Do You Love Dentistry?

– By Dr Nav Ropra.

Each person has deep within themselves, a calling that if they find out what that is, brings such vitality, vision and clarity to their lives, that they can’t wait to get up in the morning to go out into the world and do it.

Most uninspired people get up in the mornings, drag themselves out of bed wishing they could sleep more, and when they do finally reach work, its because they ‘got to’ go to work and ‘got to’ pay the bills.  Their life is full of turmoil and usually they are blaming everyone else around them for their personal circumstances and not taking much responsibility of how their life is.

There is nothing right or wrong about this.  However, when the perceived pain of living this way overtakes the perceived pleasure, a crisis point happens before they change.  Their values will suddenly be challenged or changed, and as they go through an identity crisis they may feel out of control or uncertain about life.  The perceived pain becomes a very powerful catalyst to change.  Their ‘shoulds’ become ‘musts’ and instead of thinking they should change their life, they start to realise that they must change their life.

‘When the perceived pain of living this way overtakes the perceived pleasure, a crisis point happens before they change.’

When this happened to me, my vision became clouded as the challenges of running and managing my first dental practice shortly after graduation became overwhelming.  I was very eager to share the gifts and clinical knowledge I had learnt from University, but I didn’t have the skill set to single handedly manage my own busy dental practice, the administration, the staff or the financial responsibilities.  I certainly was at a ‘got to’ place in life and it was a very stressful and challenging period in my career.

‘If this happens, then your values will be suddenly challenged or changed, and as you go through an identity crisis you may feel out of control or uncertain about life.’

Only when I realised that I needed to STOP seeking outward gratification I started to search within.  To reconnect with myself I kept on asking three very important questions.  Who am I?  Where am I going?  And why?  When my vision and clarity around these questions returned, I was ready to open another dental practice and my enthusiasm and passion for dentistry sky rocketed.  When your level of service to others is of that calibre, the universe supports you in such a way that ‘coincidences’ start to happen.

‘Who am I?    Where am I going?    And why?’

You turn up at the right place, at the right time, to meet the right people to make the right deal.  In my case, without any advertising I gathered a whole team of dentists and staff members who wanted to work with me and be part of my new practice.  I had found my passion in 24 hour emergency dental care and loved it so much that we were continually treating patients at any time of the day or night, 365 days a year.

‘You turn up at the right place, at the right time, to meet the right people to make the right deal.’

My service to patients was beyond any boundaries of time as I was ready to see and treat people who could not get treatment elsewhere for whatever reason.  The unifying mission statement of my practice was clearly written on the wall and visible to all patients and as a reminder to the team of the standards we were aiming for.

‘To provide the best 24 hour dental service in the world.’

I was grateful to have such a dedicated and intelligent team that it made the delivery of care seem effortless. For over a decade, I loved to treat the most difficult of pain cases.  To humble myself to the intelligence that comes with healing when you are inspired and in service, in addition to providing excellence in dental procedures.  To care for the other so much that space and time disappear when you are treating them whereby 2 hours can seem like 2 minutes.  The intensity and enthusiasm of the practice was such, that we started to see patients from all over the world, and learned about different cultures and treatment options from other countries that it added value our own learning and skill set.

‘To care for the other so much that space and time disappear’

I sincerely believed that we achieved the Mission statement of the practice.  For me, this statement translated into a state of presence of love and gratitude.  To bring out the best we could in ourselves 24 hours per day.  Being so empty that you are full of love for what you do irrespective of the circumstances. So total that the healer is no longer there, and all that is left is the healing potential and the LOVE of dentistry.