Practicing dentistry requires intelligence, hard work, and courage. Courage? Yes! Having courage is absolutely necessary to practice dentistry, and here are some reasons why -- and how to have courage, yourself.
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We think of a leader as someone who heads up a big company, a government or political movement. And, perhaps that person is indeed a leader.
ONLY IF that person has become a master at influencing others. ONLY IF that person can help others change their thoughts, beliefs and actions for the better, as Jim Rohn says. Are you a leader? Do you help others change for the better? Do you influence others for the better? To master the art of influencing others for the better requires one absolute - LOVE. You can help people with more than their health, their dental and orthodontic care. As a leader, you help them with their jobs, their families, their parenting, their joy, their coping, their very lives. Great leaders care very very much about others. Loving you and your leadership, You do not need to wait for all the adult teeth to come in. Today, I talk about the amazing areas of change possible when addressing orthodontic and orthopedic needs earlier in mixed dentition. To help get great diagnosis and track patient progress, the doctor should regularly take photos of the orthodontics patient. This helps both the doctor and the patient see progress and learn the great value of orthodontics. In Abu Dhabi one afternoon, as I parked for my hair appointment, my car suddenly took a little lurch. I looked around, then back to discover another much larger SUV had bumped into my car. Once we got it sorted out, poor guy - he felt awful and really awful when he saw the damage to his Range Rover - the police report said for me, “No Faulty.” We use “No fault” to imply who will be financially responsible for repairs to the vehicles. Funny, because while one party is under the “no fault” off-the-hook financial umbrella, the other party is indeed “to blame.” Blame is a human trait that our egos use to attempt to “protect“ ourself (if it’s your fault, then it’s not my fault). BUT it doesn’t work. We still feel bad. Love works. (Even knowing that, when I drop something or make a mistake, I still find myself instinctively looking around for who might have caused it.) Blame none, love all. That works. Retention is the phase of orthodontic treatment over which the doctor has little, if any, control. It's up to the patient. Here are some thoughts for both doctors and their orthodontic patients. This is not science fiction: Compliance by orthodontic patients to wear 'rubber bands' is essential when prescribed by the dentist. Non-compliance, unfortunately, is common. What to do? Our son and daughter, Trey and Molly, were most fortunate to train with (all the way to Black Belt and beyond), an incredible Taekwondo Master who taught them martial arts, life, and spirituality. Mr. Brian Chewning taught them that there are two steps to success:
And, DON’T STOP. And, avoid what the 95% do: Watch a lot of TV, news & movies, eat unhealthfully, sit a lot, forget to exercise, and don’t start anything new. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great!” ~ Zig Ziglar & taught by Brian Chewning Thank you Mr. Chewning, for your wisdom, insight, dedication, motivation and commitment to your students and to everyone with whom you come in contact. You make us all better. Now we know. When I enrolled in dental school, I was one of only six female students in my class. Now, more than half of all dental students in the U.S. are women. Times have changed! But now, there are even more exciting horizons for women in dentistry. My first day in dental school was my son's first day in kindergarten -- and here's the story4/9/2019 What an amazing perspective certain experiences give us -- like being a dental student and young parent with a child in school -- both at the same time. Watching my son grow up as I grew in my career has been a great lesson and rewarding in ways I didn't expect! |
Dr Chris BakerAmerica's most-trusted teacher of orthodontic continuing education, Dr. Chris Baker has practiced and taught for more than 30 years, and is a current or former faculty member of three U.S. dental schools. She is a pediatric dentist, author, blogger, dental practice consultant, and mentor. Dr. Chris is also Past President and Senior Instructor of the American Orthodontic Society. She is based in Texas, USA, but lectures around the world. Categories
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