While we were working with a patient this past week, Renee and I came to the realization that we were both about to celebrate our fifteenth year with the practice this coming fall. This got me thinking about what an average dentist’s career length might be so I did a little research. A review of all of my resources turned up about thirty years in practice as that magical number and I believe that my predecessor, Dr. Don, retired after close to that many years of molar mechanic-ing.
Does this mean that I am over the proverbial dental hill? I don’t feel this is the case but there is evidence to support it statistically. I am fully entrenched in those middle dental years where I am no longer getting invitations to the ‘Young Doctor’ seminars but still not a reliable part of someone’s semi-weekly golf foursome.
The truth of the matter comes down to what part of your body does your occupation’s repetitive stress attack. For us, it is our backs. I know of more dentists that were forced into an early retirement because of back pain than any other single reason. Fortunately, my back feels great and I work every day to keep it that way. So, the next time you are at a Hallmark store and you see one of those balloons that says, “Over The Hill”, just know that it is a sign from me that it’s time for your checkup…
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