tips and tricks

 So I've been quite preoccupied lately with job hunting. My public dental contract is ending soon and I am not looking to renew it. The upside of a public job is that the hours are fixed, work ends when the shift ends and the pay is acceptable but stable. However, with this kind of job comes a lot of red tape, to some extend, lack of clinical freedom. Because you work in a big organisation, you have to abide by the rules set from higher up. In the past, this job has been very kind to me, I was able to do what I wanted clinically within the scope of practice that was available. Now, understandably due to blown out waiting lists from COVID shutdowns, they are getting very restrictive about what kinds of procedures we can perform and the dentistry is being much more tightly controlled. I absolutely see the reason for this from a managerial and organisational perspective but I am feeling pressured to perform the kind of dentistry that I feel is not in the best interest of my patients. ...

So there was a request to make a post on how to build healthy relationships with the staff at work. Admittedly i'm not the most socially tuned in person but you don't necessarily have to be a relationship superstar to build a healthy relationship with a coworker. Strategies and work dynamics are wildly different according to your position at work. Support staff, dental associates and practice owners all must have different approaches to interact with their coworkers to avoid friction and relationship breakdown. I will approach this post from a general point of view and as well from the view of the associate dentist and practice owner. It isn't mandatory to get along with everyone at work but if you intend on working at a place for some time or plan on not hating your job it really does help. Below are some thought's ive jotted down on the subject: General thoughts: Be honest: Humans have inbuilt bullshit detectors and lying breeds distrust which is a killer in any t...

Education in dentistry has a strong focus on what  the procedure is and less on how  we perform it. Long appointments and indeed long days are tiresome and by the end of the day you can feel as though your attitude to your work has declined and the quality of even simple procedures is poor. One thing that you need to learn not only in rehabilitation procedures but in general day to day practice is resilience in your work. Strategies to overcome fatigue include: -Take breaks: Break up your day with a cup of tea or some fresh air. Long appointments can be split up with a break for yourself and the patient. If you take 5 minutes for a bathroom break and a glass of water you will make up that time afterwards by being refreshed and being ready to jump back into the procedure. It may give you the clarity to solve some issues that you have been struggling with that appointment. Seeing the case with fresher eyes is always helpful. Even the 20 seconds while your dental assistant is l...

Without exception, there will always be down time in the workplace. Patients cancelling late, patients running late and unexpected situations like weather anomalies and equipment breakdown. It is very easy when you are running a business to see this as money out the door however it does give you a rare opportunity to fill your day with other activities. There is always something to do around the workplace and it is important for the dentists and the staff to have a list of things they can do to fill the empty time in the day. -Have a break: You need time in the day when you can relax and unwind. Even planning to stopping midway through a long and complex procedure can allow you to catch your breath, recuperate and continue refreshed. Your dental assistant will be grateful, your patient will understand as we are only human and it will give them a chance to relax their jaw muscles and have a toilet break. Be sure to pick a time that is ideal e.g after corebuildups or during hemostasis ...

One thing that I can say as a new graduate is that the moment you graduate, it is a big shock to your confidence. You leave the safe embrace of supervised treatments and enter something more of a solo practice. Even if you work in a multi chair practice or with a mentor, the same level of supervision isn't there and it can be very easy to start undervaluing your work. A big part of my practice in the first year out was discounting my treatments. Sometimes it was without even telling the patient I had done so. It was sometimes but not always because I thought my work wasn't worth full price but also because I thought that some of the costs were outrageous for what we had done or because I felt sorry for the patient. A few things yo umust keep in the back of your mind are: -You are not responsible for the patient's current condition, you are only there to return them to a state of health and stability and you have to charge accordingly. Feel free to feel sorry for them when...