Advice for recent graduates

When you first graduate from dental school things go by pretty fast.

You're struggling with finding a job, learning how to handle patients, learning how to do decent work and learning how to run on time. There's a heap to learn.

One mistake I see a lot of new dentists make is sticking to very basic dentistry; they just do fillings, check-ups and cleans and avoid endodontics and crowns.

This can create psychological and technical problems that follow them throughout their career.

During the dental course you don't do a lot of crowns or root fillings. That means that when you graduate your skill levels in these things are low. If you don't immediately start improving your skills and confidence in these areas then what little expertise you had will evaporate very fast.

In order to be improving you need to be doing at least two crowns and two root fillings per week from day one. If you can stick to this your skills and confidence will multiply.

If you don't do this you might be headed to a dental backwater – a backwater you justify by saying things like "My patients aren't interested in fancy dentistry." or "My patients don't have the money for such things."

So, my advice to new graduates (and indeed any dentist!) is to offer good dentistry to every patient who comes in. Don't just assume that they want to have broken teeth patched. Don't just assume that they want aching teeth extracted.

Offer good dentistry and you'll be amazed how many of them accept.