Being a dentist – The art of dental practice management

The following article is by Simon who talks in detail about his views on the field of dentistry, who is practicing dentistry in France for last 8 years.

In this article, the author explains dentistry from a very practical point of view. 

Hi there, this is a very short perspective by a Dentist on Being a Dentist.

Personally, I would not recommend you to choose dentistry as a career.

The niche is highly lucrative, and I do not like competition ! 🙂

Jokes apart, allow me to provide some insight into the life of a dentist.

There are many aspects of dentistry that you come to know after

you spend some years in to dentistry.

Through this post its my goal to share those experiences and guide youngsters who are wanting a career in dentistry.

And if you are already into dentistry then this post will give you few points that you can change, to have a peaceful dental career.

Yes, it is true that we are making millions every year, but it is also true that we are putting ourselves at great risk.

There are many examples that I can give you but I will give one common example that justifies the picture above.

I will illustrate the same with a suitable example.

Most of the readers might be aware of dental implants.

These artificial roots will allow a dentist to implant an artificial tooth in the mouth.

Implants are the in thing and its a term every patient is now used to and enquires about it in any dental clinic he/she visits.

Bear in mind that the procedure might sound simple to some of the readers –

but I will give a brief rundown of the procedures.

Its a huge amount of planning and don’t forget the stress that will come with it.

You are always under the stress to deliver the perfect treatment.

And that many times – slowly and gradually takes the peace out of you.

• Once a patient opts for a dental implantation, I will have to study the network of nerves running in the region.
• One wrong move and the patient will never be able to open his or her mouth.
• The exact opposite can also happen – sometimes, the patient will never be able to close the mouth. The nerves convey the signals from the brain to various parts of the body. When the nerve cells are damaged, the connectivity between the brain and the region is shunned.

It is of no wonder that I charge $5000 for the procedure.

Initially, I will have to employ complex machinery to take x-ray photographs of the region.

Then I will have to spend countless hours studying the network of nerves running along the region.

Because of the complex nature of the ordeal,

I have to execute the implantation process in a step by step manner.

It all might seem simple but in reality its a lot of stress managing, planning and executing these procedures.

Added on that the pressure of meeting the expectation of the patient.

Its always a struggle between what the patient has expected in his/her mind and what actually the patient sees at the end of the treatment. You may explain the patient a million times not to expect heaven and moon. But thats is what the patient will exactly expect.

They may not realise how much hard work and technique has gone in to delivering the proper treatment/aesthetics and instantly make you feel bad by saying – Doctor ! I was expecting much more. Can it be improved a little more ? Does this look Ok, I feel its little odd and can be improved.

Yes ! as a client they have the right to enquire about the treatment, but soon you will see that many patients ask such questions just for the sake of it. That time you not only feel an anger inside but also a lot of frustration induced stress. 

Also there is a great stress involving in providing a Pain free Dental Extraction / Surgery. Though local anaesthesia works fine but many patients will be so apprehensive that its next to impossible to carry out any dental procedure. It really creates a lot of Stress that you can realise when you are in to active dental practice.

So, all in all it’s a great cocktail of hard work with good dose of stress and risks. 

This is just another day in the life of a dentist – more is yet to come.

There are so many dental procedures that are just ready to make your working day tough.

• The same procedures, but with varying approaches must be executed for various other dental procedures conducted by a dentist.
• The dentist will have to monitor the progress levels of the treatment and will have to execute alternative steps to rectify the situation. Many of the readers might be aware of metallic braces. These braces will have to be tightened at regular intervals.

• Else, the teeth will start growing in an entirely different direction. In simpler terms, I will be aiding the misalignment of the teeth.
• Instead of spending sleepless nights, a dentist will resort to advanced techniques like Invisalign or Inman Aligner. These are expensive procedures and a dentist will share the expenses with the patient.

By now, the readers might have a rough outline about the advantages or benefits of becoming a dentist. Of course, money rolls in the niche, but can money buy happiness and peace of mind ?

If you are willing to become a dentist just because you wish to own a Rolls Royce, then this is not the apt field for you.

Either you leave the profession or bring about a change in your attitude. Every profession is tough in this modern age with its own set of stress factors as well as risk factors.

So Stop Complaining !

Invest your time wisely and work consistently towards the goal.  

Keep in mind that our career objective is to bring smiles in the faces of many hundreds.

Work hard and one day you will realize the dream of becoming a successful dentist.

Well, that’s all I can tell you about being a dentist in the shortest way that’s possible !  I know its not much or you might be expecting a long article, but after diving deep into clinical dental practice, that’s all I have learnt and experienced.

So buckle and brace up for your dental ride ! ! !