Should I leave my dental practice temporarily as soon as I get pregnant?!
Question: I'm a dentist. I recently just got married and now my husband and I are ready to have a child. I'm a bit worried about practicing while pregnant coz I'm exposed to all the germs and bacteria while treating patients.But leaving my practice means less income for the family, and this is the time that we should really save up for our future child.
Answers: I'm a dentist. I recently just got married and now my husband and I are ready to have a child. I'm a bit worried about practicing while pregnant coz I'm exposed to all the germs and bacteria while treating patients.But leaving my practice means less income for the family, and this is the time that we should really save up for our future child.
I don't see a reason to leave your practice that soon, being pregnant doesn't necessarily mean you are more susceptible to diseases, nor you're disabled and cannot work.
However, 2 things to worry about:
1) X-ray, (very important): don't take them, and don't let assistants take them in the room next to you, stay as far as possible from it.
2) Nitrous Oxide: inhaling it can cause some problems.
Universal precautions, if followed closely should be enough to protect you and protect your baby.
I worked with couple pregnant dentists, and they had more energy than me, even in the last trimester, I was amazed how they were able to work on patients, but it was no problem for them, and I noticed that being pregnant, is a great way to build better communication and friendship with patients, most of them will sympathize with you, and will appreciate you more, a pregnant dentist has the image of compassionate professional, both about her job and her family, and people admire that.
Towards the end of pregnancy, pay more attention to your attitude towards your staff and patients, pregnancy can affect your mood dramatically, and you can be angry for silly reasons, some people will take that personally and get offended, nobody likes to work around an angry person. If you feel you are in such situation, at that time start taking time off, and take a good rest.
Wish you luck.
dont leave practice plenty of doctors work well into their pregnacy they only stop to have the kids and back to work
There's no reason to stop practicing for nine months just because you are pregnant. Although you are exposed to germs and bacteria, you and your staff should be educated enough to apply/enforce infection control protocol.
Best of luck to you and your growing family.
:)
Hey pregant women don't go & hybernate for 9 months!! Wear your mask & gloves & go as long as you enjoy it. If threathen to misscarry then drop out. Doc W 32 yrs here