I completed 32 years of practice on 10th June 2022 and I am excited as never before as I planning to introduce many new modalities in my practice .It’s now time to look back also and reflect on the journey so far.
Right from day one of my practice I have endeavored to introduce the latest treatment modalities that dentistry had to offer in my practice.
It took a lot of time & effort. I had to buy equipment and for that I had to take professional loans from banks.
Many times in my career I had to take professional loans & most of them were prepaid.
Having the requisite equipment was not enough. Many patients were cynical about newer treatment modalities. It took quite some time for patient acceptance especially since the newer treatment modalities seemed expensive.
Over a period of time patients realized that newer treatment modalities involved huge outgoings in terms of consumables, time, staff training, lab charges etc. Thereafter, the treatment modalities to save teeth & implant teeth were accepted by the population.
The latest treatment modalities soon become the standard of the care.
Previously a dentist meant a doctor who just extracts teeth.
Slowly over a period of time it was realized by the population that a dentist was a doctor who saved teeth & implanted teeth.
The journey has been slow, difficult & full of ups & downs. Proper lab support & consumables are not always available & their prices rise every fortnight. The staff need to be trained to use the latest equipment. Getting sincere & hardworking staff is a challenge to any business. At times there are equipment breakdowns. Getting personnel to repair malfunctioning equipment is difficult. A few pieces of equipment had to be discarded since they could not be repaired.
Some patients also questioned my priorities. They wanted me to invest in clinic ambience. But I think investing in equipment which results in faster & more comfortable dental treatments is a better idea. So my priority is to get latest dental treatment equipments.
But I continue with my battle & journey. My patients deserve the best and the latest at reasonable professional charges.
The journey is never ending.
But the journey is my destination.
