Thank God I'm Not a Dentist! 🙌
In another life, I was going to be a dentist...
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...and it was going to be so easy! I already had a full scholarship to university, where I majored in finance and minored in chemistry. I held 2 jobs at a time and volunteered at a free/low cost extraction clinic on Thursdays.
I worked 30 hours a week in a restaurant and another 30 hours a week at a brand new dental office, where I was the dental assistant as well as the office manager. I took x-rays, did cleanings, made molds & casts for dentures and bridges, cleaned equipment, managed dental supplies, arranged lab work, filed insurance, scheduled patients, and worked that suction like a boss.
I was the perfect dental school candidate on paper...not that I even needed that.
I dated a dude for a really long time, and his whole family loved me--and most of them were dentists! His stepmother sat on the board of admissions to dental school, and she promised me acceptance. She was also an advisor as well as the professor who did final approvals for graduation, and she guaranteed I would pass with flying colors.
His uncle was ready to give me a practice upon my graduation. I could have my own office with his cousin! Or his other cousin! Or his aunt! I could be an established dentist with a full rotation of patients right out of dental school, all handed to me on a silver platter.
I had a red carpet unfurled before me; I would be able to set my own hours and make tons of money (and for heaven's sake, I had majored in finance for the sole purpose of making tons of money), but I was absolutely miserable. I was doing everything I was supposed to do: I went to college, I had the rich handsome boyfriend, I paid off a brand new car very quickly with income from my 2 jobs, I had the secure career path...so why wasn't I happy??
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Well, for one, being a dentist is incredibly disgusting. Have you ever put your latex-gloved hand into a warm human orifice?? It's unsettling. Ever seen what meth does to teeth?? It rots them right down to the gum line, where the nasty black roots are still lodged in the jaw--and you have to pop those suckers out if you want to get a fake set of teeth in your meth head. Ever seen someone who hasn't cleaned their mouth in literally months?? It looks like their teeth are wearing sweaters. Dear god, the smells I have smelled...Not to mention that horribly misguided industry is still poisoning its patients with neurotoxins on a daily basis...
Dentists have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession; not even dentists think it's cool to be a dentist!
I was pretending to be part of that world. I was pretending that money defined the worth of my life. I was pretending that I wanted a career and an esteemed position within society. I was pretending so my family-in-law would love and approve of me.
And it all sucked, sucked, sucked.
I couldn't take it any more, and I broke free. It took me a little while to figure out what I wanted to do (travel, yoga, write), and a little more time to get the balls to do it, but I did it and I will never go back! I escaped that hell hole of living according to someone else's expectations of me, and created my own existence where I. am. free.
My life didn't immediately go to happily ever after, and I'm not always sure how I got from point there to point here...In fact, I've recently faced challenges way deeper than sticking my fingers in dirty mouths, like serious karmatic lifetime mission shit. But now I can face my problems with more grace and gratitude than ever, because at least I can wake up every day and say
THANK GOD I'M NOT A DENTIST!!!!!
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💛 Sara!
My Dad told me for the longest time that the best job to land was being a dentist. He was looking at it from a solely financial aspect which can make for some very unhappy people. Luckily I didn't take his advice nor follow in his footsteps (he's an accountant).
I'm very much a supporter of working a career that you absolutely love whether it makes good money or not. There's a saying that goes something like "if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life".
Thanks for sharing, @britt.the.ish! It's incredible to me how much pressure families put on children to choose certain careers...but children see that their parents are unhappy or unsatisfied, so why would they want to take their advice??
I'm thankful that my own parents didn't really pressure me to be this or that, and have supported my choices for my life in the best ways they know how. I still gave into pressure from my extended "family", but thank heavens I got sick of settling for a less-than-stellar life and started following my inner guidance!
Life is way too short to waste on things you don't love. 💛
@saramiller
Hahahaha!!
Am a dentist .and i jus completed my graduation from a a dental school and i completely agree with your views and thought .. i too was constantly in a dilemma what else to do and then i remembered being an indian my parents choose my future and not me. So in this regard i thought of completing the graduation and then i will work on other options available to me.
And regarding the smell coming out of the patients orifice halitosis i many a times during my practise had patients who had consumed alcohol and came for treatment now u guess how should i react to those patient? .. it smelled sl bad that even after using a double face mask the foul smell from patients mouth impregnated the double mask and it was like .. oh god how the hell is he living with such a bad mouth it smelled like shit .. and now anyhow i managed to start a treatment on the patient and meanwhile patient fell asleep on the dental chair .... Lol now how to manage that thing as he had recently consumed alcohol it was because of thag he started drowling on the chair .. and like this there where many other things that happened during the grad. And i will shear those nxt time ..inshallah .b in touch for such harassing incidents in the dental practice .
Till then Keep steeming
No-thank god coz am a dentist
So if u like my story plz follow me @naseerbhat upvote me and resteem my posts incase u like any of them..
Thanks anyway
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, @naseerbhat! I really appreciate your perspective, and I'm glad that you thank god to be a dentist! I'm also glad you're going to continue exploring options to find what brings you satisfaction--I think that is a lifelong path that never ends as our preferences grow and change. There is always something new to fall in love with!
Your incident with the alcoholic sounds gross, and reminds me of a patient with a mouth they treated like a trash can. I had a double face mask and smeared with cherry flavored analgesic to mask the scent, and it still wasn't enough...oh man, I'm gagging just remembering it...
Thanks again for reading and commenting, @naseerbhat!
Infact i was happy to see any other face here with a dentist tag @saramiller and i found your post so intresting and coinciding with my things and acts in my dental school during the grad. So i cloudn't resist from following you and commenting on the post.
It was my pleasure though and thank you very much @saramiller for the upvote ..plz keep my supporting on steemit as am a new to this plateform ...
Thank you
Great post Sara! When these people tell me to go to college and all this other non-sense, I think to myself what a ZOMBIE filled place we live in.. It's ridiculous.. I am thinking about doing a post on Fluoride YUCK!
Exactly!
U got it figured out already!
SeemON brother!
Much love! :) Will you be attending STEEMFest this year?
Good chance! U? and is this @prophet0 ?
Yep!
Nice! look at that steemsports account! Is it the highest rating in all of Steemit???
Indeed it is ;)
WOW what a success!
wow so ur running another contest? got like half a day to submit if i want aye?
I can confirm this is me ;) - Please make a blog tonight or before 10 A.M. tomorrow to enter to win a free plane ticket to STEEMFest2 - https://steemit.com/donation/@theprophet0/do-you-want-to-win-a-free-ticket-to-steemfest2-enter-now
Thanks, Nolan!! I'm so glad you're not a zombie--it's really refreshing!! 😄
After I went to college I thought "well that was a big fat waste of time!" I don't think many people are ready to commit to a career path at 18 years old, which is basically the point of college. There's so much more to be learned by following your passions, and for me traveling was something that expanded my horizons well beyond what any classroom ever came close to doing.
I would love to read your post on fluoride, and more people need to know what's up with it. I believe @barrydutton knows quite a bit about it if you needed a personal resource..
Wow, didn't know that! Must have taken a lot of balls to break free from society like that.
Thanks for sharing. I loved reading it.
I'm glad you enjoyed it, @sjennon! Yeah, I'm totally amazed that I got out of that; it feels like a miracle that I woke up! There are so many people who tolerate unhappiness and dissatisfaction with their life, and just keep on existing in that path as if there aren't any other options...it's quite sad really, so many people are doing what is expected of them without even knowing what it is they really want, much less how to get it!
True. But maybe they also do not know how to get out of all of that. I guess you were lucky you realized in time!
I don't think they even see it! I think that's just "how life is" for some people, and improving or changing is not really within their realm of possibilities. That's how I existed for a long time. I know that I'm blessed to have realized and done something about it!
Yeah maybe ^^
Cheers!
I've always wondered what makes a person become a dentist???!!! Well done for following your heart.
Thank god i finally woke up!!!! Thanks, @onetree!
They have to study very hard and not all potential dentists come through the final exams at university.
That's true @anforo, it's a very difficult path for some. In the States, it takes 4 years of dental school after 4 years of undergraduate study, then potentially more years of training on top of that if you want to specialize in something like endodontics. It is long hours, clinical practice, and lots of studying & potentially lots of stress!
I had a very unique opportunity to get into and pass dental school that not everyone has access too, but even that wasn't enough to convince me to do something I really didn't want to do in my heart.
Its always good to be yourself and do what will make you happy (positive things). Good post Sarah, and great that you know where you are going, which is a good think. Wish you success and hope we stay in touch. Upvoted and following you for more.
Thank you, @charles1! I agree, life is waaaaaay better when you spend your precious time doing things you love 💛
Welcome, I agree, you are doing great here..wish you more success and stay in touch.
That was awesome. What an amazing woman you are to jump head first off the wheel of expectations and follow your heart. I know that feeling! Following your heart may not always be easy, especially financially, but the rewards for a heartfelt life is way beyond the financial rewards. Kudo's to you sister! Upvoted and following
Yet, surprisingly, has long been quite an adult uncle :) And when i view these photos, fear begins :)
first,thanks for sharing your life personal,money that earned with miserable really sucked !!!Experience is indeed the best teacher.I read until the end because I have a friend who would be become dentist as her father's wish.Really love your post.
Thank you, @angelababy! I have found that giving into external pressure does not lead to lasting satisfaction. I hope your friend actually loves dentistry if she is going to commit her life to that path!
I am gonna share your experience with her!!!