From one dentist to another: Why you should embrace the quiet

We are in the third week of missing our patients and the business of our lives. Regardless of where you are in your career at this point, be it a seasoned dental clinician, a newer practitioner, or somewhere in the middle, this "away" time is affecting everyone. We are all a little anxious, financially and emotionally. However, with every night comes a new day.

At this particular moment in time, we should appreciate the quiet of the world around us. I don't know about your neck of the woods, but our street traffic is lighter, our air is a lot cleaner, and the noise pollution, especially from the lack of airplanes constantly flying over to O'Hare, is less. In our dental worlds, our ears are having a break from the constant sounds of the high-speed handpiece, ultrasonics, air polishers, and suction.

Sheri B. Doniger, DDS.

There is no better time than now to slow down and appreciate our families, significant others, and neighbors. Even with the onset of more spring-like weather in many parts of the country, with many governors ordering everyone to shelter at home, people are having a little cabin fever. Reach out to those who you think may need a break from the news cycle. Take a walk. Listen to the birds. Seek out the rebirth of nature.

Most of us take digital photos every day, be it a radiograph or picture of a tooth or oral condition, or a final "after" shot. This is a perfect time to take those photographic skills out into your neighborhood. Many of us have never had the time to take a walk and capture nature (or people or structures or nuances of light). We now have the time. Sharing these on your social media posts will let your patients know what you are doing during the day and give them a little connection to you. They will also serve as a memory when this crisis is over. It will be a memory for your future grandchildren, or your kids to share with their grandchildren, of when dentistry stood still and we had the time to embrace the quiet.

We also have an opportunity to spread the word about what we have been doing right. We have been practicing proper hand washing since, well, forever. We may be able to enlighten friends (and strangers we see socially distanced on the street) on how to properly put on and remove a mask or gloves -- and remind them not to leave them in the parking lot or in a shopping cart. Though people are wearing masks and gloves, they don't realize the cross-contamination issue, or even the "one use" disposable concept. With most states recommending that we not practice elective dentistry, we were not exactly deemed as essential (except for emergencies). However, we are still highly knowledgeable in matters of infection control and are able to share our wisdom with others.

For the majority of us, this is a spiritual week. We are celebrating Passover or Easter or awaiting Ramadan. As many of us have never experienced a pandemic (or at least one of these proportions) in our lives, the celebrations for these holidays may be a little different. The good news is this: They will all happen, in one way or another, either by Zoom, Skype, or some other video platform connecting our lives together. We may be "seeing" more friends and relatives this year than ever -- and that is a good thing. If you have never had your hand in preparing a holiday meal, with time on your side, this is the perfect year to start! Building new traditions with your family, and those you are safely at home with, creates amazing memories.

Honestly, I do miss the office. I miss my patients, my team, the treatment planning, and the dentistry. They will all come back. People may need reassurances about the safety of our practices, but there will always be a need for our profession. For now, we need to be kind to ourselves and be safe at home. We need to think about what this point in time will do for our lives moving forward and how we will embrace the quiet before we all forget we were recommended to cease our very important caring for the oral and general health of our patients.

Sheri B. Doniger, DDS, practices clinical dentistry in Lincolnwood, IL. Her book, Practical Practice Solutions in Dentistry, is available on amazon.com. You can reach her at [email protected].

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