Challenges and triumphs – why do you still love dentistry?

Paul Abrahams, president of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, explores how we can continue to develop our love of dentistry,

This is a question that many of you would have pondered over this past year or so. The pandemic put the resilience of every practice and professional to the test, but long before we were using the word “lockdown” on a regular basis, we knew dentistry was considered a challenging field to be in. We saw the worrying statistics for occupational stress and read about patients’ sky-high expectations. We were also aware of how the fear of litigation was, for some, affecting not just their enjoyment of the job, but their ability to practise at all.

So, why do you still love it? It starts with being able to support people of all ages to maintain a lifetime of oral health. Every treatment plan that is accepted then completed, every anxious patient who builds up the confidence to attend then return, because they know you offer a caring, comfortable environment – these are just two examples of daily triumphs. The more people you can motivate in good preventive behaviours, and to see quality dental treatment as a worthwhile investment, will help to reduce the incidence of dental disease.