Interview (Dr. JOseph Weber)
Q: How do you feel about having dental procedures performed on you? Do you like or dislike the experience? (teeth cleaning, fillings, etc.)
A: I do not like dental procedures. This makes me more conscious and empathetic to my patients.
I do not understand this because I don’t mind dental procedures at all and I thought that someone who understands every step of the dental process wouldn’t mind it either but I was incorrect.***
Q: Why do you like or dislike the experience?
A: I don’t like being numbed and am not comfortable having procedures completed.
Comfortableness is a very important aspect of the dental experience and even things like waiting rooms must be taken into account so that the patient can have the best experience possible.
Q: Are there certain dental substances that you like or dislike the taste of?
A: Most dental substances definitely do not have a good taste. The stuff we use for impressions tastes does not have a pleasant taste.
Impressions don’t taste too bad to me, they just have a bland, gummy taste. What’s the worst to me is the material used for sealants because it has an extremely sour and bitter taste.
Q: If the taste of the dental substances you dislike was improved, would you like having dental procedures performed on you more?
A: It would for sure make the treatment better.
What would be very beneficial for a research study of this topic would be to survey people on why exactly they dislike going to the dentist to see if taste would really make a big effect.
Q: When you were in school (dental school?) did you discuss taste and how it affects dentistry?
A: No. In dental school, the dental products were limited. We didn’t have a choice in what we used.
Taste probably seems like a very arbitrary thing to worry about when in dental school because there is so much to learn already.
Q: If some of the substances you use on patients tasted better, what effect do you think that would have?
A: The patients would probably have a more pleasant experience.
From what I’ve seen at Weber Family Dental, most patients don’t seem to worried or uncomfortable when getting procedures done, especially when just getting their teeth cleaned.
Q: What are your thoughts on my Essential Question in general?
A: It’s an excellent question, I am curious to know the answer but don’t know it myself.
There really isn’t a way to test this question with the resources I have.
Q: How did you get to where you are now in your career? After graduating high school, what steps did you take?
A: I enrolled in college at Gainesville Junior College and focused on the requirements for dental school and keeping my GPA high. I also focused on the DAT (Dental Aptitude Test). I applied and was accepted to the Medical College of Georgia. From there, I purchased a dental practice.
This seems like a logical career pathway for dentistry. I am curious if becoming a dentist is this simple in other states as well or for everyone in Georgia.
Q: If you could do one thing differently in your past that would affect your career now, what would it be?
A: I would study business, accounting, and marketing. Over half of owning a practice involves these three areas.
Maybe classes on business, accounting, and marketing should be requirements in dental school.
Q: Would you recommend your career to high school students like me in today’s times?
A: Absolutely! We are always needed. Dentistry is a priority in maintaining overall health. New research proves dental health is linked to cardiovascular, diabetes, dementia, and premature births.
Dentistry is not a career that could be done without humans so it is not a career that will become obsolete with the advancements of technology.
*** This gray italicized text denotes my reflection to each question and answer.