09/15/2024
I was privileged to celebrate today the life of an amazing friend and mentor, Dr. Skip Truitt. He taught me (and so many others) the foundational principles upon which I’ve built everything I’ve learned since. He was a pioneer, and if I’m being honest, a bit of a rebel in the world of craniofacial orthopedics and orthodontics. He was not afraid to go against tradition and the powers that be, in the pursuit of truth and improved methods to help our patients. He never quit learning and was not afraid to question what he or anyone else had considered to be an accepted reality of practice. His ability to understand the complexities of craniofacial function and break them down into digestible and understandable lessons made him an excellent teacher. The extent of the impact he made on lives of patients, dentists, and dentistry may never be fully appreciated but is enormous. I consider myself truly blessed to have learned from him. My life and that of my patients has forever been altered for the better because of our interactions. He was particularly passionate about helping children. He would regularly say “it has to excite you that you can do that for a child” after driving a point home about a particular principle. He was a huge fan of Winston Churchill and would usually end his seminars with the quote at the end of this post. Thank you does not begin to cover it.
