Thursday, April 1, 2010

IS IT WRONG THAT I ENCOURAGE MY KIDS TO BECOME DENTISTS?

The other day, a friend of mine asked my five-year old daughter what she wants to be when she grows up, and she answered, "A dentist."

I was so proud!

I have been encouraging her and her older brother to become dentists. (It helps to start young, right?)

(This is when my oldest son lost his first tooth a few months ago.)

A few reasons dentistry is at the top of my list:

1. The training is so much shorter than physician training. Dental school is an additional four years (thanks, Jenny) after undergrad. Physician training is a minimum of seven years after undergrad. (My husband will likely take nine years after additional specialty training and a fellowship.)

2. Dentists have a great salary.

3. Dentists do not have to endure a residency (unless they decide to become oral surgeons).

4. Dentists are always cheerful, which means they are pretty happy, right? Maybe this is due to the fact that they have great power to inflict pain on their patients, if they so desire; or maybe it is because I am so un-cheerful when I visit the dentist that they automatically seem extremely cheerful in contrast.

5. I take my stress out on my teeth, (grinding at night, snacking during the day), so I constantly need to go to the dentist. Within the last two months I have spent thousands of dollars on my teeth. I figure, why not give all my money to one of my own children, rather than to a stranger?

My son has not warmed up to the idea yet - he still wants to be "an army guy," but I'll keep working on him. I'm glad to know that my daughter is heading in that direction, and actually listens to some-thing that I am saying.

(It is so fun to be a mom.)

1 comment:

Jen said...

This post made Nate and I smile :) We hope all these wonderful reasons to be a dentist prove to be true in the next few years!
Nate did want me to mention that all schools but one are actually 4 years and not 3 but point made