Week 15 – The Human Side of Dentistry

This week, I have paid special attention to one side of dentistry that is usually forgotten — the significance of communicating with the patient. Although dentistry is a science, it includes interacting with humans who may be scared of undergoing any procedures.

It has led me to change my perception of dentistry. A good dentist cannot solely rely on scientific knowledge; he should be able to create a friendly atmosphere in the clinic to help his patients become relaxed and comfortable.

Thus, I started thinking about myself and my life outside dentistry. School and everyday interaction with other people show how important communication is. Therefore, this week, I tried to be more attentive while talking to someone.

Furthermore, it became clear to me that trust needs time to be established. Similarly to dentistry, where patients need to be sure about professionals’ responsibility, trust needs to be established consistently. This realization made me realize how important it is to follow up on all one’s promises and be reliable in different settings.

Firstly, it became clear that success in dentistry does not necessarily depend on academic achievements. Success requires one to develop certain interpersonal skills. As such, improvement of my current communication skills will be useful in the future and in my everyday activities.

In the coming weeks, I will focus on my academic skills as well as communication skills. The gained insights concerning the human nature of dentistry helped me understand more about this profession.