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Leadership And Communication
Being successful in dentistry requires more than developing your technical skills. Your ability to become a great leader and communicate with your team effectively will directly determine how successful you will be. When you do that, exceptional patient experiences, beautiful dentistry with great patients, and exponential profitability come easier.
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Fully Accept That Dentistry Is A Business
Just like any business you have to have a really strong vision for how you want it to influence the people that employs and serves. A great business is built on finding the right people to execute your vision, developing systems to support those people and watching key numbers to ensure that it grows and making adjustments when it doesn’t. Quickly find a mentor or a dental consultant and save yourself years of frustration.
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Find Out What You Are Good At And Limit Yourself To Those Activities
This is a fundamental flaw on the journey for most dentists looking for a fulfilling career. Enjoying your career requires that you love the procedures you consistently do. Become increasingly aware of the things you LOVE DOING and get good at building relationships with people who do the things that you DON’T LOVE. Refer the procedures you DON’T LOVE out to a specialist or find someone to do them in your practice. When you do what you love most of the day, it’s not called work, it’s called utilizing your gifts.
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Embrace Continuous Learning And Join A Study Club Right Away
Some of the very best learning in all of dentistry happens in your own city on Fridays. Find the best dentists in your area and surround yourself with them. Ask great questions of them and be a committed learner to what the “best practices” in dentistry are. Keep in mind that you are “the average of the five people you hang around with most.” So be sure to pick really successful friends.
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Take Care Of Yourself Like An Athlete
Dentistry is a sport. It requires that your body functions optimally every day. Your ability to make an income is greatly dependent on how healthy you stay. If you’re a new dentist, you can expect to practice for at least three or four more decades. How you feel on a daily basis will influence what team members and patients see. Dentistry is physically & emotionally, stressful on the body and this stress has to have compensation. Make sure you give your body exercise and sleep compensation to this stress of everyday dentistry. You will be glad you did.