Dentist Appointments


Sometimes I wish I could just “go to the dentist” like everyone else does…

I wish it wasn’t such an ordeal to get to one appointment…

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I have to leave work by 3 pm, drive to the train station, hop on the first train, switch trains, then walk a block to my 4:30 appointment at the dental school.

My appointments take 2-2 1/2 hours and then I reverse the process to get back home. I usually arrive back home around 9 pm. Makes for a LONG day…

Yeah, I wish I could just “go to the dentist”… but at the same time, I am quite thankful for the care I receive. Getting dental work done by students is not for everyone, but I feel more comfortable there than I do anywhere else. This is not a concept I have an easy time explaining to people. Most people just assume that young students will make mistakes. Funny thing though: the only “mistakes” I’ve experienced there, as minor as they were, were mistakes made by instructors. Yes, “regular” dentists during the day who teach at the school in their spare time.

The way I see it: these students have VERY strict rules they have to follow. Yeah, things take longer there, but they take their time and they do things right. They are under a lot of supervision and all work is checked by instructors. Dentists out in private practice – who exactly is watching them? No one. Tell me again why I would choose that over the highly controlled environment of a dental school? No thank you.