We are people first, then dentists

Editor's note: Helaine Smith's column, The Mouth Physician, appears regularly on the DrBicuspid.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion.

Over the past year, I have heard many stories of dentists being rude and disrespectful to one another when it comes to sharing a mutual patient or interacting during a continuing education seminar.

I will not waste time describing these rude and noncollegial encounters. Instead, I want to highlight examples of how true professionals treat one another.

When I started my practice in 1994, an established dentist welcomed me into the neighborhood and reached out to introduce himself. Dr. Norman Diamond and I had lunch once a month until he recently retired. We still keep in touch, and his mentoring has helped me grow professionally. He is an extremely caring person who treated his patients and their families with respect and kindness.

Dr. John Favaloro was one of the first dentists I met after I graduated from dental school. I was a novice and unsure of many clinical skills. He was always willing to help and share his knowledge with me, and he treated me like a colleague from the very beginning. It has been 20 years of professional friendship, and I have learned many important clinical and interpersonal skills from him.

A few years ago at a continuing education course, I met Dr. Lance Kisby. He is always willing to listen and offers many words of support when there is a difficult day in the office. He also freely shares his knowledge and excitement after he takes a continuing education course. He has become a wonderful confidante as we go along in our careers.

I have been fortunate to have a group of wonderful mouth doctors as friends and mentors, too many to name personally. Mirroring their professional traits has shaped how I have developed over the years.

We are people first, then dentists. If we cannot treat one another with respect on the phone and in person, then we need to examine ourselves. It is dangerous to be so polarized and speak poorly of a colleague. Too many in this profession seem to have forgotten social etiquette.

If we have respect for ourselves and respect for our fellow dentists, this will lead to an increase in respect from the public.

Helaine Smith, DMD, owns and operates two dental offices -- a cosmetic dental spa and a family dental practice -- in the Boston area and is a passionate advocate for educating consumers about dentistry. A fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, Dr. Smith writes and lectures about dentistry frequently and is actively involved in several volunteer organizations, including Operation Smile, Cape CARES, and Give Back a Smile.

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