“Dentist also need to be on call?”
That’s probably the question I got most during my surgical posting.
We had the opportunity to tag along and learn from the dedicated team of Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons and Dental surgeons at the hospital for the past month, and it has been one of the best learning journey that I wish could’ve been longer.
Assisting and observing how they treat patients who are different from what we usually see in our clinic, really makes me think that they deserve more credit.
And why does dental surgeons need to be on call?
When someone got into a car accident at 2am and got their face badly injured (facial bone fracture/teeth broken off/big cut on the lips or tongue etc), the dental team have to come in to manage immediately.
The specialists also carry out surgeries for oral cancer patient, where major surgeries can go up to 10 hours...and that’s considered short. Sometimes it can go up to 6am next day!
A lot of people don’t seem to know that being a dentist/dental surgeon means that we have to provide comprehensive care to not just the teeth, but the entire oral and facial structures, and most importantly the overall well being of the patient. That includes their mental health, and their ability to carry out daily function at the optimum quality with minimal discomfort.
Of course, what I’ve learned and shared is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so much more to explore in this amazing field, and this is a simple sharing to the general public on what is going on in a dental surgeon’s life. I am still relatively new and have a lot to learn, but if you want to know more about the life of a specialist in the Oral Surgery department, feel free to check out Dr. @firdaus_hariri ! (He’s one of the people who inspired me in my journey in dentistry!)😁
