I can’t fucking take it anymore. I spent my 20s pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into schooling for a job that has an extremely specialized scope just to fucking hate it.
I’m in public health – I don’t think it’s ethical to charge people money to get out of pain. I want to help, I really do, but the percentage of people who care to help themselves in the first place is maybe 1% of my patients. Brush your teeth, PLEASE. I give you a tooth brush, I give you tooth paste, it’s free, it takes 2 minutes, please please please. 98% of situations are avoidable. I do fillings all day on people who are pissed that they’re losing their teeth but they show up every time with plaque EVERYWHERE. If you don’t take care of them, they will rot. If you drink sodas all day, they will rot. “Genetically bad teeth” is not a thing unless you have a systemic condition like osteogenesis imperfecta. Otherwise it’s inherited diet and habits that cause the damage.
Lots of people no-show so they keep adding more patients to our schedules that we don’t have time to treat without rushing. Our equipment sucks, nothing works, patients are always late, they never take their meds or insulin, blood pressure always high, blood sugar always high, never their fault, always mad at me when I say “looks like you need another filling.”
I’m 35, my back is a mess, no amount of chiropractor work or massage or yoga has helped. I’m in pain 100% of my work day from my neck to my knuckles. I can’t sleep.
I try to help, I really do. But no one will take the time to take care of themselves. It’s not MY fault that you have cavities, I am here doing this for you at no charge to you, in shit conditions, in pain, and you “hate the dentist.”
If I quit I lose my health insurance, I can’t pay my loans, and my BS in biology isn’t enough to get a different job in biological sciences because they all want masters and PhDs.
I have to be 100% on top of it for every patient, it’s what they deserve. I can never just “show up” and make it through the day at my head down at my desk. It’s “what do you mean I’m losing my teeth????” when no home care is done, rampant gum disease, poor diet, etc. My therapist says I can’t take on someone else’s choices but how can I not when I am the one to deal with the repercussions?
Anyway, sorry to rant. I’m stuck until my body finally breaks. Please brush your teeth. Not all dentists are trying to scam you. It’s a miserable job unless you truly don’t care about people and then I guess it could be ok, but in truth it feels like you either have to give up your soul or let it break your soul.