Between Science and Experience

Between Science and Experience

“Experience is the teacher of all things.”

— Julius Caesar

This timeless reflection by Julius Caesar has echoed across centuries and cultures. In Portugal, its essence finds a special resonance in the work of Luís Vaz de Camões. Considered the greatest Portuguese poet — often compared to Shakespeare in the English tradition — Camões captured the nation’s spirit through Os Lusíadas, an epic that celebrates both discovery and the human condition.

For the Portuguese, Camões is more than literature; he is identity. His verses speak of hardship, resilience, and learning through life’s trials — ideas that mirror the wisdom contained in Caesar’s words.

And for me, as a dentist, this truth is felt every single day.

Books provide guidance, courses add knowledge, and protocols offer direction. But it is in the encounter with each patient — in their stories, their doubts, and even their fears — that true wisdom is built.

There are moments when I ask myself if I made the best decision, if the choice I took brought more benefit than risk. And it is precisely then that I recognize the value of experience: not as a mere accumulation of years, but as a continuous learning process, shaped by mistakes and successes, by reflection and humility.

In the end, knowledge only gains meaning when it is lived. And that is what I seek: to transform knowledge into experience, and experience into care.