Dentistry often involves having to make many decisions to enhance a practice, learn skills and advance careers.
Here, seven dentists share their best and worst decisions:
Eric Roman, DDS. JoyFULL People (Salt Lake City): Choosing to invest in my own personal growth and development and the growth and development of my teams — this has been my single greatest ROI, in particular because of how enjoyable it has been to watch team members grow. This has also had the greatest yield for the industry because of how it has enhanced and expanded the output of our teams. On a personal level, the investment in my own development has helped me assure that I'm creating as much value as possible and in my most authentic manner.
[My worst decision was] trying to do what everyone else is doing. It's hard in a social media world to separate yourself from what others are doing, or the way that others are doing things. I had to discover that just because someone else is doing something 1) doesn't mean it will work for my business; 2) doesn't mean I'll enjoy it. Trying to follow the herd took me on a dark journey of inadequacy and disappointment.
David Chei, DMD. Arlington (Texas) Dental Associates: The best decision that I have made in my career would be starting my own practice shortly after completing my residency program. The worst decision that I have made in my career would be leaving the DSO shortly after selling my practice. I could have invested the sales proceeds into the company, and that would have given me an incredible return on my investment, but I did not do that, and from a financial perspective, that was the worst decision that I have made.
Emeka Ezeokeke, DDS. Verbena Family Dentistry (Temple, Texas): The best decision I have made in my career has been the sacrifices I’ve made early on. Through the National Health Service Corps and the U.S. Army Reserve, I have been able to completely eliminate all of my student loan debt a little over five years into my career. A close second would be attending a general practice residency right after graduation.
The worst decision that I have made in my dental career goes back to dental school. I accepted a ton of student loan financing without proper education. I maxed out student loans each year and lived beyond my means. I recommend every dental student find a trusty adviser and seek financial education early on. The loan companies thrive off lack of education.
Charles Schlesinger, DDS. Comfortable Dentistry 4U (Albuquerque, N.M.): [My best decision was] to not let dentistry consume my life. There is more to life than work and at the end of the day, it is your family and living a happy life that is important. It is so easy to be defined by your profession. It is OK to be passionate, but too often this leads to focussing on one's career at the expense of others.
[My worst decision was) not going out and providing the type of dentistry that I wanted. I was at the mercy of what my patients' insurance (capitation plans) would cover, and that compromised the way I had to plan the treatment. Never again!
James Vartanian, DDS. Vartanian Dental Group (Mission Viejo, Calif.): The best decision I made was to convert my practice into a group/multispecialty dental office. I am able to generate more revenue with less physical work, but with more management. The worst decision I made is that I didn’t do it soon enough. I would have been able to generate more revenue and goodwill if I had done it sooner!
Joshua Coussa, DMD. Ideal Dental of Coral Springs (Fla.): [My best decision was] partnering with Deca Dental. Deca has been instrumental in my success and has made my life as a dentist much more enjoyable. Partnering with the right DSO has streamlined my practice in ways I didn’t think were possible.
[My worst decision was] waiting too long to leave an associate role. If I would’ve gone into solo practice sooner, I would’ve learned what I liked and disliked quicker and my entire path would have been accelerated. I stayed in my comfort zone for about three to four years too long.
John Osborn, DDS. Osborn Family Dentistry (Maynardville, Tenn.): The best decision I’ve made in my career has been to become a volunteer. Working in organized dentistry gives me a sense that I’m helping to guide my profession into the future, and working with national volunteer organizations like Remote Area Medical and Mission of Mercy, or local church-based and safety net organizations, helps remind me of why I became a dentist.
Dentistry can be a lonely profession. While we train in groups, we practice alone. The best volunteer opportunities allow us to work in groups and share experiences and exchange ideas. And sometimes just providing dental care in a different setting and surrounded by like-minded colleagues can help reduce burnout.