Kim – Dentist at large

Behind the sterile looking mask and squeaky gloves, dentists are people too. Have you ever wondered what kind of a person they might be?

We’re not all scary and we’re not all big – I am barely 5 foot 2 (154cm to be exact if you must ask). And outside our work, we have hobbies like anyone else. For me I enjoy food, martial arts, movies, reading and most of all travelling.

I have been fortunate to have travelled to countries such as New Zealand, Taiwan, America and Canada. While I travel to learn more about the wider world and other cultures, I did find myself incidentally checking out dental surgeries and all things dental related in these countries.

Did I mention I love my job?

In Taiwan, we walked past at least five different dental surgeries in the city centre, and all were open plan. There were no individual rooms to separate the reception or the treatment rooms, so from the street you could look directly from into the reception and see patients lying in dental chairs having treatment performed just behind it. Imagine that happening in Australia, to walk down the street and just look inside seeing what treatment which patient is getting and who the dentist is! Talk about community.

Meanwhile in New York teeth even had their own exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. I was so excited I had to take a photo. Sure it was dedicated to dinosaur teeth rather than human teeth, but it was still interesting to learn that we share the same materials that form our teeth as creatures that roamed the earth millions of years ago.

I’m not sure where my next holiday will be but I am bound to check out dental surgeries there too. It’s interesting to compare my experiences of dentistry in Australia to that of other countries around the world. And it’s nice to show the world that while our reputation precedes us, dentists are people too, just like you (we just like teeth a lot more)!

– Kim

Next blog: Team Miroma in training