Dr. Heather Carr president@cda-adc.ca My Pride inOur Profession Serving as a representative of our profession in a variety of roles, I’ve met with many people outside of dentistry and tried to convey my experiences with the dentists of Canada. It can be a challenge to clearly communicate what I’ve learned over the years through countless social and working relationships with my colleagues. When meeting with the media or government, I share my firsthand knowledge of the profession and the pride I feel about the contributions we make every day that benefit the lives of Canadians. I was recently invited to speak at a White Coat ceremony at Western University in London, Ontario. It was an honour and pleasure to witness dental students taking their oath of commitment. It was also an opportunity to put into words what I know our profession to be, as I welcomed students into a long and respected history of service. The dentists that I’ve known carefully consider the needs of their patients and the greater good of society at large. They are empathetic, confident, humane and caring. They provide person-centred care based on an individual’s values, needs and aspirations. It may sound idealistic when I describe the ethical principles that form the foundation of our profession. However, my experience is that dentists embody these principles in the hundreds of small decisions they make each day in their practices. Dentists genuinely care about their patients and the members of their team; they work hard to treat them as they would want to be treated. I see this every day among my colleagues. This week, I saw a patient who I’ve been treating since she was a young child. She has special health care needs, so I do my best to provide dental care standing up while she reclines her wheelchair. During the appointment, we celebrated victories—her caregiver had been able to successfully brush her front teeth and my patient found a way to give me better access to her teeth. Each of my patients has unique needs, and I try to meet those needs to the best of my abilities—just like my colleagues across the nation. One of the partners in my practice recently suffered a serious leg injury that will keep her out of the operatory for weeks. The dentists in our practice have pulled together and colleagues in her orthodontics study club quickly volunteered to see her patients while she recovers. Her patients will be cared for while she takes some much-needed time to recover. There is a strong desire to help in our profession, not only patients but each other. At every CDA meeting, I marvel at the dentists who take time to effect positive change on issues impacting the oral health of Canadians. They show an incredible amount of compassion and effort in this work. I also have colleagues who use their days off to teach at dental schools or work at clinics for vulnerable patients. If only I could bring people outside of dentistry along with me for just one week—from my practice to a study club to a CDA committee meeting to a White Coat ceremony— they’d be able to get a better sense of what our profession truly is. I’m so proud of the dentists of Canada. We’ve contributed to the health of our fellow citizens and to the communities where we live and work. From the President 7 Issue 5 | 2023 | CDA atWork
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