Hussein Hassanali shares his thoughts about the private and working life of a dentist, having recently completed his first year of dental practice.
Just like the advertisement
Cost of flights - £200. Cost of transport - £50. Cost of food and drink - £150 Cost of entertainment - £100. Weekend away with your best mates - priceless!
OK, so my most recent weekend away wasn't a typical weekend or even a typical holiday. It was a stag party in Krakow, but it was a great weekend for everyone involved. There's far more to life than just dentistry, which is just as well because it can be a stressful profession, so it's important to have other interests that encourage you to look beyond your professional life.
Can't get away from it?
It's not easy to switch off from dentistry. Whether you are asleep or awake, thoughts can often be triggered so that you find yourself returning to the subject. Someone once said to me that you know you've had a good day if you can fall asleep at night, and never to look at your diary for the following day so you don't have anything to worry about during the night. I guess that's true, and now instead of feeling constantly on edge, as when I first started, I have learnt to "switch off" as much as I can.
There is still a fair amount of work that goes with the job. Those CPD hours won't just get magically done by themselves and there's always background reading to do and journals to scan. But beyond all the work there is a human being with other needs and interests which also need to be nurtured if that individual is to flourish.
Listen to yourself
What is it that interests you? What else do you want to achieve with your life? Take a moment to evaluate your personal time and set a few goals. Could you spend your time more wisely? Could you accomplish more? Do you want to revive a previous passion or hobby? Perhaps you would like to try something completely new?
If you ask anyone to define the single most important thing in their life, they are very likely to mention friends or family. Your time with them is invaluable, giving you all the more reason to do it. In addition to fostering interpersonal and communication skills, time spent following your own interests can also have a positive impact on your dental skills.
Unexpected benefits
Dentists work in a multicultural society. Travel and an interest in other cultures means that we can better relate to patients from other parts of the world as well as empathise with their reasoning and views on dental health. Fundamentally general dental practice is a business and in this respect, you need to know the demographic of your patients who are also your customers.
- Music has been shown to improve memory and sequential skill development.
- An interest in art and drawing helps you to focus as well as increasing attention and concentration. Participation in any form of art develops creativity.
- Sport increases cognitive function and hand-eye coordination. It also has a physical benefit since dentistry can be very demanding on your body at times.
- Art and sport can improve manual dexterity which is essential for being a dentist.
Creating balance
In addition to physical health you need to keep yourself in a sound state of mind in order to see patients and carry out their treatment. Your psychological welfare is essential. If you were to focus only on dentistry, you would very likely burn out and eventually lose the passion for something that you were originally happy to do for the best part of your life.
Unintended consequences
There can be a dilemma over the professional barrier that exists when you meet patients "off duty" in a social setting or whilst you are in recreational mode. Whilst the dentist may be able to recognise and respect patient confidentiality, it is important that the same standard is adopted by all members of the dental team if you are out together.
Practices in rural areas often find that members of staff interact socially with each other and may find themselves tempted to discuss their patients. Confidentiality is paramount and there's no excuse for a slip of the tongue. In addition, relationships between staff outside work can have implications in the working environment and have been known to lead to problems if there is a falling out.
You may have read horror stories about things that other dentists have done which brought the profession into disrepute. I doubt that anyone has a burning desire to appear in front of the GDC but from time to time it does happen.
The way you behave outside the surgery can raise a number of questions about you as a dentist. These days, that includes students as well. The same rules of conduct now apply to you on your very first day in dental school, as on the last day of your professional career.
Dentistry is a monopoly profession and we are all expected to act as professionals whenever we are in public. The relationship between the patient and the dental team is based on trust and anything that challenges that relationship reflects on the profession as a whole.
Conclusion
So whether it be a night out with the lads, exploring new places at home and abroad, food, sports, music, movies or anything else that takes your fancy... go ahead and enjoy it, because it makes you who you are. But don't do anything in public that you wouldn't want your mother or the GDC to hear about.