This bears out my experience that, when played with someone by your side, you arrive at the right word more quickly and with the satisfaction that comes from collaborating. A current riddle that occu- pies much of my thought is the need for the MDA to evolve. There are major shifts in the profession related to generations, practice models, technologies and values. How do we remain relevant on that front? Some essen- tials, like vowels in Wordle, always factor in. This is true with advocacy. Then we look for the most common ground (like R S T L N in Wheel of Fortune). This is practice manage- ment—insurance, staffing, etc.


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