by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, editorial director, Dentaltown magazine
By now, you probably know the first rule of life as
a dentist: It’s a small world, and you will likely cross
paths with your fellow professionals in unusual ways.
I encourage you to live your life with a willingness to
make adjustments along the way.
Are you a good dentist?
It’s fair to say that we want to be successful no
matter what path we choose. While we measure success
in many different ways, you must develop an ability to
recognize great dentistry. Your patients usually can’t
tell and you won’t really know how good you are until
you’ve practiced in the same place for more than two
years. Some will argue you need to practice for a longer
period, but the point is the same: Once you have the
opportunity to see your work over time, fix things that
fail and change treatment plans that didn’t work, you’ll
know your strengths and weaknesses. This is one of
the reasons that I’m a big fan of doing a GPR/AEGD
year—it’s additional experience without the pressure to
produce. It also provides access to specialists and the
opportunity to learn with your peers. If you choose to
skip this step, then you’ll need to replicate these items in
other ways, such as taking CE, visiting with specialists
and learning from your peers on Dentaltown.
Should you own a practice?
I believe most dentists are hardwired
for autonomy, whether through
their materials, practice style or pace
of schedule. When you’re working
for someone else, you’ll rarely have
all of these in perfect harmony, but
it’s possible to get close. If you decide
to own, some items will still be out
of sync but you’ll have the power to
work on a solution.
This is not a decision that can be made on graduation
day, unless you’re one of the lucky few who have a practice
waiting for you to graduate. In most cases, the best
way to answer this question will come with experience
through GPR, associateship or working with a DSO.
You will develop a list of the things you like and dislike
about procedures, office size, materials, compensation,
etc. When your list is complete, you’ll discover the best
practice fit for you.
When can you retire?
Every new dentist who graduates with debt can
find that number overwhelming. For the first 10 years
of your career, you’ll need to live modestly and work
hard. Many dentists will practice for 40 years before
they retire, which means you’ll have plenty of time to
enjoy yourself. The decision to retire is based on many
factors, but financial stability is an important one.
Albert Einstein was not a money manager, but he is
credited with the following nugget: “Compound interest
is the eighth wonder of the world.” It is critical that
you focus on contributing to a retirement fund on Day
One, because once you reach a point in life where you
could retire, many of your daily stresses will disappear.
The dental profession is filled with opportunity and
variety. I sincerely hope you will make the most of the
early years as a dentist, because you’re setting the stage
for a long, happy career.
If you have any questions or just want to talk, feel
free to email me at tom@dentaltown.com.
Support these advertisers included in the Dentaltown New Grad 2021 print edition.