Re-igniting the Professional Passion in Dentists
I love being a dentist. I treasure building long-term relationships with my patients and their families, and having the opportunity to care for new patients every day. I am privileged to be part of their trusted health care team. With a career of over 25 years, it’s always wonderful to see patients who were children in the early years grow to adulthood, and now bring their children to us for dental care.
Rediscovering the Joy of Dentistry
I invest some of my time in sharing my perspective on dentistry with my colleagues as a continuing education speaker at dental conferences. I do this because, all too often, they tell me they have lost their passion for their career. I find that to be a very sad situation – which has ramifications not only for the dentist feeling this way, but also for his or her staff, family and most important, the patients. My mission is to re-ignite the passion that propelled my colleagues into their dental careers at the beginning so that they are able to start every day with the same joy and gratitude for their profession that I have. And sometimes, I am blessed with a response from one of my peers that indicates I have succeeded in this mission.
From my email inbox this week--
“I wanted to tell you that I made the decision to do the Air Force's 2 year comprehensive dental residency. I tell you this because I still look up to you greatly and want to model myself after you. I'll never forget how you and your presentation touched me and effected my future in dentistry. Your positive energy and passion for your patients is unmatched. You are exactly the type of person I'd want to practice with. Thank you for being a light at the end of the tunnel.”
When I receive a note like this, it encourages me to pack my suitcase one more time and head out to help my dentist colleagues learn how they can rediscover the joy in dentistry to the benefit of everyone in their lives.
