The early days

Noel Kavanagh explores the challenges and risks in the early days of a typical dentist’s career and offers advice on risk management strategies.

Qualifying from dental school is a significant event in any new graduate’s life. It is a new chapter, the beginning of a professional career that one may have dreamt of for a long time. After the euphoria of getting through your finals, there are probably some important questions to consider before you make any decisions about your future career.

There are differences between working in a small practice that offers general dentistry and working in a large practice with both generalists and specialists on-site. The multi-disciplinary environment potentially offers a different experience as you will be able to gain an insight into the world of specialist dentistry. 

Clinical decision-making and treatment planning without a tutor peering over your shoulder can feel quite liberating at first, but it can also be daunting and lead to self-doubt. In a dental school environment, you are used to having treatment plans scrutinised and approved by clinical supervisors.