The mutual benefits of sharing professional know-how
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Professional knowledge comes from a combination of education, training, skills, practice and experience. Add to this the extra elements of special interest and expertise, and professional knowledge becomes a very valuable asset indeed. The real value of any knowledge, though, is only fully realised when it is shared and used meaningfully.[i] Taking advantage of learning opportunities from different sources can boost your professional development in numerous ways. Building your knowledge enables you to tackle more complex cases and deliver an even greater level of patient treatment. This in turn can lead to increased earning potential and deeper job satisfaction.
Fresh ideas, inspiration and perspectives can come from all directions. Learning never really stops. Newly qualified dentists can develop their skill sets and gain a deeper understanding of procedures. For more established dentists, honed and mastered skills can be taken into innovative new areas and highly advanced procedures. Providing guidance to colleagues can provide professional recognition of their expertise and skill set, enhancing their profile amongst their peers.[ii] Younger clinicians can often offer alternative expertise in return, such as greater ease and familiarity with newer technology, products and practices.
Use your knowledge networks
Joining relevant bodies and attending their events[iii], registering for training days or attending lectures are excellent opportunities to discuss topics addressed with colleagues and peers, developing specialist passions or even opening your eyes to new opportunities within dentistry. Printed and online journals are a valuable source of articles and studies that can be forwarded to interested parties. Even routine dental procedures can give rise to anomalies or complexities that can benefit from third-party wisdom and experience. Professional, members-only social networking groups can provide an environment rich in specialised knowledge, particularly useful for posing quick, case-related questions with a photo or diagram to a large number of professionals at once.
Reciprocal reassurance
Sharing clinical advice between colleagues benefits not only clinicians individually but also dentistry as a whole, developing a culture of mutual encouragement and support. Research shows that groups who accumulate and share knowledge also evolve a system of regulating the knowledge between them.[iv] Having access to a trusted network made up of invested participants – whether in the practice, within an association or online – can provide significant reassurance for clinicians at all stages of their career. A professional support system can offer similar benefits to an individual. It can raise confidence, reduce anxiety and promote feelings of positivity and capability.[v] Being able to reach out to colleagues, near or far, can elicit a sense of confidence that is likely to have a positive effect on working practice and, ultimately, performance as a clinician.
Pooling knowledge freely and generously encourages traits and behaviours that are desirable and productive in the dental profession, such as honesty, openness and transparency. The Association of Dental Implantology (ADI) Members’ Only Facebook Group is a very responsive, informal, supportive forum for dentists seeking authoritative advice in implant dentistry. Queries, photos and diagrams can be posted for instant feedback, benefitting from the group’s collective expertise. This is just one of the ADI’s many membership benefits, along with free access to clinical journals, ADI Members’ National Forum attendance and discounted rates for ADI events including the Team Congress, Masterclasses and Focus Meetings. ADI membership is extremely valuable for dentists with all levels of experience – and particularly beneficial for dentists interested in building their dental implantology practice.
Everyone’s a winner
Who benefits from the sharing of professional knowledge? The continual back-and-forth process of seeking and offering advice and guidance between clinicians from all spheres of dentistry, from formal conference to online network, contributes to the lifeblood of the profession itself, advancing the collective knowledge pool and supporting dentists whatever their level of experience or expertise. This benefits clinicians, with professional validation and career progression and, ultimately, patients, from improved clinical care throughout their treatment.
For more information about the ADI, or to join, please visit the website www.adi.org.uk
Amit Patel –
President of The Association of Dental Implantology (ADI) is registered with the General Dental Council as a specialist in periodontics. His special interests are dental implants, regenerative and aesthetic periodontics. Amit graduated from the University of Liverpool and completed a four year specialist training programme in Periodontics at Guy’s, King’s & StThomas’ Dental Institute.
[i] Hsiao R. Knowledge Sharing in a Global Professional Service Firm. MIS Quarterly Executive. January 2008. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220500601_Knowledge_Sharing_in_a_Global_Professional_Service_Firm. Accessed April 20, 2023
[ii] Jin J, Li Y, Zhong X, Zhai L. Why users contribute knowledge to online communities: An empirical study of an online social Q&A community. Information & Management Volume 52, Issue 7, 2015, Pages 840-849, ISSN 0378-7206. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2015.07.005. Accessed April 20, 2023.
[iii] General Dental Council: Developing the dental team April 8, 2021. Available at: https://www.gdc-uk.org/standards-guidance/supporting-the-dental-team/developing-the-dental-team#joining-professional-organisations. Accessed April 20, 2023.
[iv] Zabolotna K, Malmberg J, Järvenoja H. Examining the interplay of knowledge construction and group-level regulation in a computer-supported collaborative learning physics task. Computers in Human Behavior. Volume 138. 2023. 107494. ISSN 0747-5632. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107494. Accessed April 24, 2023.
[v] Hood J. The Benefits And Importance Of A Support System. Highland Springs Specialty Clinic web article. February 3, 2020. Available at: https://highlandspringsclinic.org/the-benefits-and-importance-of-a-support-system/#:~:text=These%20support%20systems%20will%20help,are%20in%20a%20tough%20situation. Accessed April 20, 2023.
| https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563222003144
