Paul Abrahams, president of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, explores how we can continue to develop our love of dentistry,
This is a question that many of you would have pondered over this past year or so. The pandemic put the resilience of every practice and professional to the test, but long before we were using the word “lockdown” on a regular basis, we knew dentistry was considered a challenging field to be in. We saw the worrying statistics for occupational stress and read about patients’ sky-high expectations. We were also aware of how the fear of litigation was, for some, affecting not just their enjoyment of the job, but their ability to practise at all.
So, why do you still love it? It starts with being able to support people of all ages to maintain a lifetime of oral health. Every treatment plan that is accepted then completed, every anxious patient who builds up the confidence to attend then return, because they know you offer a caring, comfortable environment – these are just two examples of daily triumphs. The more people you can motivate in good preventive behaviours, and to see quality dental treatment as a worthwhile investment, will help to reduce the incidence of dental disease.
Once your practice resumed non-emergency appointments, you would have remembered how valuable these relationships with your patients are. They lead to better outcomes, because they enable you to find tailored solutions. They also lead to trust, loyalty and collaboration. If a patient is exploring cosmetic treatments for the first time, whether that is for aesthetic or functional reasons (or both), they may be unaware of just what is possible with the latest techniques and materials. Stunning, often life-changing results can now be delivered efficiently, ethically and cost-effectively; results that will endure, too. Via good patient-practitioner relationships, you can promote treatments that will meet their needs and expectations, as well as your clinical aims. Happy patients, who leave your practice with a beautiful, healthy smile which they will want to take care of, makes every challenge of the job worthwhile.
Another good reason to love dentistry? Teamwork. The covid crisis would have given you so many reasons to appreciate your practice colleagues. How you all kept delivering the highest standard of care in exceptional circumstances – this steep (and unprecedented) learning curve bought out the best in many. Exceptional treatment is made up of component parts, with every element essential to a stable, successful result – and therefore happy patients. It is delivered by a whole team of people, too. From the dental hygienist to the dentist, to the laboratory technician and receptionist – who often sets the tone from the start - we all work best when we work together. Great teamwork is an everyday achievement, and one that will make you proud to do what you do.
Dentistry means professional as well as personal fulfilment. You can both transform a patient’s oral health and empower them to take control. You can connect with colleagues from all disciplines too, to share information, knowledge and support in order toraise standards even further, because you’re constantly looking at a situation from different perspectives.
You will love dentistry even more if you can keep pushing for excellence, while giving something back to the wider professional community. True excellence requires core skills and experience, but also having a thirst for knowledge and never wanting to stop learning. If you find the options for your dental career almost overwhelming, why not join an academy that will give your journey structure, and allow you to become part of a thriving community – so people can learn from you, too.
The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) has a ‘wheel of knowledge’ that represents the key areas for a clinically excellent cosmetic dentist. There are 16 areas, ranging from clinical concepts to treatment-based, and also including photography and digital. Join and you’ll get the opportunity to master these areas via its world-class programme of education (including a new online portal), events and networking opportunities. Many of the BACD’s members are leading practitioners in their field, and include dental hygienists, laboratory technicians and students as well as dentists. Connecting to the wider professional community will underline all the reasons why you love what you do. It will also give you the opportunity to become even better at what you do – which is often the simplest way to find a triumph in every challenge.
If it looks like there may be a few bumps in the road ahead – and we don’t yet know the full impact that the pandemic has had on the UK’s oral health – you will have to dig deep, stay positive and focus on doing the very best for every single patient. When the quality of your work is high, and you know that it will get even higher because you have made a personal and professional commitment to clinical excellence, the answers to why you still love dentistry will become clear.