PATIENT SERVICES

Dr. Ruder

When I graduated from UMKC School of Dentistry in 1999, I had no idea what to expect of dentistry as a profession. As sappy as it may sound, I love the job. Sometimes it's stressful. And, similar to a highway patrol officer, people aren't always excited to see me while I'm working. But I love it. I love what I do for teeth, and I love what I do for patients. What does that mean? What I do for teeth is something I can take pride in. Similar to fine-woodworking, dentistry rewards attention to detail and the never-ending quest for perfection. I like taking something that is weak and strengthening it. I like making teeth more beautiful. I like using my hands to skillfully sculpt a tooth. But what I like about dentistry most of all involves patients, not their teeth. Everything I mentioned above I could do on a mannequin. What I do for patients is relieve pain. What I do for patients is try my very best to make them not afraid to come to the dentist. What I do for patients is try to make their visit painless.

The most rewarding thing about my job is earning the trust of my patients, and eliminating their dental fears. I realize that there is a person connected to the tooth I'm working on, and I try my hardest to make that person as comfortable as possible. What I've found is that this approach works. I have many patients who now are virtually fearless when it comes to dentistry, whereas before they were nervous wrecks at the dentist. Every time I see one of these patients it makes me feel great about what I do.

I also love the challenge of staying abreast of the best techniques and products available. Notice I didn't use the word "newest." Newest isn't always the best. I try very hard to sift through marketing hype when it comes to products and procedures. It is no surprise that companies that produce the products all have "research" data that proves their product is best. I search for unbiased information with regard to dental products and procedures, and when a truly better product emerges, I'm quick to incorporate it. Dentistry has changed a lot over the last few decades, and will continue to do so. I look forward to following dentistry wherever it goes, and will continue to adapt my technique and materials to be the best they can be.