In an article in the New Dentist Now blog, Dr. Y. Cathy Hung, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon, shares how looking younger than her actual age and being “an Asian female who is petite” has made it difficult at times to establish credibility with her patients. After years of practice, and after owning her own practice, Dr. Hung says she has learned how to handle questions from patients that relate to her appearance and how to establish credibility with them. Based on this experience, she suggests dressing professionally, displaying credentials, using body language that is both friendly and professional, acting professionally with staff members, and avoiding age-related jokes.


"When I was doing my anesthesia rotation during the intern year of oral surgery residency back in 2000, I was sitting behind the curtain in my “shower cap” and surgical mask, watching the beeping monitors for a plastic surgeon working on a breast augmentation case. At some point, he turned around, noticed me, raised his eyebrows and spoke slowly with a deep tone of voice: 'Does your mother know you are here?'"

Read the rest of Dr. Hung’s piece at New Dentist Now.