A Little Bit of Normal

Our work provides a little bit of normal in crisis times for those who need it.

Kerry K. Carney, DDS, CDE

There are a lot of nice things about being a dentist. That is why it continues to show up on the top 10 best jobs list.

There is the return on investment. I read one commentary after another explaining that the cost of a professional education does not matter until it negatively impacts the number of applicants for matriculation into dental schools. Education is monetized. The idea is as long as you can earn enough over the lifetime of your career to pay back the loans for your education, everything is rosy.

There is the freedom to locate where you will. When my husband and I started planning our practice, I did reconnaissance in the areas we preferred. Of course, my scouting skills proved questionable. (I reported that one town would be good because I spotted a factory with a lot of new cars parked in the lot. I thought the workers had parked their cars in the lot. I reasoned that the per capita income must have been pretty high in order for so many of the factory workers to own new cars. As it happened, I had mistaken a Toyota importer’s lot for a factory parking lot. It still turned out to be a good place to live and establish a practice. But as a professional investigator, I was a dud.) There is the freedom to set your hours. And by that, I mean for the first few years out of school, we worked 10-hour days, six days a week. But as time passed, we could cut back on hours at work to improve our life/work balance. Dentistry is fairly family friendly. If you are self-employed, you can make working schedules fit parenting and child-rearing needs.

There is the continual stimulation of new techniques and new science. Digital technology adds a dimension to dentistry that was unimaginable decades ago. As most dentists are gadget freaks, there is a never-ending supply of new things to try. But the best part of dentistry is the patients. Of course, there are bad days, but most every day, you can, through your knowledge and skill, help an old friend or aid a new friend.

When you practice in the same small town where you live, you become part of the community. You can encourage the young, congratulate the adults on family and individual achievements and commiserate with the elderly. Through our profession, we hold a special place in our community.

There is a recurring bittersweet role that we play in the lives of our patients. I was reminded of this when a long-time patient and friend, I will call him Dan, was reviewing his medical history with me. Dan told me he had been diagnosed with cancer. He proceeded to tell me about all that he had gone through physically and emotionally since he received the news.

He told me that he felt safe coming into our office and was glad to be able to devote his attention to his oral health for a while. He told me he was so tired of talking about the cancer treatment with his family and friends. He was relieved to talk about his dental health, a normal part of

everyone’s life. That made me consider the other instances that a routine dental visit had been a chance to have a brief return to normal for some patients. There was the young woman who had a life-threatening diagnosis who really wanted to complete the restoration of an endodontically treated tooth with a crown. She was the first person who actually articulated to me how going through the dental procedure made her feel normal. She looked forward to our appointments, as it was a reminder of her life before her diagnosis.

In reviewing their medical histories, I have had men break down as they tell me about the bad outcomes of biopsies or blood tests. One very sweet person confided his very serious diagnosis at the beginning of a cleaning and exam appointment. When I told him that his oral health was good and that we looked forward to seeing him again in six months, he took my hand and told me that was the best news he had heard in months.

Familiar structure and predictable routine can be so reassuring in a time of crisis. When my father was struggling at the end of his life, being a dentist, working with our team in our practice and providing care for our patients was a constant emotional aid for me. It was the still water in the storm. It allowed me to accept what could not be avoided and help myself by helping others. This is a part of our profession for which I am truly grateful.

Our work provides a little bit of normal in crisis times for those who need it.

Before dismissing Dan at the end of his appointment, I asked when he was going to get to go fly-fishing again. I knew that this was his favorite sport. His face lit up as he proceeded to tell me all about where he wanted to fish next. As he left, he told me it was always a pleasure to come see me and my staff but that day it was a positive joy.

His comments reminded me of what a rewarding profession dentistry can be. n