March is a month full of celebrations to make you smile…like Dental Assistants’ Week and National Dentist’s Day! Celebrated on March 6, National Dentist’s Day is to recognize all the men and women who keep our teeth and mouths healthy! At FDA, we are lucky to have two of the most amazing dentists around – Dr. Brunacini and Dr. Karagiorgos, who are both deeply devoted to providing the best oral health care possible. We wanted to know more about what makes them both such great dentists, so we asked them a few questions about their profession.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Dr. Brunacini: I like having the ability to find a solution to someone’s dental concerns – whether it is in an emergent situation or minor day-to-day concerns. I am always encountering new situations that require me to pull from previous experiences or to think “outside the box.” I love working together with patients to find the right care for their needs.
Dr. Karagiorgos: Everything. I absolutely love being a dentist! Dentistry is a perfect blend of art and science and feeds my passion for each. My career before dentistry was engineering. In my mid-twenties I became very ill and came close to losing my life. Thankfully, I survived. Going through that experience, I came to realize how short life can be and that each day is a gift. I spent a good deal of time looking for a career that could fulfill me professionally, personally, and allow me to help people. I am very fortunate to have found all of those things in dentistry. The fact that I get to do this job at FDA with a wonderful business partner, the best staff, and fantastic patients makes it just that much better.
What is the most surprising thing that has happened during your dental career?
Dr. Brunacini: It amazes me how much dentistry is in the “people business” more than anything. In dental school, all I could focus on was developing the technical skills to do the procedures, but you soon realize that it really is about building trust with patients and creating relationships by treating them well. That is what we strive to do at FDA everyday.
Dr. Karagiorgos: Before dental school I was under the impression that when you graduate that you are a dentist and then you work as a dentist. Having been out of school for many years now, I have a different understanding. While graduating dental school prepares a person to learn to be a dentist, I find that the field is changing so quickly nowadays that unless you are constantly expanding your education, you are falling behind.
What are you looking forward to in dentistry?
Dr. Brunacini: I am excited about the technological advancements on the horizon. The continued progression of digital dentistry gives us the ability to better plan out treatments before procedures. This ability will continue to improve outcomes for our patients, which is always our goal.
Dr. Karagiorgos: This is a very interesting time in dentistry. The integration of computers and technology into dentistry makes it a very dynamic profession. Dentistry at Falmouth Dental Arts today is almost unrecognizable from when I first started. To remain a licensed dentist in Maine we have specific amounts of required continuing education that we need to fulfill by taking classes in person or online, attending seminars, and dental meetings. Brian and I are finding that we are far and away exceeding these requirements in order to keep FDA at the crest of the wave of modern dentistry.
Thank you Dr. Brunacini & Dr. Karagiorgos for all you do to keep us healthy!
Another great way to say thank you to the doctors is to keep up with your home oral health care – brushing twice-a-day, flossing once-a-day – and to schedule regular check up appointments. If you need to schedule your next appointment, please give us a call at 207.781.5900.
