My Tiny Winy Frustration

I know everyone is different, not everyone has the same will as me. I’m just writing out of my own observations and opinion of comments made by others.

The highest degree of satisfaction for me currently in clinics does not come after doing a good restoration or finishing a thorough scaling for my patient. Instead, that feeling will only come when my patients practice the oral hygiene instructions I given to them. On subsequent visit, they would voice out their difficulties to follow certain methods and discuss with me, seeking for further guidance.  At least they are making an effort to take care of their dentition and I on the other hand feel that my advice took roots in their minds and hearts. That really will make my day.

Is community work only for people who specialized in community dentistry? I don’t think so. Instead, this branch of dentistry is the one that reminds and instills in the students the required qualities to become a dentist, and not a heartless-money-sucking-workaholic. I know many are aiming towards establishing their own dental clinic in the future and I got to admit, I once thought so too. “Who cares about community and the people out there? This is a job and it will remain a job, no further than that.” And so it seems to many. I’m just generalizing the thoughts of many friends around me. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only weird one there, thinking about going out to the world, spreading oral hygiene instruction to everyone. “Why waste time?” many would say, “They will still come back with heavy calculus in no time. By then, just do scaling again, can fill in one more quota what; can charge them one more time what.” Rather than siting in our private cubical daily, drilling cavities and doing scaling, there are many out there who don’t know how to take care of their teeth nor even get to see a dentist yearly for their teeth check due to various reason. Dr. Noorliza once said this “if they can’t come to us, then it’s our duty to go to them” We are going to carry a suffix “Dr” in front of our names for a reason. Dentist, like any other health care professions, are a noble occupation. It’s a profession that “cares” for the oral health of the people, not “earn” from the oral disease of the people. It is when you put your mind into to making money, that’s where all the wrong thoughts and mind sets coming in.

Maybe many senior dentists out there might me calling me a “fool” or might be thinking that “this naïve girl doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” Those words “being caring”, “self-sacrificing”, “sympathy”, “empathy”, they are only found printed in dental school brochures.

True, I haven’t experience working life, I haven’t try to survive among the same kinds yet; I writing more on a dental student level. I personally feel it’s rather unhealthy to cultivate thoughts that dentist have to be always working indoor, attached to their dental chair. Many associate trips to dental camps or short visit to social welfare places as a waste of time and a hassle, especially the reports that have to be written after those trips. Irony, these will be the activities that we will be doing once we start our service with the government and maybe as future head dental officer in certain places, we might need to take charge in the planning of these activities themselves. They are just training us to become leaders one day.

The ‘sit back and relax’ mindset for me sometimes the most annoying thing on earth, especially during discussion. “Nevermind lah, so and so will come up with an idea, we just follow only. You just tell me what to do; I will do it for you. Don’t ask me to plan, I DON’T KNOW ALL THESE/ I DON’T HAVE ANY IDEAS” Those words in cap, those are the clue words for “I’m not bother, this doesn’t interest me, just tell me what to do”. Well, even if you are not that creative or running low on ideas, at least you can look up in the internet for inspirations instead of staying idle throughout the meeting. It is the effort that counts. Or maybe, people are just not up to take responsibilities, it’s always the “I, Me, Myself” mentality out there.

Well, this post doesn’t intend to direct at anyone. This is just a channel to let out my own thoughts and views about things. I do not hope to offend anyone here. Good day ahead. 

Special note: All photos were talk off the internet. Credits belong to respective site.