She decided to pursue a specialization in orofacial harmonization: “When I saw that I could do it too, I loved it”

Practicing dentistry for nine years, she is pursuing a specialization in Orofacial and Surgical Harmonization to expand her range of practice. Read the full text and learn more about the specialization course in HOF (orofacial harmonization) and about this story.

The dentist you will meet in this story says she has been fascinated by dentistry since childhood, when her parents went to the dentist and took her along. She talks about the fascination she had with the dental instruments, the objects in the office, and her fondness for the dentist; that is how she realized what she wanted to be when she grew up: a dentist like the one from her childhood.

Dr. Amanda Novelli is from Santo André (SP), but graduated from Universidade Metodista, in São Bernardo do Campo. Dr. Amanda says that at first, interest in aesthetics within dentistry had not yet caught her attention.

The perspective of the patient and of the aesthetic practitioner

But even before realizing her potential to work in aesthetic health, she knew some procedures as a patient, and says she liked that personal use, where the transformation was visible when she got a peel, for example. As Dr. Amanda says: “Aesthetics is really cool, because we see the result.”

With this patient perspective, she was able to build a benchmark from that point of view, of the professional she wants to be and the satisfaction she can offer her patients.

“When I saw the possibility, that I could do it too, I loved it. Because it was already something I personally liked, so being able to do it and learn more is even better, which is why I started to get interested.”

It was after her graduation, when the dentist says botulinum toxin was on the rise and dentistry was expanding into injectable procedures; in that context, the dentist began to see the field through the eyes of an aesthetic practitioner, no longer just as a patient.

The decision to enter the postgraduate program

Initially, Dr. Amanda took a quick course in Orofacial Harmonization, a three-day course that did not give her the confidence she needed to practice: “I felt insecure doing certain procedures, like fillers, which are a little more invasive than toxin.”

Noticing her real interest in aesthetics, and seeing it as a field that is expanding today, the dentist learned about the specialization in Orofacial and Surgical Harmonization through a colleague's recommendation and made the decision that is opening new horizons for her career.

Today, Dr. Amanda works mainly with dental prostheses. With the specialization, she wants to expand her range of practice, earn more, and, in her words, “have lots of patients.”

What sets the specialization in orofacial harmonization apart

Unlike quick courses like the one Dr. Amanda took at first, the specialization in Orofacial Harmonization includes clinical immersions, a fundamental part of specializing with quality, giving you contact with model patients and the specific concerns of each case.

With clinical immersions, dentists gain a broad sense of what their work routine will be like, preparing properly to perform procedures safely. And, as Dr. Amanda puts it: “It's one thing to study from a book, another thing to go there and do it in practice. It's very important”.

In addition, similar to the experience Dr. Amanda had as a patient even before identifying aesthetics as a career possibility, postgraduate students can also volunteer to be model patients during clinical immersions, experiencing firsthand what the procedures are like. An experience that, in day-to-day patient care, can make a difference in guiding the patient.

The opportunity to exchange experiences

Another standout benefit of the specialization is the exchange of experiences among professionals, who have different backgrounds and may have different points of view that certainly help broaden the vision of a specialist in training.

The opportunity for networking is extremely valuable in the training of an aesthetic health professional, in a field that is constantly changing and growing, where staying up to date is essential. Especially considering that dealing with people's appearance and health is delicate and requires responsible qualification.

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