My education at The Center for Special Dentistry

I am a dentist who has been trained in South India. After completing my undergraduate studies in dentistry, I decided to pursue further education at America. What prompted me to pursue further studies here was the immense difference in approach to treatment in the West as compared to the East, the use of modern technology over conventional treatment tools, as well as equipping myself to practice in both environments. All I needed was a stepping stone. The Center for Special Dentistry proved to be just that.

The Center for Special Dentistry gives a bird’s eye view to the practice of dentistry in urban America. Located at the heart of New York, just a few blocks away from Times Square and Wall Street, the Center is able to attract a wide variety of patients. Over my tenure of two months here, I have observed that patients who were afraid of visiting a dentist, because of a previous negative experience, or just because of an inherent fear of having someone look into their mouth, have come back to pursue comprehensive dental care. Many patients have been faithful to the practice over a span of two decades. There have been many, who have overcome their fear of dental treatment too, which has considerably changed their lifestyle, for the better.

Being an intern under Dr.Dorfman has been a valuable experience in itself. I have learned how psychology and dental treatment go hand in hand. I also have been learning how to handle unforseen events that could occur at a dental office, in an efficient manner. Once, a 10 year old boy happened to come to the Center, with a broken tooth. A major portion of his front tooth had chipped off while he was playing ball with his friends. He seemed apprehensive about the pain, any dental treatment could cause. His parents also seemed anxious since any possible injury, to his jaw or brain, needed to be ruled out. There were also other patients who had been scheduled for dental treatment. I was able to observe, how Dr. Dorfman and his team of specialists, were able to rule out possible complications in a systematic manner, as well as comprehensively plan out dental treatment for the boy. The tooth piece was placed in saline. After taking xrays, and clinically examining the patient for any possible fracture, the remaining tooth structure was bonded back to the tooth. Further treatment planning included a root canal treatment and a crown. The boy was referred to a pediatric neurologist to rule out any possible hidden injury. Dr. Dorfman also emphasized about how important it was as dentists, not to make the mistake of zeroing in on a tooth and over look a life threatening condition. Lessons on child psychology, practice management and time management were also duly learned.

I have also learned how much of a positive impact, a clean office with a warm friendly environment, can make on a patient. Dr. Dorfman trains his interns how to think like a doctor, as well as a patient. He works at constantly raising the bar, one level at a time, with a view to train his interns to be competent dentists in the market place, after graduating from dental school. My clinical skills have remarkably improved. Under his mentorship, I am now able to diagnose oral disease better, read dental xrays, communicate on a personal level with each patient, plan dental treatment keeping the patient’s interests at heart, as well as prudentially inform them about treatment costs that they would incur during the process. I have also been learning about the nuances involved in running a productive and competent dental practice. Dentistry is both an art and a science. For any dental student who would wish to wish to pursue dentistry academically, as well as improve their clinical skills and have an in depth knowledge of how to run a dental practice, I would highly recommend the Advanced Education Dental Program offered by the Center for special Dentistry.

I look forward to pursuing this program for a few more months, and would wish to thank Dr.Dorfman for giving me the opportunity to train under him.

Dr. Anisha Oommen
resident of Saudi Arabia

(front row – from left to right) Dr. Anisha Oommen is an Indian resident of Saudi Arabia.  Mary Zaklama is an Egyptian-American.  Dr. Parisa Zare is a Persian resident of UAE.  Dr. Jeffrey Dorfman is a Jewish-American.  Rosie Gorgy is an Egyptian-American.  COO Jackie Willis is part Hispanic-American.   (Back row – all alone because he is soooo tall) Chief of Staff Jeff Jerome is Haitian-American.  The Center for Special Dentistry is proudly the United Nations of Dentistry.

Categorised in: Dental Student Experiences

This post was written by Dr. Jeffrey Dorfman