Growing up, I never wanted to be a dentist. In fact, I hated going to the dentist. I used to squirm, whine, and even bite fingers. I'm not proud of that, but it's the truth. So how does "that kid" grow up to be a dentist? The best answer is that I'm not sure, but I'm sure glad I did.
I feel like I have the best job in the world. Every day I get to talk to people, hear their stories, and joke around with them. Most of my patients were like me- they hated going to the dentist. They tell me their horrific stories of past experiences in "the chair" and I quickly see why dentistry gets a bad rap. The good news is that I think I can change people's views of the dentist.
I don't have any tricks up my sleeve. I just listen. That's what people want. They want to tell me why they haven't been to the dentist in a while. In other words, don't do what made me stay away. Done. They want to tell me what they want their smile to look like. Fantastic, now we have a vision. They want to tell me their restrictions to treatment (time, money, anxiety). Perfect, now we know what we have to overcome.
Now comes the fun part. Often times people come in because they don't smile in pictures, they laugh with their hands covering their mouths, or men will even have grown mustaches to cover their embarrassment. Just think about how this makes people feel. One of the biggest signs of self-confidence is smiling. This lack of self-confidence makes people feel that they can't succeed in their careers or even have close personal relationships. I get to help people transition from a smile they are embarrassed of to one that they can't stop showing off!
I truly love what I do. In fact, I'm obsessed with it.
This is the last bit about me for awhile (unless for some strange reason people actually want to hear more). On to answering my random social questions...
Dr. P
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