Hi ,

I want to share something I saw recently during my family holiday trip in Fiji. I am sitting on the beach, it’s a nice sunny day. My children are running around playing games, chasing each other. I’m just relaxing, staring out at the ocean.

Then, my eyes catch this gentleman. He’s maybe in his mid-50s, sitting by himself, sipping a beer.

But I notice he is doing something interesting. First, he starts using his fingernail. He is trying hard to dislodge something stuck between his lower left molars (looks like 36/37 to me). His nail is not successful. I know it sounds EWW but bear with me.

I can watch him getting frustrated.

Then, I see him pick up a fallen leaf from a coconut tree. He meticulously starts carving the stem of the leaf with his nails, very slowly and patiently. He is creating something like a makeshift toothpick or Pixster.

He starts pushing this stem against his lower molars. Again, trying different angles. He is holding his phone with his left hand, retracting his cheek at the same time (I don't know how he is doing that).

He is trying to use the phone camera to see what he is doing. He even takes his sunglasses off, puts them in his left hand behind the phone, trying to use the reflection like a mirror.

I can see his frustration is increasing. He is sweating more. He throws the leaf on the floor. He is getting really anxious.

Then, out of the blue, he starts pulling a string out of the fabric of his own T-shirt. Somehow, very slowly, he manages to get a good length of thread. Probably good enough for flossing.

Meticulously, he attempts to floss. I even see him tying knots in the thread, like a very experienced dentist trying to remove excess cement from between two crowns. He is putting this floss between his molars, trying to push it in a buccal-lingual direction, very meticulously.

But still, I can see his frustration building even higher. By this stage, I can actually hear him cursing while sitting there by himself.

Watching this, I have mixed emotions.

Part of me is sympathising with this poor fellow human. But I also remember something. Just before, I heard him talking about how he just had his teeth done in a country (I prefer not to mention the name), and how it was so much cheaper than doing it in Australia.

I guess he probably had a full mouth rehab or some implants.

My bet would be crowns, given how he was trying to push something between the teeth.

I couldn't help myself but feel sorry for him, but also trying to analyse what is happening in his mouth. Since I’m on holiday, I have time to think.

The way he is trying to clean, my guess is two crowns on 36 and 37 with a possible open contact. Something got stuck in between the teeth and under the crown. That can be very hard to remove, even for an experienced dentist. The other guess is a deep periodontal pocket he can’t get to the bottom of.

It made me wonder... is there a study linking the psychological impact of proximal open contact? Especially when something gets stuck, triggering the innervation of the interproximal tissues, sending signals to the brain, and causing anxiety? That would be an interesting study, wouldn't it?

Anyway, if you made it this far, thank you.

To be honest, I am sharing this story because I am putting out a job ad. Let's be real, I was trying to capture your attention.

If you made it this far, I really think you are the right dentist I’m looking for. You have good patience and a good attention span.

I see a lot of job ads. They all look the same. I’m trying to stand out.

I’m not going to say I’m looking for the next "superstar dentist."

Honestly, we are just a normal bunch of dentists working in a really good practice, with really good people. We have some of the best equipment you can have your hands on, coupled with probably one of the best mix of patients that I’ve seen.

We are the normal ones. We’re not superstar dentists. We’re not looking for a superstar dentist. We’re just normal, everyday dentists with good skills, always progressing.

We are looking for an Associate Dentist to join our team.

If you think you're the right person, or if you just want to work with a nice bunch of people, please check out my job ad and the details of our practice below. I would love for you to check out our social media too.

Oh, and one more thing. If you're wondering why you would move to Hervey Bay, whether you're coming from overseas or from another part of Australia, it's actually a pretty easy decision. You get an incredible lifestyle with a warm, subtropical climate almost all year round, beautiful beaches on your doorstep, and easy weekends exploring K'gari (Fraser Island), Noosa, or the Southern Great Barrier Reef. The cost of living is significantly lower than Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, yet dentists can enjoy the same, if not even better, earning potential without spending hours stuck in traffic every day. Hervey Bay is a thriving regional city with excellent schools, great cafés, plenty of sporting clubs and a genuine sense of community, while Brisbane is only a comfortable drive or a short flight away whenever you need the attractions of a capital city. It's the kind of place where people come for a visit and quietly start wondering why they didn't move years ago.

Thank you so much.

Practice name: Lakeside Dental Spa
Location: Hervey Bay QLD
To Apply Email your interest to: depositionhb@gmail.com

Please read the testimonials below from previous and current associates: Click Here