Dr. Maria Taban: Working with children came as a revelation

My role-model was my mother, who was a dentist and did her job very well and was very successful in her profession. Ever since I was a little girl, I often went to the dentist's office with my mother, especially during summer vacations. I really enjoyed my internship at DENT ESTET, it helped me to think through rationally the path I want to follow. Dentistry, as a branch of medicine, is a means by which I can help people, improve their quality of life.

Specialization

When I was a student, I had braces put on by Dr. Iana Dilă. I loved the process, and I was a patient who easily integrated everything involved in orthodontic treatment into my routine. Although it took me a very long time to convince myself to get braces, almost 20 years, I saw what good results can be achieved and this made me not regret the choice. This is how I ended up choosing orthodontics as my specialty.

Orthodontics involves a lot of analysis: before moving on to the practical side, it is essential to look at the theoretical side, i.e. diagnosing a case and planning the treatment. This approach has been close to me, where manual work is not the most important thing.

The field of dentistry in Romania is quite the envy of other dentists in countries with developed national insurance systems that limit your treatment options. With the freedom of practice that we enjoy, we are able to offer customized attention to each individual case, which is a thing is admired by our colleagues abroad.

Because we have this potential, dentistry has come a long way in Romania, with many international personalities in dentistry coming to us for congresses and giving even more in-depth courses, bringing us in line with the highest standards of treatment.

My role models in this profession

I have two role models in orthodontics, Domingo Martin and Renato Cocconi, whom I met when I attended the FACE course. In my view, they practice orthodontics at the highest level. The thorough investigations with which they make a diagnosis, the meticulous documentation of cases during the course of their treatment, the follow up for many years after the completion of a treatment are some of the characteristic aspects of their practice that have inspired my confidence. They have a holistic view of the patient and the results are as close to ideal as possible, leaving no room for compromise.

Working with children

Working with children came as a revelation. I really enjoy communicating with them, it is the aspect that gives me at least as much satisfaction as the concrete result of my work.

In paediatric practice, an important aspect is communication, the transfer of trust between the child and the doctor, which has beneficial effects not only immediately, but also in the long term, in the education of children and in their relationship, as individuals, to health. Not infrequently, parents tell me how their little ones go to brush their teeth in the evening on their own 'because Maria told them to'.

It's an exchange: you want to help them by giving them the treatment they need, but you need their help in return - patience and cooperation. You achieve this reciprocity by conveying the idea that you are on the same team, by introducing playful elements into the process, but most of all by showing empathy. For example, when you are told "I am scared", I think it is important to convey that you are listening to what is being communicated to you, and moreover, that you understand - "it's normal to be scared, it's something new, something you have never done before", instead of "there is nothing to be scared of", or worse, "x is not as scared as you are", etc. I often tell them about my brother, Carol, it helps to give them examples close to them and make them realize that they are not going through this alone.

This exchange, which requires my full involvement and attention, makes me present in the moment, which is increasingly rare and difficult to achieve nowadays. Another of the joys of working with children is that they bring out the best in you, so you carry out your work with your most gentle, patient, open side.

The children of this new generation are different, they have their personalities shaped early, stronger personalities, "I don't want to" is the order of the day. I didn't have so much courage of expression at their age, that's why I really admire them for their individuality and maybe that's how I manage to befriend even those who initially resist :)))

The DENT ESTET 4 KIDS Team

The DE4KIDS team has come together nicely. For about 3 years I have been the coordinator of the internal meetings that we hold regularly. These meetings help, they are interactive, each of us shares the cases we have encountered, the articles we have read, the new materials that have appeared. We enjoy the "luxury" of learning from each other's experience.

I'm very close to the team, I try to support as much free communication as possible, to have as interactive and information-rich discussions as possible.

Free time

Outside of work, I try to maximize my free time as much as possible, to do as much as possible of the things that bring me joy.

I spend my free time in nature, in the mountains, I try to go hiking as much as possible. I have a personal "decalogue" stuck on my fridge, and one of the "commandments" is "Don't go a month without a mountain". Nature is overwhelming in its simple beauty.

Music is also an important part of my passions. I enjoy it in all avenues, be it my mini vinyl collection, concerts, festivals or Spotify account.

Another joy I've returned to, and had abandoned since the profession became a central part of my life, is reading. I enjoy both nonfiction books, which deliver valuable information that broadens my perspective on the world, and novels where I get immersed into the atmosphere and subplots.

Short bio

Dr. Maria Taban graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry "Carol Davila", Bucharest, attended the residency program at the Department of Prosthodontics of the same University and also the Master's Degree in Orthodontics at the Donau Universität-Krems, Austria. Currently, she is at the end of the residency program in orthodontics at UMFST "George Emil Palade" in Târgu Mureș.

She has been part of the DENT ESTET team since 2007, starting as a prophylaxis assistant, continuing as a paediatric dentist, and is currently a resident in Orthodontics and Dento-Facial Orthopedics at the DENT ESTET 4 KIDS and DENT ESTET 4 TEENS clinics.