Dentist

         A few years ago I served as a dentist in the   military. I liked my work and tried to do my best for the patients. I began my career as a neophyte in a large dental clinic with a number of other dentists. It was a good opportunity for me to obtain clinical experience, before I went on my own. Two years later, I got a new position in a distant military base, where I was going to be the only dentist. I was excited about the new assignment and was determined to manage the clinic in the best way I could. However, from the first moment on the new base I realized, it was going   to be a difficult task. Unfortunately, the dentist who served before me wasn’t very competent, and the worst part he wasn’t interested in delivering a good dental care to the soldiers. The military dental clinic was already stigmatized, and it took me a long time and an enormous effort to break the stereotype.

       The dental clinic I found on the base was in critical condition and needed a serious reconstruction. I was determined to rebuild the clinic and replace the ancient equipment it had. The previous dentist left a few months ago, and the clinic was maintained by a dental assistant, Christiana, who was a regular soldier. Christiana liked her military service, while she didn’t actually work. She was spending her days playing snooker with other soldiers and was seriously disappointed, when I arrived to the base. For Christiana, it meant the end of her easy life, and beginning of hard work. “Are you the new one?”,she asked me with the look of embarrassment in her eyes. “Yes, I am.” ,I answered looking firmly at her and realizing that in addition I would have disciplinary issues with Christiana. The lack of enthusiasm was written all over her face. No matter how I felt about her, I tried to establish a normal relationship with my assistant and friendly atmosphere in the clinic. Later that day, Christiana told me about the preceding dentist and the bunch of technical problem in the clinic. She also mentioned that soldiers prefer to get dental care in a private clinic outside the base. Instinctively, I knew that we could attract the patients by a modern and good looking facade for the building. So, I headed to the Major’s office and asked for an urgent appointment with him. During the meeting with the Major I described to him the miserable condition of the dental clinic and ask for the funds to reconstruct the building. Reluctantly, he agreed with me about necessity of renovation, but refused to provide financial assistance. There always were more significant places to invest the money, and a dental clinic with a poor reputation didn’t seem to him like an important aim to develop. It took me another month of negotiations with the Major, but finally I got the needed amount of money for rebuilding the clinic. After two month of reconstructive work, an old obscure building turned into a modern clinic. Christiana and I thoroughly planned every room to make it comfortable for patients and medical staff. When the work was done I invited the Major to visit the clinic and assess the reconstruction. He was extremely pleased by the result, and I used the opportunity to ask resources for the new dental equipment. The Major was furious, and explained me that I cannot get money infinitely. After two weeks of begging and calling his office I received the required amount of money. After four month of my work, the clinic looked perfectly new and decently equipped.

     The next task was to attract patients to the new clinic. I managed a series of lectures about dental hygiene among the soldiers. I tried to explain to the young people the importance of a checkup visit. Slowly, one by one, soldiers began to schedule visits. We needed more hands and I asked the Major for the second assistant. The Major was so annoyed by my previous requests that he immediately agreed, knowing that I would call him a hundred times in case of rejection. Christiana was still depressed and had no interest in work, but things changed for her the day a new assistant arrived. Christiana was born to be a manager; she was eager to boss around and give the orders. Suddenly, Christiana felt responsible for all: a new assistant, clinic, and patients .It was the ideal alliance, I could treat patients and Christiana managed the clinic. Everybody was happy in the clinic. We began to have a busy schedule, more and more patients wanted to visit our clinic. By the end of the first year, we worked very hard seeing fifteen to twenty patients daily. I gave all my heart to the patients and performed my work thoroughly. I was exhausted by the   long work hours and I didn’t    have any time to spend with my family. When the Major himself came for the annual checkup, I broached the subject, we needed another dentist. It wasn’t easy to persuade him in the necessity of additional medical staff, but when he glanced at the long waiting list of patients, he was convinced and we got the budget. Finally, two dentists and three assistants worked at the clinic. The clinic provided an excellent dental care for the base, and we even could accept patients from other military bases.

         The stereotype was broken, military clinic with a poor reputation turned into a popular dental clinic. We succeed to reconstruct the old building, and equip it. We attracted the patients by the oral hygiene education and provided a good dental care in the clinic. We extended the medical staff in order to be more efficient and available to the patients. Culmination of our two year’s work was   the award of excellence by the Department of Dentistry. We all were proud of our work and pleased by getting a prestigious award.