We speak to David Bretton and ask why he is championing the role of the general dentist, and how to remain positive in dentistry.
What made you want to get into dentistry?
It wasn’t until college that I even considered it…I guess I sort of fell into dentistry.
Nobody in my family is a dentist so it had never been an obvious career choice growing up. I was good at science at school and so inevitably I was faced with the common ‘medicine versus dentistry’ scenario when sitting my A-levels.
It seemed to me that dentistry would offer a much better work/life balance.
Recently, reading the book This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay, it seems that I made a good choice…I love dentistry!
What is it you love about dentistry?
Dentistry has never felt like ‘work’ to me. I spend my days either talking to people or doing something practical and hands-on.
Dentists have never had the greatest reputation with the public and I commonly encounter people who report that they have had negative experiences. I enjoy trying to alter this perception by creating positive experiences and outcomes for the people I meet.
Ultimately, dentistry is all about people. It is this aspect that I enjoy the most and find the most rewarding.
What are your favourite aspects of dentistry?
I find aesthetic dentistry to be the most enjoyable and rewarding – it is one of the few areas of dentistry where our patients want to be there!
Minimally invasive techniques allow more treatment to be patient-friendly, eg no drilling or injections, and this…
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