Education is KEY!
Posted by Dr Armi Cabero on Tuesday, September 3, 2013
I often experience patients making bargain with me while inquiring about my rates and services. Some are bearable but sometimes it may get annoying if they keep pushing you to the wall as if your rates are already rock bottom and there's not much left for your professional fee. I understand that our fees can sometimes be pricey, especially in this day and age where the 10 billion scam blew over our country that caused heavy bouts among our government officials and local citizens. But what patients don't understand is the amount of time and money we as doctors have invested in order to provide them the quality of work that we want to provide them.
The price we pay to get our diplomas and further education may not be as high as the 10 billion PDAF scandal, but I am sure that most of us have invested more that what we bargained for when we signed up for this career. Sometimes I wonder, how patients can be stingy when it comes to their teeth and yet afford to buy any other luxury other than purchasing dental services. I guess, they hardly see the relevance of having healthy teeth because of the lack of education they receive from their previous dentists.
Education is among the basic commodities that should be prioritized by our government because through education we become knowledgeable, therefore we overcome the obstacles that lie ahead of us. We become innovative, inspired and motivated to achieve what we perceive. We will no longer be a long shot compared to progressive countries because now, we are properly educated. Likewise with our oral health, if patients are educated about the importance of having good oral health, they will no longer shy away from dental services because they know the repercussions of neglecting their teeth and gums.
Wouldn't it be better for all of us if we were on the same platform where we no longer have to allot hours and hours of reasoning with our patients just to explain why they need to have dental treatment? That will be the day!
The price we pay to get our diplomas and further education may not be as high as the 10 billion PDAF scandal, but I am sure that most of us have invested more that what we bargained for when we signed up for this career. Sometimes I wonder, how patients can be stingy when it comes to their teeth and yet afford to buy any other luxury other than purchasing dental services. I guess, they hardly see the relevance of having healthy teeth because of the lack of education they receive from their previous dentists.
Education is among the basic commodities that should be prioritized by our government because through education we become knowledgeable, therefore we overcome the obstacles that lie ahead of us. We become innovative, inspired and motivated to achieve what we perceive. We will no longer be a long shot compared to progressive countries because now, we are properly educated. Likewise with our oral health, if patients are educated about the importance of having good oral health, they will no longer shy away from dental services because they know the repercussions of neglecting their teeth and gums.
Wouldn't it be better for all of us if we were on the same platform where we no longer have to allot hours and hours of reasoning with our patients just to explain why they need to have dental treatment? That will be the day!
Dr Armi is past editor of Dental Asia magazine. After her numerous feats, she returns and handles a private practice in the country and is considered as one of the most respected dental professionals in the dental association.
Now she continues her editorial crusade as Editor in Chief of Dental News Philippines to help empower every Filipino dentist with updated knowledge and skills straight from the "libraries" of renowned authors in the world.
