Research Assessment #6

Date: ​October 25, 2019

Subject: ​Dentistry
MLA Citation (video):
“5 Worst Parts of Being a Dentists: The Sad Truths You Don't Know About.” ​Youtube​, 20 Mar.
2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKv4pTPgp_M.

Analysis:
Everyone has a passion in life. Everyone has something that excites them and that they
feel magnetically drawn too. While this passion may seem perfect, there is a downside to
everything. A passion can still be a passion without being perfect. Therefore, I knew that
somewhere in my ISM journey I would find some sort of flaws in my passion for pediatric
dentistry. I have always been aware that no profession is perfect, however pediatric dentistry, in
my head, has always been held in very high esteem, and sometimes it is hard for me to see any
flaws and imperfections within the field. For that reason, it is necessary for me to acknowledge
the faults in pediatric dentistry, just as there are faults present in any field. Watching the video,​ 5
Worst Parts of Being a Dentists: The Sad Truths You Don't Know About, ​opened my eyes to the
realities of pediatric dentistry. I learned a lot from the video that can be applied to my future as a
dentist but can also be beneficial to me throughout my journey in ISM.
My whole life I have been an optimist. I always refrain from looking at things negatively.
While this has led me to a happier lifestyle, it has also caused me to be blind to certain aspects of
things that are necessary to acknowledge. Therefore, I learned a lot from watching the video,​ 5
Worst Parts of Being a Dentists: The Sad Truths You Don't Know About. ​For example, I had
never thought about the difficult patients. In the back of my mind, I knew that there would be
some, especially because my goal is to work with children. However, I did not know the extent
to which patients can be difficult. Dr. Wendy, the dentist in the video, describes the struggle of
treating patients who have severe gag reflexes or tongues that will not stay still by stating that
those features, “...really slow you down and hinders your ability to do your job.” Dr. Wendy also
addresses the fact that treating patients who do not want to be treated, especially children, is one
of the most difficult tasks. This was new information for me because although I knew that being
a pediatric dentist was a completely different job compared to a general dentist, I always had this
preconceived notion that, because kids will communicate what they are feeling, that being a
pediatric dentist would not be more challenging than pursuing general dentistry. However,
hearing Dr. Wendy’s experience working with children proved otherwise. Another struggle of
being a dentist that I did not consider before was having patients who fail are unreliable. Dr.
Wendy gave the scenario of taking 2-3 hours of your day and scheduling an appointment for one
person who has a long procedure, then the patient canceling the appointment. While I always
knew that situations like such are inconvenient, the unreliableness of the patient can also affect
how the dentist will pay their bills and how they will pay their loans. Lastly, I learned that a fear
that constantly haunts a majority of dentists is being sued. I had always known that in high-risk
jobs, such as surgeons, being sued by patients is not uncommon. However, because it is not
common for a dentist to be sued, I did not know that it is something that they fear constantly.
While not all positive, I learned many different things that affect a dentist’s job on a daily basis.
As someone who often turned a blind eye to the flaws of dentistry, the lessons in the
video, ​5 Worst Parts of Being a Dentists: The Sad Truths You Don't Know About, ​is extremely
important for me and anyone considering pursuing a career in the field of dentistry. To begin, the
lesson that certain patients will be difficult to work with, whether that be by them not being able
to stay still or by them not taking care of their oral health, is important because, as someone who
is a borderline perfectionist, it is necessary for me to learn now that dentistry is not perfect. It is
important that I learn this now, as opposed to later in my pursuit, so I know the struggles ahead
of time. Additionally, being aware of the extent to which canceling an appointment or not
showing up to an appointment affects the business and life of the dentist is extremely important,
not as a future dentist, but as a current patient. I learned that it is critical to be courteous to the
dentist and acknowledge that their time is very valuable. Canceling appointments not only affects
the daily schedule of the dentists, but also the financial situation of the dentist. Overall, the
knowledge from this video is extremely important for me to recognize, especially so early on in
my ISM experience, so I am aware of all faults in pediatric dentistry now, rather than later in my
career search.
 What makes the video, ​5 Worst Parts of Being a Dentists: The Sad Truths You Don't
Know About, ​so different from the other sources I have done research assessments on is that
there is no clear application. While certain aspects, such as being respectful of a dentist’s time,
can be applied, it is more from a patient standpoint rather than from a practitioner’s standpoint.
Just because there is no clear application, there are still a lot of takeaways. For example, I often
am asked why I want to become a pediatric dentist, and if I know how challenging and stressful
the job can be. Before, I would give a very vague answer, but now I can confidently say that I do
know the struggles of being a dentist, but that I am willing to overcome them. Additionally, this
video truly made me consider if dentistry was the right field for me. I had to consider if all the
hard work and difficulties I would encounter is worth it. After watching the video, I am positive
that I am willing to have a few challenges to overcome to fulfill my dream of becoming a
pediatric dentist. This video further confirmed that pediatric dentistry is the right field for me,
and has made me more confident in my decision to chose the specific career field.
As someone who has always seen things from a positive standpoint, watching the video,
5 Worst Parts of Being a Dentists: The Sad Truths You Don't Know About, ​made me realize that
a lot of benefits can come from looking at both sides of something. Hoping to keep my optimistic
outlook, I also hope to be able to things from a more unbiased standpoint, to get a more realistic
perspective.