Stressed, and experiencing self-doubt? It could be time to upskill
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 22nd October 2022
Dentistry can be a tough business and although none of us started out on our careers expecting every day to be plain sailing, burnout is increasingly common among professionals. There are crucial skills they can’t teach at dental school, and the amount of learning you have to do as a novice can be overwhelming. How to communicate effectively with patients is a good example. People can be ‘difficult’ for all sorts of reasons, and it is incredibly frustrating when you can’t seem to break through the barrier in order to help them.
Combined with the physical demands of the job, the fear of a complaint or claim…
no wonder that more dentists are experiencing a loss of motivation.
Achievement means enjoyment
Work – what we do, and where we do it – is a big part of our lives. When you enjoy your work, you’ll be good at it and vice versa. Feeling like you’ve achieved something every day will also be a stress buster. The wins can be small; get a genuine “thank you” after a simple, routine procedure and you’ll know that you have made a difference.
The ability to diagnose and plan, identifying just what a patient needs and then delivering, to meet and exceed expectations – this is what makes an exceptional dentist. An exceptional dentist also finds satisfaction in their work and knows they’re in the right place, physically and emotionally.
If you’re feeling your dentistry has become inhibited as a result of stress, upskilling can help you refocus and rediscover your confidence. Imposter syndrome – when you’re overly self-critical, doubt your own abilities and feel anxious about living up to the standards you’ve set for yourself – is common in dentistry. The reality of practice life, and the steep learning curve that comes with it, can lead people to fixate on mistakes, feel inadequate and that they’re not good enough.
Get going on further training sooner rather than later and you will quickly gain new skills and knowledge. Self-doubt can be replaced with self-confidence, and the belief that you do have what it takes to be a great dentist. Access training from a teaching team with an exceptional pedigree and you will also get connected with career mentors, to guide you and support in the years that follow. A professional network is crucial to dealing with workplace stress and a mentor will help you find perspective.
A sense of purpose everyday
Training to be an implant dentist is, for my money, the best route to take right now. Implant therapy is one of the most rewarding areas of care; an implant dentist is a problem-solver, creative-thinker and master communicator. They are a surgeon, and restorer of what was lost – at an advanced level, this can mean whole-mouth rehabilitation. This is clinically satisfying work that will give you a real sense of purpose every day. To train to be an implant dentist means taking a life-long learning journey, that will enable you to help more patients comprehensively. You’ll build a team around you, who will be crucial to the acceptance, successful delivery and maintenance of your treatment plans. Dentistry can be isolating – another major source of professional stress – but they will be by your side to share every win, as well as help you get through tougher cases.
As an implant dentist you will be both a leader and a team player. You will learn resilience as well as the ability to draw on the skills of others, to keep standards high. Every happy, satisfied patient will benefit from this coordinated approach, and enjoy function and aesthetics, along with an improved level of oral health.
Fully accredited postgraduate training, which includes a significant hands-on element, is available at The One to One Implant Education in London’s west end. A teaching team of renowned dentists and educators will take you from novice to confident implant dentist, and a tiered peer mentor scheme means support will continue long after the course has finished. You’ll also gain friends for life, as well as evidence-based knowledge and skills. These include transferable skills, like treatment planning, diagnostics and communication that will enrich every area of your work.
Dentistry is about the journey, and knowing that there will always be more to learn. Managing your own expectations, and setting achievable goals, can help you deal with stress, along with self-doubt, feelings of isolation and imposter syndrome. Further, quality training can help you find fulfilment and rewards among the challenges. Embrace new opportunities, like the opportunity to be an implant dentist – the opportunity of a lifetime – and you will engage with patients and your team better. You’ll elevate your practise, find inspiration and motivation and be able to do more. What better way to boost wellbeing and enjoyment, every day.
To reserve your place or to find out more, please visit
https://121implanteducation.co.uk or call 020 7486 0000
Author bio:
Dr Fazeela Khan-Osborne is the founding clinician of the FACE dental implant multi-disciplinary team for the One To One Dental Clinic based on Harley Street, London. She has always had a passion and special interest in implant dentistry, particularly in surgical and restorative full arch rehabilitation of the maxilla. She has been involved in developing treatment modalities for peri-implantitis within clinical practice.
Dr Khan-Osborne is also the Founding Course Lead for the One To One Education Programme, now in its 20thyear. As a former Lead Tutor on the Diploma in Implant Dentistry course at the Royal College of Surgeons (England), she lectures worldwide on implant dentistry and is an active full member of the Association of Dental Implantology, the British Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.
