Why did you become a dentist, and what did you intend to achieve as a dentist?

Answer 1

I chose dentistry because of my life-long exposure through my father. I knew that it would provide a satisfactory creative and artistic outlet for me. Once I entered dental school, I began to understand more of the medical aspects of practice - not to mention the technical demands - and I realized that I would indeed be helping people in various levels of need. Once I entered practice, I understood the satsifaction derived from helping alleviate pain and disease as well os dealing with medically complex patients who were not the typical "Drill and Fill" patients. In the very earliest days of my practice - probably within the first month - I expressed some feelings of guilt when I encountered a patient who had a lot of cavities or needed a lot of other kinds of dental treatment, because I knew that it was going to cost the patient a lot of money to fix their teeth. My father, in his wisdom and Thank God, told me, "Never forget that you are here to help these people get out of pain or avoid pain in the future. YOU are going to help them live a better and more comfortable and healithier life. YOU will be providing an income for yourself, your family and the families of your entire staff by doing this and it is a just reward. Never feel guilty that you have to charge a fee in order to keep your business in operation so that you will be here when they need you." I'm only telling you that because it summarizes what would have been HIS answer to your question about when he had achieved as a dentist. This was what he said to me after he had been in practice for over 35 years. Now that I've been in practice fro over 30 years, I can see that I have arrived at the same place he did.

Answer 2

Financial freedom, being my own boss, having no emergencies and most importantly providing beautiful and health smiles to my patients.