You need these two traits to be a better dentist
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 17th September 2022
Talking points
- Could you be better as a dentist? Where do you want your career to take you?
- How can you turn this into a practical to-do list that will help you get started on your journey?
There are only two traits you need to be the best dentist you can possibly be. Having worked with hundreds of dentists, I have watched them all work on these two traits so that they can get to where they want to be.
The very core of their growth is confidence and self-belief. Every single problem in life comes down to these two factors. If you have confidence and self-belief, you can achieve anything that you want – whether that’s getting more money, more patients, your own business or a better work-life balance.
This begins with your mindset. How you think about yourself, your capabilities and your weaknesses will determine whether you see obstacles or opportunities for growth in your future.
Here are five steps to start building your confidence and self-belief today…
1 – Play to your strengths
A lot of dentists focus on their weaknesses, but this can lead to self-doubt and really get you down. It’s important to remember what you’re good at so you can feel good about yourself. Identify your strengths and make more of them – the more you focus on what you’re good at, the more confidence you will build. Maybe you have a knack for orthodontics, or are great at managing people and business development. Do more of these in your every-day life. Could you market your services to attract more orthodontic patients or teach or mentor others in their management style?
Plus, don’t forget to recognise and celebrate your accomplishments. Keep track of your achievements and be proud of them.
2 – Know your limitations
It’s important for us all to understand our limitations as well as our strengths. However, limitations don’t have to be weaknesses when you understand how to turn them into opportunities for growth.
As dentists, we must be aware of our clinical limitations to deliver safe dental care and we must appreciate gaps in our experience when running a practice. For example, knowing when to refer a patient because the implant treatment they need is beyond your clinical remit is vital. Confidence comes from knowing what you can’t do as well as what you can.
3 – Challenge yourself and be proactive
When you have identified your limitations, be proactive in developing skills in these areas to build your confidence for the future. Push yourself outside your comfort zone. If you refer out patients for implants, find a programme to teach you how to provide this treatment in-house. You may even decide to look into public speaking so you can be a better communicator with your patients.
4 – Be kind to yourself
Swap self-criticism for self-compassion. As dentists, it’s important to evaluate cases, skills and success rates, but try to do so objectively. Focus on what you can change to ensure a better outcome next time, not on things you have no control over. Be kind to yourself if you make an honest mistake or if you identify an area for improvement. There is always room for improvement so if a patient is unhappy with a treatment outcome, or their oral hygiene is lacking, think about what you could do next time to achieve a better result.
5 – Surround yourself with the right people
Finally, make sure you have the right people around you. They will have the most influence over your successes in life. You will want trusted peers around you for clinical guidance, experts for business help and loved ones for emotional support. They are crucial for keeping you on the right path and providing all the guidance and reassurance you need along the way.
Action points
- Write down 3 of your limitations or areas you are least confident in, whether they are a specific treatment modality or business development.
- Turn each one into a chance for growth by establishing one thing you can do to improve in each area – find a training course, speak to a mentor or colleague about their experience or for a recommendation of what to do.
- Look to connect with someone new in the next month that could help you along your journey to greater self-belief. They might be a mentor, an experienced fellow dentist you look up to, a business coach or someone else.
For more practical guidance and take further steps towards a more confident you, my team and I at The RE-IGNITE Academy offer programmes for dentists at all stages of their journey. Get in touch to find out more.
For more information about The Re-IGNITE Academy, please follow @thereigniteacademy or @mahmoodmawjee on Instagram or visit www.thereigniteacademy.com
