The importance of community, to your dentistry and your wellbeing too

  Posted by: Dental Design      11th January 2023

Modern dentistry can be many things, at any given time on any given day. It can be intense and challenging, isolating and fulfilling, frustrating, exciting – and everything else in between. This is why being part of a community is so important.

If you’re a new dentist, it’s likely you’ll still feel connected to the community of friends you made during your degree also your tutors, who may now be mentors. Then there is your practice family (or families), also those you met when taking other courses or at dental events and any online communities you’re a part of. These can be especially powerful, because we tend to seek these out in our own time, when we’re looking to find people who share similar interests and/or views to ourselves.

These communities may offer you support and advice, but they aren’t without their limits. Since dental school, you and your fellow graduates may have scattered, and talking with someone online, no matter how frequently, is no substitute for face-to-face conversation. Although courses, workshops and other events can make you feel part of the wider industry, don’t neglect to see the potential of the community that is right in front of you.

How many other dentists do you know, local to you? If there are two practices operating on the same street, despite superficial differences like the size of the team and whether they offer general or specialist services, the goal for every clinician working there will be the same. That is, to improve and maintain levels of oral health, by delivering high-quality care to their patient population.

Seeking out your local dentist community will have amazing benefits to your work. These will be clinicians facing the same issues as you, but perhaps trying to solve them in different ways. The number-one challenge for any practitioner today is how to engage with patients effectively, to motivate them in the good habits and behaviours that will allow them to take control of their health. Successful dental care is both ethical and holistic, taking into consideration behavioural, emotional and social factors, as well as physical ones.

You could be working somewhere which has a completely different set of socioeconomic challenges impacting on public health to anything you’ve been used to. Do neighbouring dentists have skillsets that have enabled them to treat more patients, more effectively? For example, if there are lots of young families in your area, perhaps they have seen great results by offering additional oral hygiene appointments, with practical instruction for parents and carers about correct techniques for everyday cleaning. Or, perhaps they offer a range of dental implant therapies, and you could benefit by formalising a referral partnership between your practices. Being able to vouch for a great implantologist just down the road could encourage your own patients to go ahead with this often life-changing treatment. General dentists who don’t have the resources, including the space, to invest in the latest technology can take advantage of what referral practices have on-site, to give patients a comfortable and efficient experience.

But the benefits won’t just be professional. Community is so important for dentists, as a way to manage stress, boost wellbeing and achieve a sense of belonging. And when you feel that you belong, you will learn to appreciate all the things that you have to offer. An acceptance that you are a great dentist, and a great carer of people, will also inspire you to become even better at what you.

Another obvious benefit of community is that it is a source of friendship, too. Positive interpersonal relationships are a basic human need, and you should never neglect the importance of friendship on your dental journey. There is so much to enjoy about what we do, and stepping outside the practice and the clinical mindset to have fun with likeminded individuals is tried-and-tested stressbuster.  

Lodge Dental is an award-winning practice and a positive, productive hub for dentists. Based in South Wales, professionals can connect to its community by referring their patients. Its extensive team wants to work in a genuinely collaborative way with clinicians from all parts of the UK, with a mentoring scheme for anyone who wishes to attend appointments. You can also make a connection by attending one of the monthly study clubs or by taking a course at the new training centre. You will enrich your career by developing your own skills and knowledge, and build a network with ongoing social benefits. 

Knowing what other dentists are doing ­– and how they’re doing it ­– will positively impact you personally as well as professionally. You will be part of multiple dental communities throughout your career, but it’s important that you don’t forget those who are working alongside you, in your local area. There is strength in numbers and, in an often tough and challenging profession, when we tap into the benefits of community we will be well equipped to succeed.

For further information, please contact Jo on 01873 854711 or referrals@lodgedental.co.uk, or visit lodgedental.co.uk/referrals