Patients are people treating the person, not the problem

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Authors

Sykes, Leanne M.
Evans, William G.
Dullabh, Hemant D.

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

South African Dental Association

Abstract

A health-care practitioner is an individual who provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic manner to people, families or communities. Sadly, many clinicians could rather be called disease treaters as they are more concerned with handling the symptoms of a disorder (which also pays the bills), than on promoting or supporting the health of the individual. This applies to an even greater extent in Dentistry where the field of focus is already small, and it is tempting to talk of patients in terms of “the tooth” or “the case”. This paper presents a more holistic approach towards patient management during different stages of life from birth to adulthood.

Description

Keywords

Dentistry, Patients, Tooth, Clinicians

Sustainable Development Goals

Citation

Sykes, L.M., Evans, W.G. & Dullabh, H.D. 2018, 'Patients are people treating the person, not the problem', South African Dental Journal, 73, no. 2, pp. 98-100.