David Wagner: Communication Relieves Stress in Dentistry

David Wagner, DDS, uses communication skill gained through Scientology to turn the “dreaded” dental visit into a pleasant experience for his patients. His profile is one of 200 “Meet a Scientologist” videos on the Scientology website at www.scientology.org.

In a video featured on the new Scientology Video Channel at www.scientology.org, dentist David Wagner of Clearwater, Florida, tells how communication skill gained through Scientology is vital in his practice. It is not enough to provide quality dental care—genuine interest and understanding are also important.

“People don’t usually like to go to the dentist,” he says, “so I get to know them and treat them as friends. That makes their treatment go a lot easier.”

Dentistry has been Wagner’s lifelong passion. When he earned his dental degree from Indiana University and completed an advanced training program at Sinai Hospital in Detroit, he accomplished a goal he set while in elementary school in Lafayette, Indiana, pursuing it with single-minded determination. He even chose a project on dentistry for his junior high school science fair project.

Highly trained and highly motivated, Wagner, to his dismay found the business end of dentistry a struggle—he did not know how to establish and build a practice, let alone keep it viable.

When he heard about a technology of administration developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, he signed up for some courses and immediately learned exactly what he needed to do to resolve the problems in his office. “That was quite a revelation to me,” says Wagner, whose whole life got a lot better with his newfound understanding of how to organize and manage his practice.

While what he learned from his courses was practical know-how and not religion, Wagner was fascinated by the workability of Mr. Hubbard’s administrative technology and decided to look into what the Scientology religion might offer him. What he found surpassed his hopes and expectations.

“Scientology has really changed my life,” Wagner says. “It answered questions I wondered and worried about—I was surprised how easily they resolved.”

And it all came full circle back to his practice, as the more he learned in Scientology, the better he was able to deal with patients. “Scientology helped me to actually communicate with patients, and they seem to appreciate that most. When you really understand a person you almost feel like you’re walking in his shoes and it’s easier to treat him,” he says.

Wagner, 61, and his wife Pat are parents and grandparents and also serve as staff members at the Church of Scientology Mission of Belleaire, Florida.

View David Wagner’s video at www.scientology.org.

The popular “Meet a Scientologist” profiles on the Church of Scientology International Video Channel at Scientology.org now total 200 broadcast-quality documentary videos featuring Scientologists from diverse locations and walks of life. The personal stories are told by Scientologists who are educators, teenagers, skydivers, a golf instructor, a hip-hop dancer, IT manager, stunt pilot, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, engineers, students, business owners and more.

A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, in April 2008 the Church of Scientology became the first major religion to launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, which has now been viewed by millions of visitors.