Once dental practices were male-dominated spaces, but today female representation is at an all time high. In fact, one-third of the dentists at 123 Dentists are women. Female dentists can also bring a different kind of decision-making to any practice, according to self-reported research cited by McKay and Quiñonez. Men replied in a survey that they usually base their decisions on objectivity, logic, and consistency, while the women reported being more motivated by how they feel. Their personal values, sympathies, and desire to maintain harmony and tact are important factors in patient care.
The personal qualities women typically possess see them spearheading unique dental programs like Ontario’s Project Restoring Smiles. The women behind this initiative provide free dental procedures to survivors of domestic violence who are self-conscious about what their abuse has done to their smiles. These dentists provides extensive procedures costing thousands, including orthodontics, bleaching, crowns and bridges, root canals, extractions, dental implants, and surgical facial reconstruction free of charge.
“Our vision is to restore confidence in women who have survived domestic violence by addressing the physical effects of abuse,” Dr. Tina Meisami explained in a statement cited by women’s blog SheKnows. “Restoring a woman’s smile has an incredibly powerful impact on her overall physical and mental health.”
Since launching in 2011, Project Restoring Smiles has treated more than 45 patients to more than $200,000 worth of complimentary dental services.
The different character traits female dentists exhibit, as seen in the team from Project Restoring Smiles, translate into the different approaches McKay and Quiñonez saw female and male dentists taking in clinical practice. They noted male dentists tend to use gloves, masks, and protective eyewear less frequently than female dentists, who reported being more concerned with infection control. Women also typically favour preventative measures, while male dentists are more likely to advocate significant restoration. The willingness that these women have to head off problems before they arise could have a significant impact on their patients and the entire dental industry, in fact.
Female dentists are also more likely to refer the patients to specialists rather than attempting to resolve patient problems themselves. McKay and Quiñonez stated 70.3 percent of female dentists have referred simple and complex surgical cases to specialists compared to just 49.5 percent of male dentists.
No comments:
Post a Comment