Are you a dentist or a dental student? Despite all the theoretical and practical content taught at dental universities during the years of training, there are 3 facts that they do not tell you and that, sooner or later, you will discover on the job. Do you want to know more? Let's get started!
1. Behind the teeth, there are people.
During your degree you learn about biology, anatomy, pathology, physiology, and you also do many hours of clinical practice with patients, so you have a clear understanding of how to solve the clinical cases you may encounter. Congratulations, it is the most important part of the profession. However, what you may not have seen much of, and which will also be very important in your professional life, is how to attract more patients, how to set up a clinic, how to negotiate and manage responsibilities... in short how to make dentistry profitable.
Until a few years ago, achieving clinical prestige in the dental sector was enough to keep the waiting room full of patients. Of course, the quality of work and the results of clinical cases will determine much of the success of a dental practice, but with the ever-increasing competition in the dental sector, it is now not enough to be a good dental professional, dentists need to become marketing, administrative and management experts to make their business profitable.
It is normal that what interests you as a dentist is exclusively the clinical part, but then it becomes vitally important to put together a team that complements each other. For this it is important to take into account the patient's experience, not only during the dental treatment, but also from the moment they call to make an appointment, when they are received at the surgery, during the wait in the waiting room, when they receive the information about the treatment, when they go home, among other things. That's why it is so important that the rest of your team shares the same philosophy and acts together in a coherent and pleasant way to give confidence and security to patients. Let us not forget that one of the most common ways to recruit new patients is still through referrals from other patients. For this reason, and in order to retain the loyalty of those we already have, it is essential to take maximum care of the patient experience in our practice
2. Dentistry can be very stressful. Take care of yourself and exercise.
They say that dentistry is one of the most stressful professions in the world, we tend to have a lot of responsibility for our patients and very busy schedules. In addition to the fact that many hours of consultation can cause physical pain due to repetition of postures. For example, did you know that a percentage of dentists have undergone carpal tunnel surgery? This is caused by forced manual positions in the use of rotating instruments that produce vibrations, in addition to repetitive movements that compress the median nerve. So don't wait for these factors to become risk factors and try to manage anxiety, health and professional stress at work as much as possible. How? On the one hand, physical exercise, muscle toning, stretching of the back, upper and lower limbs and, why not, meditation. On the other hand, having elements designed to protect your posture, such as ergonomic chairs or respecting the recommended positions for professional performance in the work area. For example, whenever you use a computer that is at eye level. You can find more information on healthy practices at work, here.
We also recommend you take a look at these 3 blog articles that can help you in your day-to-day life:
- Ergonomics (I): physical and mental health in dental clinics
- Ergonomics (II): Stretching for dentists in clinics.
- Ergonomics (III): musculoskeletal disorders in dentistry
3. Making dentistry a profitable business can be a challenge: Use the Internet and keep up to date with the dental world.
The dental sector is one of the most active in terms of congresses, new techniques and the presentation of technologies. New dental solutions, better and better alternatives that are more and more comfortable for our patients, are continually appearing. Undoubtedly, this phenomenon in dentistry is exciting and also necessary, as keeping up to date allows us to remain competitive. But keep in mind that it is not advisable to get too obsessed with this either. The range of congresses, courses and presentations in dentistry is endless and endless. We recommend that you only attend the events that are of most interest to you and that you take advantage of online tools to keep up to date with the latest news in the dental sector.
Finally, it is common in many clinics for purchases of supplies and materials to be made from commercial vendors and suppliers without the possibility of price comparison. However, nowadays e-commerce is becoming increasingly popular in the dental sector and this gives you the possibility of accessing more economical budgets while taking care of the quality of your work. As a student, we recommend our Student Section designed especially for you. In addition, if you have any questions, concerns, or if you would like us to design an individual or group quote for you, please write to hello@dentaltix.com and we will be happy to respond to you.
Dentistry is undoubtedly a vast and wide world of possibilities in which we love to accompany you, give you advice and all the information you need to keep up to date with the latest developments. We hope this article has been of interest and useful to you. If you want to discover more secrets about the dental profession, don't hesitate to follow us on our social networks and activate notifications. See you next time!