Expert Advice for Aspiring Dentists to Flourish in the Dental Field

Masterful Skills, Dynamic Communication, and Empathetic Care comprise The Vital Trifecta for Dental Excellence! What are some other tips to excel in your professional pursuits? Let's learn from the experts in the field!

The real world seems daunting once we are done with college, and it can all seem very overwhelming to a young graduate. As a budding dentist, you are embarking on a journey to improve people's oral health and enhance their quality of life. However, the road to success in dentistry requires dedication, perseverance, and a commitment to ongoing learning.

Dr. Urvashi Tanwar (BDS, MDS, Endodontics, Bengaluru) shares invaluable advice for aspiring clinicians, urging them to start with unwavering patience and trust the process. She emphasizes upon the importance of flexibility, adaptability, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge.

"I graduated in 2017 from BDS and in 2021 from MDS, so it has barely been 2 years into private practice, and here are my two cents on how to combat each day as a young dental associate:

1. Excel in Academics: This starts essentially from your first year of college but it is never too late to pick up a book and start reading. That’s where the confidence lies. When you’re confident about your diagnosis and treatment planning, it’s because you know what you’re doing. The patient believes and trusts you more when he can sense you come from a strong academic foundation.

2. Build a Professional Network: Networking is vital in any profession, including dentistry. Social Media is rampant with information these days. Find good accounts. Follow them. Learn from them. Communicate or interact with them. I built a WhatsApp community with a close-knitted group where information could be shared freely and discussions can happen with no judgment. There is so much to learn from everyone in the group because they are all coming from different parts of India. The more you interact with other dentists, the richer your experience will be. So, let loose and get out there! Build a social media presence.

3. Embrace Technology: Stay abreast of the latest dental technologies and equipment that can enhance patient care. Immediately after my MDS, I was very much into technology-based dentistry and I still am. It is the future and we all know it. The sooner we embrace it, the easier it is going to be for us. This is why I joined a clinic that had CAD-CAM with the hope of learning something different from what we had always been doing. There was a learning curve for sure, but now I cannot imagine a day without scanners. And there are so many beautiful gadgets out there that I cannot wait to get my hands upon. Make sure you are self-motivated to create that drive in you. Only when you have the drive to excel and constantly improve, you can stay passionate and motivated.

4. Seek Mentorship and Guidance: Shadowing is a great way to advance your dental career quite quickly too. Choose any on social media or in your city and follow them. Make sure you choose the right person, and you will thrive in their presence.

5. Develop Business and Marketing Skills: Dentistry is not just academics and treatment planning. How to sell your thought process and treatments is a skill that you need to acquire if you want patient conversions to happen. Hone these skills, and it will help you go a long way in practice.

6. Prioritize Ethical Practice: A famous saying in our professional community dictates: Treat a patient as you would treat your mother. With this thought process, make sure your treatment is ethically driven without any ulterior motives. Don’t treat teeth; treat PEOPLE.

7. Take Care of Yourself: Lastly, don't forget to prioritize self-care. Practice dentistry in such a way that you have to be the most comfortable person in the room. It is your comfort above everyone else’s. Ergonomic dentistry is the need of the hour, and you practice it with everything you can. Ergonomic loupes, the Bambach Saddle Seat, positioning of cabinets and trolleys around the workstation, and 4-6 handed dentistry: all of these can help you practice fatigue-free dentistry.

You are just starting on your dental journey: take it slow, breathe, and it will all fall in place."

Reminiscing the exciting process of embarking on a career in dentistry, Dr. Neha R. Parate (BDS, MPH, Epidemiology - Infectious Disease Epidemiology) finds the profession to be filled with opportunities for growth and impacting patients' lives positively. To thrive in this dynamic field, her mantra is to embrace essential strategies and mindsets as a budding dentist.

"Prioritize Lifelong Learning:

Dentistry is a constantly evolving field, with new technologies, techniques, and research emerging regularly. To stay ahead, prioritize continuous learning. Attend dental conferences, seminars, and engage in continuing education programs.

Develop Strong Communication Skills:

Enhance your communication skills by actively listening, explaining procedures clearly, and demonstrating empathy toward patients' concerns. Effective communication fosters patient satisfaction, cooperation, and a positive dental experience.

Strive for Excellence in Patient Care:

Pay attention to detail, uphold high ethical standards, and personalize treatment plans to cater to each patient's unique needs. Striving for excellence will result in satisfied patients who trust your expertise and gladly recommend your services.

Prioritize Self-Care:

Dentistry can be physically and mentally demanding, making self-care crucial for maintaining a sustainable and fulfilling career. Cultivate a healthy work-life balance, practice stress management techniques, and seek support when needed. Prioritizing your well-being allows you to provide optimal care to your patients while enjoying a long and rewarding dental journey."

Acknowledging the fact that dental colleges provide a solid underpinning for a dental career, Dr. Apoorva Mahatme (BDS, MPH-University of Alabama, Birmingham) highlights the modest amount of guidance students receive on management strategies for operating a dental practice.

"In the current market, business skills are just as valuable as interpersonal skills. After all, both your and your patient’s best interests are interlinked. If a postgraduate degree is not in the plans, joining a clinic with a Senior Dentist who can mentor would be a great path forward. It would also help to get behind-the-scenes experience of managing a dental clinic. A dental practice is a lifelong endeavor, and attending educational lectures, seminars, and hands-on workshops will help you stay abreast in acquiring new skills. Being dedicated to expanding the knowledge base will not only accelerate your career growth but also impart a touch of brilliance to your resume. If you are someone who wants to “break the mould” of a traditional dental career, a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) can be an option to pursue.

A little something about me: After completing my BDS, I worked as a full-time Associate Dentist for more than three years at a private dental clinic in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Shortly after, my dream to pursue an MPH degree came calling and made me fly across the globe to the USA. Two years at UAB were transformative, to say the least, and drastically enhanced my knowledge and perspective towards public health. The curriculum involved subjects like Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Finance, Management, and many more. Although it is a non-clinical field, it provided a wide range of career opportunities and helped develop a holistic approach to understanding of Health care systems. This exposure helped me transition from treating a handful of people to improving the health of an entire demographic. BDS is not an end-all-be-all; one can have an unconventional path that is not related to core dentistry because neither all problems nor solutions are restricted to a certain fence.

Be Brave and Keep Smiling!"

Embrace these principles to not only thrive in your career but also leave a lasting imprint on your patients' lives, embarking on a gratifying odyssey as a dentist. Always remember, authenticity and unwavering commitment will pave the path to your professional achievements.

(HN)