When a dentist's day first starts each morning, it is very much like any other professional's. A dentist will usually wake up quite early, perhaps around 6-7 AM, and possibly do a light to moderate exercise routine which may consist of jogging, walking, or riding a bike. That is typically followed up with a warm shower and a healthy meal that will keep their minds sharp throughout the day and their much needed fine motor skills fully energized. While this morning routine might sound familiar to a wide range of people, it is what happens later that makes a dentist very different than your ordinary professional.
Arriving at The Clinic
When a dentist first arrives at their dental office or clinic they will typically start the workday by reviewing the first 1-3 patient files that will determine the first procedures of the day. If the patients require extensive or difficult dentistry, then a dentist may spend some extra time on that particular case file, making sure that they are fully prepared for the difficult procedure ahead of them.
Seeing The First Patient
Once the dentist is fully settled into the office and has a complete daily patient schedule, the dental receptionist will send in the first patient. The dentist, typically still in their office when the first patient is seated in their dentistry chair, will be alerted by the hygienist that their patient is ready to see them. The dentist will usually glance over the patient's file once more, then move on to sterilizing their hands and preparing themselves to conduct the first procedure.
Navigating Through The Daily Scheduled Procedures
Depending on how a dentist office schedules its patients, a dentist could see 3-4 patients in a day on a light to moderate schedule, while on a heavy schedule the dentist might perform 8-10 procedures. Obviously, the amount of procedures that a dentist can perform in a single day almost entirely depends on the difficulty and time length of the procedures being conducted. The dentist will typically take a break in between each patient consultation or procedure, which gives them adequate time to browse the final case files for the day, as well as take a mental and physical break in order to make sure that they are able to perform at a highly optimized and energetic level.
End of The Day Tasks
As the day winds down for a dentist, it is not uncommon for the dentist to decline to see further patients and instead retire to their office to file paperwork, review patient records, and start preparing themselves for the following day and week of work that is ahead of them. Being a dentist requires a lot of forward-thinking and planning in order to make sure that each patient is treated with the highest level of professionalism possible. An underprepared dentist is not going to be able to perform their job at an industry standard level and thus they could run the risk of making mistakes, offering poor service, or even losing their license to practice due to malpractice or developing a bad professional reputation.
Returning Home From The Dental Clinic
Once a dentist returns home they will likely be quite exhausted from the work of the day, as dentistry can be a grueling job that forces dentists to incur stress on their minds and bodies. Thankfully, the rewards of being a dentist are very high, especially in Western countries such as the United States and Canada. The salaries that dentists make in these countries allow them to live very comfortable lifestyles. In the evening hours after work, a dentist will return to doing tasks undertaken by just about any other professional. They will likely have dinner, review bills such as their pool financing or house payment statements, spend time with their family and pets, and then retire to bed early so that they can wake up feeling fresh to start the next day ahead of them.