Growing up in Mexico, I noticed that not many individuals in my community understood the importance of dental health, nor did many of them even have the means to attain it. When I moved to America, I realized that this mentality was not exclusive to the community I had grown up in. Even within the United States of America, many people belonging to underprivileged communities were not aware of the importance of dental health. Even though their daily lives were negatively affected by their dental problems, it did not seem as though they felt dental care was worth the monetary expense. It is these experiences that now inspire me to pursue a career in dentistry; I treasure the importance of dental health, on bringing diversity to the profession, …show more content…
As the oldest sibling in a single parent family, I felt like I would fit right into place as a Dentist. I found that even when work is hectic there is a certain protocol, direction, and communication in a dental office. Handling different schedules, the needs of others, and running an office is a team effort. This is similar to assisting in the up keep of a household. As the older sister, I learned to establish a gentle authority, to give directions that are listened to, as well as a practicality to reach the end goal. Seeing this environment in the dental offices that I shadowed reinforced my passion to become a dentist, as it felt like a family environment instead of …show more content…
Being a first generation college student, Hispanic woman from a low income family I know first hand how there is little expectations and support for minorities. I knew that I could not afford college, so I applied to a no extracurricular, college-focused high school that gave me the opportunity to get my high school degree as well as an Associate’s Degree. My typical day consisted of going to high school and community college in the afternoon and in the evening volunteering or playing violin at my local church. After I graduated high school with an Associate’s Degree in Science with Honors, I packed my bags and violin case to attend St. Mary’s University, which had a great Pre-Dental program. I was lucky to have amazing mentors and a great support system in my life. For this reason, I became a mentor for the Biology Living Learning Community to bring diversity by tutoring the sciences, support, and bring interest in STEM jobs to freshman students as well as the San Antonio community. I may have not reached my goal yet but will always want to help others reach
The purpose of this essay is to point out the importance of dentistry and encourage more high school graduates to consider the dental field as a career. There are many benefits to being a dentist...
As I started my new journey of becoming a dental hygienist, I came into the program with no background of dental. I came into this program with an open mind and willing to embrace new concepts as well as develop new skills. During my time at the Canadian Academy of Dental Hygiene (CADH), I learned that as a dental hygienist that I am committed to promoting and helping each individual achieve their optimal oral health goals. In support of my client’s goals, I may assume any or all of the roles included in the dental hygiene scope of practice. My goal throughout this program was to help my clients achieve their optimal oral health goals through education, health promotion and providing preventive and clinical therapy.
I am fortunate that my experiences have made me aware of these things so that when I do return to these communities as a dentist, I can not only better serve my patients as a provider, but I can also be a leading advocate for the change that is so desperately needed by the individuals in these communities. As I continue along my career path in dentistry, I intend to keep volunteering in dental clinics in underserved communities as well as participating in formal organizations such as Saving Smiles to more effectively address these issues as well as enhance my understanding of the dental field. Perhaps while I serve in these communities, I can inspire and support future health professionals that will continue to advance the incredible changes that our health fields are currently
Imagine having to spend half your fortune on correcting your teeth.”Tooth decay was a perennial national problem that meant a mouthful of silver for patients, and for dentists a pocketful of gold.” (Wallis, 17) If patients don’t take care of their teeth, many issues can start to appear later in their life. Some patients are not knowledgeable of the correct procedures toward keeping a healthy smile. In order to keep a healthy smile patients must be better informed about the knowledge to achieve that success and also maintain.
With a supportive family and a community, I have set my goal in earning my M.D-PhD degree. As a Hispanic working hard to become a clinical scientist, I would increase the diversity to the cohort of students pursuing PhDs in science and engineering. My physician father and my nurse mother left their professional careers and emigrated from Peru so that my sister and I could get the better education and increased opportunities available in America. My parents wanted their children to succeed in whatever they wished to pursue. Setting foot on American soil, my dad traded stethoscopes for tools, and patient visits for manual labor. He worked in a book factory every day from sunrise to sundown lifting boxes, packaging books, and moving heavy containers. I never heard him complain about his long hours of work. Through his decisions, determination, and sacrifices, I have become a more matured man. His hard work has taught me that I must be persistent and not give up simply because the work seems unbearable. If he could forfeit his career for the prosperity of his family, then I, too, can certainly overcome struggles and barriers for my prospective career. Additionally, as a Hispanic male, I would represent the low percentage of the Hispanic males attaining a PhD or even attending a higher education
Healthcare is a necessity to sustain society. Dentistry is an area of healthcare that I feel extremely passionate about because access to proper dental care is limited, especially in the underserved communities. As an African American, I want to become a dentist and healthcare provider in the hopes of helping patients and adding to the diversification of the field. With a growing minority population in the United States, it has become apparent that there is a shortage of black dentists. This is problematic because underrepresented minorities are in great need of access to culturally connected dentists who understand their clinical needs as much as their lives and their challenges. I believe that when the profession includes a range of ethnicities
Working in a dental office can range to be slow, flexible or busy and full of emergencies. In order to "fit" into this type of career you have to have a specific personality. Personality traits that would be suitable for a dentist is someone who is a good communicator, flexible, open minded, determined and focused. However, this might change as the 21st century grows to adapt the technology era. This becomes a debate between technology versus service. The digital revolution is transforming the medical world in multiple ways like x-rays, screenings, instruments and computers. Dental offices are now full of x-rays and computers that benefit the doctor while assisting patients. Now that everything is digital, that means all records too. Depending on the dentist, they might rely more on the computer rather than what the patient has to say; or lack interest in assuring patient comfort. As technology progresses, certain surgeries could be capable with robots or machines doing to the procedure. This will change the perspective of the proper services. That technology will be more efficient and viewed explicitly "perfect" than humans. Technology will shape the definition of service as time goes. To receive an insider point of view of what service looks like I interviewed my dental assisting teacher, Lucretia Bollinger, who worked in a dental office for 13 years then got a job opportunity to teach it.
I decided to do my research report on dentistry because it is a perfect blend of science and art. It is a science in that you must fully comprehend on the different types of diagnostic and procedures you are doing. It is an art in that you are constantly working with your hands to create a beautiful smile. The impact you make on helping a person achieve an impeccable smile is not one to compare with materialistic things like money or cars. People often mistake dentist as only doing practices when in fact they could do more, like research. I was fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to interview Dr. Sarah Pham, DDS, a close family friend who practices dentistry in her own private office in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Pham was
In the Dental Hygiene field, many challenges come about every day and during different situations. Every day there are new challenges and unusual situations that occur in the dental field, but one challenge that continues to come about and has been a big dispute over the years is the ability to provide beneficial information about oral health care for the underprivileged. For the individuals that are not fortunate enough to pay to have services done in the dental office, lack the knowledge of how important good oral health care is. They do not receive the one on one conversations explaining the significance of taking care of your teeth and gums that the patients who can afford to make appointments and receive essential services do. That
(1) LOW INCOME AND LACK OF INSURANCE: A number of studies have linked poor oral health with low socioeconomic status. Affordability is identified as major challenge in accessing dental care. “For instance, 17.3 per cent of the whole population (i.e., approximately
Since everyone wants good teeth to be able to eat and speak, dental insurance is as crucial as life insurance coverage plans as well as house insurance and car insurance. (Klapp par.1) While in 22 states they have no need for coverage and in six states only have emergency coverage and another 16 states does not cover preventative services on teeth. (Wallace par.1) insurance companies have jumped on having dental insurance due to them realizing that it is need by individuals who are not covered by their job or company. ( “Vital” par.6) when you are covered you have many benefits such as free procedures. To m...
I have undertaken work experience at a local NHS practice to observe what the profession entails. The difficulty of the job was admirable due to the level of manual dexterity and patience involved. In addition, I saw the importance of compassion that dentists showed to their patients
... three quarters of all public expenditures for dental care in Canada is associated with treatment in a private dental facilities, where public insurance is billed as a third-party payer (9). However, only 30% of dentists deal with public insurance (8). The delivery method causes problems between dental service providers and public insurance. Public vs. private setting for dental care is also important to consider due to the disparity that exist with oral health and its access. Low-income and high-risk children (i.e. Aboriginal children) are unable to acquire dental care suffering medically and socially since they cannot afford the cost. Additionally seniors, individuals in long-term care, the homeless etc. are also in this category. Thus, sometimes delivering would be more appropriate in private dental setting, while in others, a public setting would be more ideal.
This directed me towards taking one of the most important decisions of my life of coming to the United States to pursue Masters of Public Health (MPH) and learn from the pioneers who have successfully integrated it in the society with positive results. I wanted to apply my knowledge beyond the borders of dental hygiene education and learn sophisticated methods to address the co-morbidities and healthcare access inequalities, as I have seen in a lot of my patients. My interest in mathematics compelled me to choose Epidemiology major and learn statistical software to study disease burden, distribution and trends. I volunteered in George Washington University (GWU) ISCOPES- Adult health literacy team, where we attended Emory transitional house and educated people about various health topics including oral health. During my MPH, I did my practicum at Washington DC, Department of Health on “Analysis of utilization of dental home linkage and preventive dental services among DC Medicaid children less than 3years of age for calendar year 2014” using Statistical Analysis System software (SAS). This project gave me an insight about the Current Dental Terminology codes and the trends in service utilization in a subset of the U.S. population. I was graciously honored with Practicum Research Fellowship Award by my school for my
Pursuing a career in the dental public health field was a decision influenced by many factors starting by my passion for research. One of the main reasons for applying for my dental public health residency at Columbia University is the fact that it has a great research program, which is ranked among the top research facilities in the world. Columbia university’s dental public health residency department possess ample opportunities for research for those motivated to take advantage enough to r...