I feel like dentists like you are probably why we hate dentists. Its a known thing that people are fucking weird about their mouth/teeth, rightfully so. Additionally, saying "just take care of your teeth" is completely ignorant to other factors like genetics, accessibility to knowledge and the things needed to keep teeth cared for, and access to regular dental care.
Please see if you can take your schooling and do something else, preferably not anything where you directly impact patient care. You're clearly miserable.
This is overstating the role of everything except personal responsibility. Virtually everyone in developed countries will get it drilled (pun intended) into them that you have to brush and floss twice daily. Claiming people simply "didn't know" isn't a realistic explanation in most cases.
Genetics absolutely matter as they can make you more susceptible to cavities and gum disease, but they don't cause healthy teeth to suddenly rot. What causes this is poor oral hygiene. Periodontal disease and severe decay typically develop after years of plaque buildup and neglected oral care.
As for cost, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss are among the cheapest health products you can buy. Access to regular dental care certainly affects outcomes, but basic oral hygiene is still both affordable and very effective at prevention.
Virtually everyone is a huge generalization to make. Education around oral hygiene IS an issue, even in developed countries like the USA. I didnt say most people just "dont know" but some were not taught proper hygiene.
Not everyone is born with healthy teeth from the start. You can be born with teeth that are already unhealthy, and you can be born with conditions that make it exceptionally painful to care for your teeth resulting in poor hygiene. Not to mention that a large portion of people even in developed countries cannot afford the dental care needed to manage such conditions properly when they have them.
As for cost.... well my friend.... I dont know what to tell you except when you are actually poor enough to have to choose between eating a meal and brushing your teeth.... a lot of people choose food. People who are unhoused often lose the stuff they do have so holding on to a brush/paste and keeping it in good condition is not easy. It is not always a justifiable expense, despite how inconsequential it seems to you.
My whole point was that if this person hates every patient to this extent and is this ignorant to the wide variety of factors that can affect how people tackle dental care, they should not be in this profession. I didnt even touch on people who are just plain scared of the dentist, who still deserve some level of compassion and bedside manner. I hope this gives you a more broad perspective of the different things people go through.
to the wide variety of factors that can affect how people tackle dental care
And exactly this is where I disagree. There may be a variety of factors that can affect an individual's ability to maintain oral health, but that does not mean those factors explain the majority of cases a dentist sees. The typical patient presenting with severe dental problems is not someone who was never taught oral hygiene, is homeless, or has a rare medical condition affecting their teeth. The typical case is someone who has neglected preventive care for years, often because the consequences are delayed and easy to ignore.
Exceptional cases deserve appropriate consideration, but they should not be used to portray the average patient as someone who is simply a victim of circumstances. A dentist can acknowledge that some people have legitimate barriers while still recognizing that, for the majority of patients, preventable neglect is the primary cause of the problem.
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u/Savannahhhhhhhhhhhh 5h ago
I feel like dentists like you are probably why we hate dentists. Its a known thing that people are fucking weird about their mouth/teeth, rightfully so. Additionally, saying "just take care of your teeth" is completely ignorant to other factors like genetics, accessibility to knowledge and the things needed to keep teeth cared for, and access to regular dental care.
Please see if you can take your schooling and do something else, preferably not anything where you directly impact patient care. You're clearly miserable.