Hardest thing in Dentistry

[c132]

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HEy guys, what would you all say is the hardest thing that you have found in dentistry so far. I would say its a tie between getting a good impression on a way subgingival crown margin, and getting some patients to shut up long enough so you can do the work on them ---- advantage rubber dam!!!! Anyone care to share experiences??? 😱

 

[ItsGavinC]

Sorry, I'm not in clinic yet, so all of my responses will just reveal the warped sense of reality I have due to preclinical lab. 🙂

I'll get back to you in several months when we start clinic.

 

[toofache32]

Getting people to brush their damn teeth. Don't they wipe their a$$ after they poop?

 

[Gutta Percha]

Managing and leading your staff.

 

[DrJeff]

Managing and leading your staff.

I'll second, third and fourth that remark!!! 😱

I tell people that the EASIEST part of my job is when the mask and gloves are one and the handpiece is spinning away. The toughest is the business side, hands down

 

[ecdoesit]

dealing with life.
my classmates alike, we dont have time to deal with problems in our life.
expect to make some sacrifiace during dental school.
however, after that 4 yrs, life is great.

 

[PERFECT3435]

i cant say from clinical experince but i can tell you from my prior work experience with a dentist.

the hardest thing in dentsitry to me is dealing with dentures. it could be a pain in the ass in times.

 

[ShawnOne]

From my experience working in an office, dealing with 6-7 year olds.

 

[Energon]

Putting up with biased arsehole professors who should be out there burning crosses with the KKK instead of "teaching" dentistry

 

[aphistis]

i cant say from clinical experince but i can tell you from my prior work experience with a dentist.

the hardest thing in dentsitry to me is dealing with dentures. it could be a pain in the ass in times.

Amen to the dentures.

 

[Energon]

damn

Unfortunate but true.... its funny, I really didnt see this in college but its really bad now, even my patients notice it and thats just plain embarrassing not only for me but also my institution.

 

[tinker bell]

Get all the profs to like you, so your life won't be hell. And be with all classmates from 8-5, sometimes it's hard to be political with many diverse groups, different cultures, etc...

 

[PERFECT3435]

Unfortunate but true.... its funny, I really didnt see this in college but its really bad now, even my patients notice it and thats just plain embarrassing not only for me but also my institution.

do you mind telling us what school?


maybe you should visit Indiana. LOL

 

[ibo man]

Putting up with biased arsehole professors who should be out there burning crosses with the KKK instead of "teaching" dentistry

I second that. Some of this dingus looking at you, and asking themselves what in the world is he doing here? when you ask them a simple question.

 

[Shiko]

I'd say "lack of facilities " .
It's just so frustrating when you're supposed to do a neat root canal obturation , with no light in the unit , hardly any files that are not abused , bent or broken , no suction ( no body dare tell me to put a rubber dam ok ? ),
an expired RC sealer and no X-rays !!!
Believe me i'm not making this up .. Some places consider dentistry an expensive luxury . When you are a skilled and knowledgeable dentist and forced to operate wit no facilities at all ... that's the hardest thing in dentistry

 

[organic]

I'll second, third and fourth that remark!!! 😱

I tell people that the EASIEST part of my job is when the mask and gloves are one and the handpiece is spinning away. The toughest is the business side, hands down

I fifth and sixth and seventh this! and especially a good office manager!

 

[kerrydds06]

the only thing I lose sleep over is the future. How the hell am I gonna go from managing 30 pts a semester to owning and running a practice with over 3000? How's that for scary?

I try to close my eyes and remind myself to take it one step at a time.

btw: has anyone read that e book "how to start a dental practice from scratch" it's $19.95! is it worth it?

 

[inzanoni]

hardesting for me right now is that each time on clinic i have to be crazy wondering and nervous about which professor i will get cuz some are very very cruel! ...oh terrible.. who will i get tomorrow 🙁
it's really like this in my uni in my country!

 

[jk5177]

Managing and leading your staff.

This is what I heard from the dentists/orthodontists which I've observed.

 

[zidanereal2003]

don't you get grossed out by what you see sometimes?

it is a good idea to be a dentist if you don't like seeing nasty mouths?

do you get used to seeing nasty mouths? 😱

I am sure you would get used to seeing nasty mouths. Surgeons get used to doing surgery. Doctors get used to seeing sick people and so on

 

[Shiko]

I am sure you would get used to seeing nasty mouths. Surgeons get used to doing surgery. Doctors get used to seeing sick people and so on

Correct , But do you ever get used to picking food and stuff from patients' mouths .. I've noticed that patients coming for their routine cleaning leave food debris intentionally as if it's my job to take that out too along with Calculus and stuff 🙁

 

[zidanereal2003]

Correct , But do you ever get used to picking food and stuff from patients' mouths .. I've noticed that patients coming for their routine cleaning leave food debris intentionally as if it's my job to take that out too along with Calculus and stuff 🙁

Ask your office staff to clean your patients' mouths for you! 🙂

 

[Shiko]

Ask your office staff to clean your patients' mouths for you! 🙂

LOL , wish i could do that .. my staff would only ask for a raise if i ask them to do the yucky stuff for me 🙂 ..
Sometimes I have to wear two masks and soak one of them in Perfume 🙂
Euuu!! Enough of that post , I already got a mental image 🙁

 

[12YearOldKid]

Correct , But do you ever get used to picking food and stuff from patients' mouths .. I've noticed that patients coming for their routine cleaning leave food debris intentionally as if it's my job to take that out too along with Calculus and stuff 🙁

Hand them a toothbrush, a tube of Crest and show them where the sink is. 😀 I have no qualms about doing this in clinic. If I can't see what's going on, I can't do my job. I haven't had anyone get offended yet. It's just a matter of how you approach it.

 

[12YearOldKid]

Oh... and Scope is your friend. 😉

 

[trypmo]

Hand them a toothbrush, a tube of Crest and show them where the sink is. 😀 I have no qualms about doing this in clinic. If I can't see what's going on, I can't do my job. I haven't had anyone get offended yet. It's just a matter of how you approach it.

Exactly - and it means they get a free toothbrush, and people (like me!) almost always like getting free stuff. 🙂

 

[jk5177]

Correct , But do you ever get used to picking food and stuff from patients' mouths .. I've noticed that patients coming for their routine cleaning leave food debris intentionally as if it's my job to take that out too along with Calculus and stuff 🙁

Have them brush their teeth at your clinic.

 

[SPBest]

I've only worked on a few patients in clinic, but I've worked on people as an assistant. Give them the brush and paste, if they come back and yesterdays bacon is still crammed in there go back to the sink WITH them and watch their hygiene. Why work on the mouth if they can't take care of it. If I'm not happy with their hygiene they'll need to prove they can do it before I start working.

On the other hand you've got to be able to look at the crap in their mouth without gagging. In undergrad there was a guy in my bio lab who couldn't stand our project, collecting saliva for salivary amylase. He wanted to be a dentist! I told him he better rethink his career choice or get use to spit. He decided it wasn't for him. Better now that later.

 

[2thDr2B]

I agree, managing your staff can be a problem. However, there are highly qualified people out there that do just that.... 'teach' you how to manage your practice AND your staff. They also train your staff 'properly', provided you hire one of the better Management Consulting companies that are out there. They aren't cheap, initially, but in the long run..your practice will profit greatly as a result. 🙂