By Tess Moran
Edited by Jamie Bieber
Everyone loves to remind you that "dentistry is a practice", but how does that adage really fit in with the day-to-day reality we experience over our four years at UMSOD? Well, as you learn procedures, master techniques, and treatment plan the days away, you start to realize that the possibilities for your personal treatment strategies are endless. You will learn to do a perfect class 2 on a plastic tooth. But, when your plastic tooth turns into the real thing, you realize that everything can vary: the location and extension of the caries; the structural requirements for restoration of the tooth after caries removal; the quality and thickness of the enamel; the softness of the dentin around the caries; the possible trauma to the pulp... And each of those factors opens up your treatment options further and further. You have to choose isolation technique, materials, patient management strategies, and more, all based on the specific scenario with each appointment you have. As you "practice dentistry", you will find what works best for you and what the latest science touts as most effective, and you get faster - until the time it takes for you to make those decisions comes in an instant. However, the moment that new literature comes out, new products are created, or new patient scenarios arise, you must tweak your habits to best fit the new situation: you must "practice" to always stay flexible and ready for change. And on top of requiring flexibility, because much of dentistry is a profession based on management of patients suffering from chronic, progressive diseases (caries and periodontal disease), we must choose ways to manage symptoms while also empowering patients to treat themselves at home, with proper hygiene and nutrition strategies and slow their own disease's progression! So, in dental school, we learn the mechanics of doing the work and the science behind the selection of treatment. More importantly, though, we learn in clinic that dentists must "practice" empathy and flexibility every day as we consider new treatment modalities, plans, specialist techniques, and patient behavior management. Thankfully, I have found dentistry to be full of people who are constantly learning, finding joy, and doing their best - and so, I'm happy to say that this "practice" of dentistry seems like it will give me the gift of a pretty fulfilling life.
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Before dental school, Tess Moran graduated the College at the University of Chicago.