How Lucky Am I? – American Board of General Dentistry
How lucky am I? I got to travel to Tampa to be an Examiner for the American Board of General Dentistry. This was my second year serving in such a capacity. It is so great to be a part of a dental organization that truly sets a standard for general dentists like no other. I helped give oral examinations (question and answer) in the discipline of Pediatric Dentistry/Orthodontics/Public Health to the candidates. Some were exceptional, most passed, and only a few needed to try again next year. I got to touch base again with lots of great friends I rarely see (Eric, Dan, Tom, Sandra, Jon, Randy, Will, Jack, Terry, etc.) and make new friends with Ross, Farid, Jared, etc. Lots of camaraderie and sharing stories with great soldiers, sailors and airmen who serve and are dentists. Sometimes, I miss that aspect of the military practice… and the days off!
To learn more about this organization visit www.abgd.org
A Nonspecific Feeling of Apprehension
This past Friday was the 13th. Fear of the number 13, or triskaidekaphobia, can be quite common. The first car accident I had was on a Friday the 13th, in an October no less! I’d like to think I’ve moved past it but in all honesty, I really haven’t.
Anxiety is best described by the International Association for the Study of Pain as, “a nonspecific feeling of apprehension, worry, uneasiness or dread, the source of which may be vague or unknown. A normal reaction when one’s body, lifestyle, values, or loved ones are threatened.” I think that is a great way to sum up the fear of the number 13 as we don’t live near Camp Crystal Lake.
I also see this every day in children in the practice. They have apprehension, uneasiness, etc. about coming in even though they have never been to a dentist. This can be a bit of learned response from friends, classmates, and their own caregivers. Parents, do not let your odontophobia (fear of the dentist) get passed on to your child, making them handicapped in this fashion.
Trypanophobia, the fear of injections, is also a big reason why adults avoid the dentist. This can be in about 20% of people. The use of sedation dentistry can be great in overcoming these fears. Please reach out to us so that we can help you and restore your dental health!
Congratulations to the San Jose Sharks for beating our Nashville Predators Thursday night. It seems they do not have ailurophobia as the black cat that ran across the ice before the playoff series began did not seem to be an omen of doom!
The Dentist and the Blog
Hold on. A dentist is going to blog.
What does one blog about? I asked myself this. So, I looked up the definition first to see it was an abbreviation for weblog.
I must confess that I never really journaled or did a diary in the past. This will be new to me as much as it is to you to read it. I welcome questions that you need answered!
I think in order to do this well (and I could be wrong about that) I need to tell you about me more and more each time so that you can get a sense of who I am and what I’m passionate about. I’m sure over time I may rave about things and rant about other stuff as well. I’m stepping out of my comfort zone here, so be kind as I am one of those people who don’t even have a Facebook account personally.
How did I get into dentistry? That’s a question worth the story.
I attended St. Louis University for my undergraduate degrees (B.A. in both Biology and History in four years!) and was well on my way to medical school there: grades, MCAT, etc. The summer before I was to begin med school, my mom had a dental procedure and was sedated for it. I was her driver. The dentist was well aware of me as my mom, like most others, bragged on me a lot. As she was being wheeled out, he congratulated me and asked if I had considered dental school. I said not really since I was in the med school program (at that time, dental school was sometimes a second choice if one could not get into med schools). He said he thought I’d be a great dentist and should consider it. I said it was all done and I was months away from beginning. He said he’d pay for me to take the DAT (a test to see the aptitude for dentistry). My mom rouses from her twilight to accept the offer. I took the test and thought nothing of it until the results came in. I did really well! I put off med school for a year and accepted enrollment the next year to work and hang out with my dentist seeing if it was for me. I fell in love. I told the dean at SLU that I wasn’t coming and that I was going to dental school instead and he was quite perplexed as no one had ever done that before and that SLU doesn’t have a dental school. I’ve never regretted the decision a day in my life!
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