One of our patients is a grade 12 student at Donald A. Wilson Secondary School. As part of a French project she is required to research a profession in which she is interested in, as you might have guessed the profession she chose is dentistry. She presented us with few questions regarding our profession for her dentist, Dr. Librach, to answer. Here is what he said...
1.
What is the most difficult part
of your career? Explain.
The most difficult part of
dentistry is keeping up with technology.
The practice of dentistry has changed so much since I graduated in
1987. Although the principles of good
dentistry have not changed, the methodology advances have changed dramatically
and will do so exponentially in the coming years. At Dentistry on Dundas we continue to invest
in the latest technology that gives our patients the highest quality
dentistry. With that commitment comes a
responsibility to stay on top of the latest developments and to chose for our
patients those technologies that will offer them the greatest benefit. It can be a daunting task but, on the other
hand, it continues to make dentistry an exciting profession.
2.
What is the best part of your
career? Explain.
Working with great people.
Firstly, our staff at Dentistry on Dundas are some of the best people I have
ever met. They are compassionate,
competent and fun to work with. They are
as important to my practice as having the best equipment and knowledge. They are an integral part of what attracts
patients to our practice. Secondly, our
patients, many who have been with us since our start in 1989, make this career
second to none. There isn’t a day that
goes by that I do not feel blessed that these people have put their confidence
in me and our staff. The interactions
with our patients makes me excited to come to work every day.
3.
How competitive was the job
market when you started working versus today?
Quite a change has
occurred over the last 27 years. There are
definitely more options for patients when it comes to who they see for their
dental care. When I graduated dental
offices were fewer especially in the Durham region. In addition, denturists (those that only make
dental prosthesis like false teeth) are licensed to practice in Ontario. Finally, Dental Hygienists are now able to practice independent of the
supervision of a licensed dentist. That
being said, I welcome the competition.
It keeps your business sharp and challenges you to be the best in your
field. At Dentistry on Dundas we
continue to be successful in a very competitive market by offering our patients
great dentistry in a comforting atmosphere.
4.
What advice would you give to
someone starting out in orthodontics?
There are so many facets of
dentistry that you should keep an open mind when entering dental school. Orthodontics is a great profession but so is
Endodontics (root canal therapy), Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery ( jaw surgery
and complicated extractions), Oral Radiology, Periodontics (implants, gum
surgery & care), Paedodontics (oral care for children), Oral
Anaesthesiology (dentistry while asleep) and Prosthodontics (the restoration of
complicated oral cavity collapse).
And lets not forget General
Dentistry that allows you to perform any, some or all of these disciplines as
you expand your knowledge in these fields. In addition, comprehensive treatment
planning requires multiple disciplines. At Dentistry on Dundas we have specialists in
most of these fields that work as a team “quarterbacked” by a treatment plan
set out by the General Practitioner. Having
said that, Orthodontics is a great specialty in dentistry and I would only
encourage some one to continue to follow that path if that is where their
interests lie. Any path you chose you
should always keep in mind that you serve the patient. The rewards of this profession will come on its
own if you treat your patients with respect, compassion, empathy and keep their
best interests a focal point.
