Presentation:

  • Master in Nutrition and Quality of Life UMF Cluj Napoca
  • Master in Preventology Marseille France
  • Student of Clinical Homeopathy and Medical Ethics 2020-2022
  • Senior Expert in Pediatric Dentistry
  • Professional experience of more than 10 years
  • HappydentClinic Cluj Napoca

 

  1. How long have you been a dentist? Describe the path of your career to us so in one sentence.

My name is Alexandra Man and I have been a dentist since 2010 (11 years). In 2009 I had the opportunity to practice in the 6th year of college at the Happydent Junior&Family Clinic and I am currently practicing at the same clinic.

2. How was the debut/first meeting with the Pediatric Dentistry field? Where, when, how?

Like many other general dentists, I would have never thought I would be able to practice in the Pediatric Dentistry field. My student practice at HappydentClinic made me fall in love with this branch of dentistry and I now I cannot see myself practicing anything else. In addition, the fact that children love me and  my patience with them have also helped me signficantly.

3. How much time did you need to feel confident in your field of expertise?

I don’t know if you can ever be sure regarding a medical treatment, considering that we are all different. You can handle manual techniques very well, but each patient, young or old, needs a different approach, and in addition – each person reacts differently to treatments.

4. What has helped you grow?

First of all, my family was the one that helped me grow; they all understood and supported me. I was also helped by Dr. Nicoleta van Gelder, who opened some doors for me that others would not be willing to open. I was helped by my trips to congresses abroad, which opened other horizons and offered information not easy to have access to. Secondly, I was helped by my work, I spent many hours in the office.

5. What obstacles (rules, principles, prejudices, manual techniques, procedures) did you encounter during your career?

Obstacles and challenges appear in any career, all of them being related to young patients and their relatives, and also diagnoses that are difficult to complete. I have met anxious children, traumatized children, scared and demanding parents with a great lack of information, who come to us too late. And unfortunately we still encounter prejudices like: baby teeth do not cause pain and they will fall and be changed anyway, so we should not use any treatment, or that nothing can be done to baby teeth regarding aesthetics or functionality, the only solution being to wait for them to fall. Also, parents who do not accept certain prevention treatments because they have read certain studies about how these treatments are not appropriate for the child’s body in the long run, or teeth brushing that starts very late in the children’s case, parents that are uninformed about nutrition, and this list could go on and on…

6. How difficult do you think a child’s first dentist consultation is?

The first consultation is the most important for the little patient. Probably we all expect a pediatric dentist to love children and know how to communicate or play with them, how to gain their trust and make them want to come back next time they have a dental problem. You need to have a lot of patience and creativity even from the first consultation, especially when the child does not want to cooperate. If a child does not want to open his mouth because they are afraid of anesthesia, we will have to use a game or a short story in order for him to understand what we do and that it is not painful. An unpleasant experience at the dentist can have a huge effect on how the child will perceive the dental environment. A trauma may occur, and if left unresolved, it can lead to the refusal of going to the dentist regardless of the intensity of the pain or dental difficulties. This refusal is based on the lack of faith in dentists and on the association of dental treatment with pain and discomfort.

7. What is the procedure or treatment with the greatest degree of difficulty?

The first most difficult procedure seems to be the ability of maintaining trust regardless of the procedure. The second difficult procedure seems to be the local anesthesia, because each person feels it differently, you cannot always be sure if the child perceives the sensation of anesthesia, its taste or the tiny “mosquito bite”.

8. What is the treatment that you most like and that offers you the most satisfactions?

My first satisfaction is seeing children’s happiness when they realise their bravery and their ability to cooperate until the end of the treatment. It gives me satisfaction that I am able to get rid of their pain and last but not least, I like the aesthetics of the teeth… the joy of the parents when they see their children’s tiny teeth again.

9. What motivates you to continue?

I am motivated by the patient’s feedback, their recommendations, the preferences of children who only want me to treat them. It gives me satisfaction to see old patients who are now teenagers and are coming back to me. I am motivated by the new discoveries in this field, and by the fact that I am constantly trying to improve myself. It motivates me when I manage to change a child’s fear into the pleasure of coming to the dentist.

10. Describe a positive experience from your career!

I encountered many positive experiences during this time, but I am most happy when I can get rid of a child’s anxiety of going to the dentist. All the experiences that ended up with smiles and hugs gave me a good vibe. A positive experience I recently had was with an anxious little boy who came to me and we managed to do what we had to do in only two sessions, and he was so happy that he declared me his princess.

11. Describe an experience that dissatisfied you during your career.

Alongside the things that made me happy and motivated, I also encountered failures and disappointments… I am a dedicated person and any situation that I fail to solve is dissatisfaction for me.

12. Which material/device do you like the most? Why?

I like working with glassionomers and compomers, and I really like the Sleeper One electronic local anesthesia system, it helps me a lot.

13. How do you see the future of Pediatric Dentistry? How do you see ideal Pediatric Dentistry?

Parents are already more informed and they bring their children to the dentist as soon as possible, in order to prevent cavities. They are also giving more importance to this field. This is why many pediatric dental offices appeared. Parents try to change their children’s perception of dentistry, in order for them not to have the same traumas as adults later.

14. How can you enjoy family life as a dentist?

Until I became a mother – dentistry took up 90% of my time – I was living and dreaming of pediatric dentistry only. After I became a mother, the proportion is 50-50. I like what I am doing and I try to reconcile both as best I can.

15. What can you say about the earnings of a Romanian pediatric dentist in Pediatric Dental Practice?

In Romania – a pediatric dentist earns very little. You can’t change the mentality of patients or decision makers about the importance of baby teeth.