You’ll Do the Dentistry You Learn About
Written by Anthony DeFont, DDS
One of my favorite sayings is “You’ll do the dentistry you talk about.”
To me this most applies to discussing treatment options with patients. For example, if you never present implants as an option to patients, you’ll never place implants! It's a pretty simple, but powerful reminder. For this article, I wanted to put a spin on the saying and change it to “You’ll do the dentistry you learn about.” Continuing Education (CE) plays such a critical role in our evolution as dentists. It needs to be focused on to continually improve and allow you to be the best dentist you can be.
As a dentist and recovering mechanical engineer, my 1st career, I am just a little bit focused on details and aiming for perfection. It’s something I’m proud of because it drives my high level of quality. At the same time it can be a thorn in my side when it comes to productivity and efficiency. Something usually suffers when speed is increased - usually quality. I’m sure other dentists out there can do 5 minute crown preps that are so clean they look polished under a microscope with a white stone but don’t believe everything you see on Instagram!
I think that many dentists are obsessed with quality, as well as aim for perfection. Or at least, I see this with dentists I associate with. Time for an honest question for yourself…Are you focused on providing the best quality dentistry?
It has been said that a person is an average of the 5 people they most commonly associate with, so choose your friends wisely. They influence you in more ways than you think. In the same fashion, pick your dental friends carefully and I’m including mentors too, because it will play a large factor in your dental career and potential for success.
Some dental students arrive in sim lab with steady ambidextrous hands or with a previous career as a dental technician -- both were in my dental class. Some are all thumbs and needed that extra help to make it through. Personally, I was somewhere in between -- not a gunner, but above average. One thing that set me apart then and now is that I really cared about improving. I wasn’t a student who accepted my own poor performance; I used it as an opportunity to learn to be better. My engineering background kicked in and I was my own quality control by evaluating my own work, critiquing it, and improving.
I still do it every day in private practice. It’s how I grow and become a better clinician. Beware - It’s a double edged sword. Dentistry is hard and perfection is elusive. You have to define what is acceptable to you and set up your own quality control standards to learn from your own work. You need to know if something simply isn’t good enough to have your name attached to it and when to step back and admire your own hard work. If it’s not good enough, redo it! It’s not the end of the world and you want the types of patients in your practice who are understanding when you tell them that it’s not good enough for your high standards and you want to redo it to make it as close to perfect as possible.
Dental school is a short 4 years (or 3 - go UOP!) filled with so much didactic knowledge at the same time as learning the all so important hand skills. It’s not enough to think you can learn all you need to in dental school. What about our 50 hours of required continuing education every two years once we graduate? I think that dentists that ignore that requirement, scrape by with minimal hours or only go to dental conventions for their CE are going to stop reading right around here or this might fall on deaf ears. For someone early in their career or trying to become the best they can - it’s only a good start! You cannot attain a high level of clinical success by doing the minimal amount of CE or taking classes just because of a convenient location or time. I’m not bashing conventions. I still go to them to see friends, check out the booths for needless swag, and will take a course if it sounds interesting but it’s definitely not because I need quality units.
When I said pick your dental friends and mentors carefully, I meant seek out other dentists who strive to attain the high standards you set for yourself. Sometimes it’s the main course director, sometimes it’s faculty dentists helping in the course and sometimes its other students. I think that high level CE courses attract similar minded and quality driven dentists. You typically don’t find poor quality dentists taking a multi session continuum or hands on workshop. When you start going to courses, you begin seeing familiar faces and sometimes it’s the conversations in the hallways on breaks that you learn the nuggets that make the class that much more valuable.
Focus on quality CE! By quality I mean specific topics that are pertinent to where you are in your career and going to give you the skills you desire and an ROI on your investment. There aren’t too many other professions where we can continue to expand our clinical skill set and income potential.
I am a huge fan of hands-on courses where you work on models, pig jaws, cadavers, or best of all real patients. You can find courses that have any of the above or a combination. I don’t have any skin in the game - I don’t have a course I’m promoting, I don’t mentor with any groups, or get a kickback from anyone…. I just have a few years under my belt and both good and bad course experiences.
You need to figure out what you personally need to improve skill wise and start there. Don’t throw money into learning about something you don’t want to do in your practice. It’s also important to think about the procedure mix in your specific practice and where you will get the most bang for your buck. If you have a ton of emergencies that need RCT and you’re referring all of the root canals in the practice to an Endodontist - take an endo course. Then start easy cases and work your way up. Apply what you learn, keep in touch with the instructor or other attendees to continue to critique, improve and grow. The same can be said about skills for complex cases, cosmetics, and other dental specialties.
The elephant in the room is cost. Yes… it is super expensive! I don’t even like to think about how much I’ve spent on CE and really don’t like to tell my wife the cost of an upcoming course! You need to be willing to pay for it if the course is worth it. The key is - if it is worth it. Think of it as an investment in yourself and potential ROI. What skill are you going to bring home to improve the practice, expand your skill set, or keep more procedures in-house? Another option to keep cost down is the increasing amount of online courses available. I’ve watched some excellent courses that have interactive parts that are bridging the gap between lecture and workshops.
Good luck navigating the constantly expanding maze of CE course offerings out there. Talk to dentists you think are high-quality about what courses they have taken, poll the studio audience in your favorite Facebook group, or sometimes you have to go with your gut when you hear a speaker that you connect with.
As far as your own clinical work - aim for perfection, accept only your best, and continually improve your quality and standard of care.
See you at the next workshop!
About the Author
Dr. Anthony DeFont is a general dentist that practices in Sonora, California.
He received his dental degree from the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry and went on to complete his general practice residency at the Veteran’s Hospital in Long Beach, CA.
When not in the office or taking CE, Dr. DeFont enjoys spending time with his family and friends. His hobbies include hiking, traveling, and snowboarding.