Comments on: The Stability of Dentistry

By: Lolabees

Lolabees — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 22:48:10 +0000

In reply to Di. Glad it helps. I agree. There are too many other things that make it hard to focus on the art and science of it!

By: Di

Di — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 20:41:28 +0000

I’m always so relieved to read these posts and find I’m not alone in disliking soooo many aspects of dentistry! I signed up for the “art and science” you always read about in University prospectuses, but sadly I haven’t found either to exist.

By: Lolabees

Lolabees — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 20:10:46 +0000

In reply to Trey Davis.

Thanks, Trey! Great to hear from you again! I know it’s been a while. Another good point you make… how much of ourselves we sacrifice to be and give everything to our patients– whether it’s physical, emotional, mental space. We have to give a lot to be in this profession. And yes, the stability is an illusion!

By: Trey Davis

Trey Davis — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 16:40:37 +0000

Great article!
Thirty years of dentistry has taken its toll. I recently had non-dominant hand surgery for arthritis and am off work for about 4 months. My other hand needs it too, but I don’t really want to go through it again.
I’m resentful that I’ve ruined my hands trying to give my all to patients, some of which didn’t seem to appreciate it and others not even paying. I honestly don’t want to do it anymore.
Stability is an illusion for sure. Thanks for listening!

By: Lolabees

Lolabees — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 14:30:30 +0000

In reply to clarissa collier. It's so helpful to get the clarity on what is really going on, isn't it? Def leads to better solutions!

By: Lolabees

Lolabees — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 14:29:54 +0000

In reply to Julie. After 20 years of thinking about this and "studying" it, this was quite a revelation I had in the last few weeks. It's so ironic, isn't it, that the very thing that keeps us here is the same thing that is lacking in the daily work!

By: Lolabees

Lolabees — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 14:28:13 +0000

In reply to Eric R.. I so relate to this, Eric! I thought it was the perfect job too! Little did we know...

By: Eric R.

Eric R. — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 03:52:52 +0000

This is a great perspective. It brought back memories of my being a freshman in college, imagining my (possible) future career in dentistry. I remember telling friends that it seemed to be the perfect job. Dentists would always be needed, and as far as I knew, the profession would provide a comfortable, stable living. After I spent some time “shadowing” my family dentist I still felt the same — he always seemed happy to be doing what he was doing. And then in dental school — despite the fact that it often was more like a hazing experience than an education — there was a certain camaraderie between everyone in the class. We were all experiencing the journey together.

But things were different in “real life”. It didn’t seem that way at first, but then the daily stresses began setting in. Everyone reading this knows exactly what they are. I guess I never anticipated that when a patient’s anterior temporary bridge broke, and they were going out of town the next day for a wedding (of course… it’s always a wedding!), I’d be having to figure out a way to somehow squeeze them into an already busy schedule, taking time away from patients and procedures that required my complete attention. And of course there would be no charge to the patient… it’d be my fault that the temporary broke… never mind they were biting into hard pretzels at the time.

Short of an emergency that could be referred to an endodontist or oral surgeon, most patients insist on being seen the same day when they have a “dental emergency”. Try calling your physician’s office with an emergency… you’ll be advised to call 911.

Of course, there is more to the daily stress at the dental office than just dealing with emergencies. There are a thousand other pressures, as we all know, and have been mentioned above.

The challenge is to be completely honest with yourself, and be open to the possibility of change. Never give up… you have the ability to make that change happen.

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 16:31:37 +0000

I related to so much of this. Could have written this myself: “You want stability and safety, but dentistry itself feels chaotic, unpredictable, and unsafe.” I went into dentistry because it is a safe, stable job, but it’s proven to be anything but. The day to day minutiae causes my anxiety to skyrocket, and I want off the ride. The funny thing is, it doesn’t get better as time goes by.

By: clarissa collier

clarissa collier — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 14:48:29 +0000

Wow, you’ve articulated perfectly how I’ve been feeling for the last 3 years. I’m glad I’m not alone.