A Better Way to Practice
I had written a blog a couple of months ago about how being an endodontist has NOT limited my ability to get to know my patients.
The blog detailed my original concerns prior to choosing the endodontic specialty that I might not be able to form the long term relationships that are so common in a dental practice that follows and sees patients over years and even generations. I had concerns that if I limited my practice to seeing patients only a couple of times for a single treatment procedure that I might miss out on the bond a general dentist gets to experience. Prior to going to dental school I had thought that would be a real benefit of a dental career. It was certainly something my own dentist had remarked about many times growing up. And while it remains partially true that I cannot form long term relationships lasting generations, I am still able to get to know my patients to a degree that makes that doctor patient interaction still very fun and something to really look forward to.
I wanted to write today about relationships again, but focus on the doctor to doctor (rather than the doctor to patient) relationship. This is something that is somewhat of a flip to my previous blog. What I mean more specifically is that in a general office the relationships are of course primarily to the patient. Additionally, most dentists have a good relationship with a hand full of their colleagues and the specialists with whom they work. This is more true for dentists that have worked in a community for a while or partake in community dental programs that get to know their colleagues even better. But I might say that I am lucky enough have a more expanded base of colleagues. I am lucky enough to know just about every dentist in not only our immediate area, but in extending communities as well. My partners and I get the privilege of having great camaraderie with perhaps a couple of hundred colleagues. That is something that has really been a great part of my job.
For those dentists reading this blog, certainly we all recall dental school. All the friends we spent time with. All the events we went to together. There is so much interaction with our classmates that it makes dental school that much more fun. Many of you might even say that it was the friendships you developed that made dental school worth it. And on the day of graduation any sadness you felt was perhaps because of those friends you would miss. Many of those friendships remain to this day. But even for those friends you do not keep in regular contact; it is the reunions that ignite the memories and fun again.
My analogy is that we get this dental school experience that sort of never ends. Perhaps we might not go to a party, or have late night study sessions, but we do speak to, work with, trade ideas, and laugh with our colleagues all the time and every day. That is a great way to work! Just today as I write this simple blog I have spoken with 3 dentists by phone, went to lunch with another, and had a surprise in office visit with another. It’s barely 2:30pm!
It’s not that our discussions or meetings are always even clinically based. In fact I would suggest that perhaps more than 50% of the time they are not regarding dentistry at all. We talk about our families, restaurants, sports, etc. We have the same conversations I have with my neighbors or my family. I talk about the same things with my partners all day long in the office. There is so much fun and comfort in working with great people in the community. Again…what a great way to work.
Of course though as dentists we cannot always just have good times. After all, we oversee our patients care. With a good relationship in place between myself and another dentist there is so much to gain for each of us. I personally have learned and continue to learn so much from my colleagues. Their knowledge of dentistry is deep and their experience is so valuable. I have altered my philosophies and techniques of non-endodontic related dental concepts a lot since dental school. I owe those changes and improvements to all of the dentists with whom we work. All dentists grow or improve or change to some degree throughout a career. Many of those changes are driven by new technologies, new materials, and continuing education forums/lectures. But I find one of the best sources of learning is from other dentists. Every dental profession reading this blog understands the trading of ideas and concepts, thus this is not at all a ground breaking revelation. But when you have a large base of people to talk with, there are more opportunities to learn.
As I had mentioned earlier, I have spoken with several dentists today. Four of those conversations were about mutual patients each one a different scenario. The topics included periodontal crown lengthening on a tooth I will be treating endodontically, a discussion of bond technique and materials for simple access closure of a tooth I treated by root canal therapy, and the technology of the Cerec machine. There was valuable information I took from each discussion. It is very similar to a multi-disciplinary study club that is common in the dental profession. The only difference is that instead of focusing on a single case requiring 5-6 areas of attention, I will study several cases typically with just one or two specific areas of concern that when all put together there is a really vast amount of information from all aspects of dentistry.
I like to think that not only am I learning, but also the dentist with whom I am speaking is learning something from me. But the person that really wins in the end is the patient. And that might be one of the best outcomes of having a good relationship with all of the colleagues that we work with. When one patient is being helped by two or more dentists it is critical that everyone is on the same page. The treating doctors need to understand each other well. They need to communicate to each other well. They need to know how the other thinks and what they expect. When all of those elements are met then the result is a more predictable and successful outcome for the patient.
As the years go by in my career I have come to realize and have these thoughts I have written about, and how important it is to be active in the dental community. To get to know all my colleagues and their entire dental team is for me just a better way to practice. This blog is simply just something of an expression of one of the better aspects of my job. I love working with the people around me and I hope they feel the same in return. There are a lot of years left in my career so we might as well practice as a larger group of dentists going for the same things…just like in dental school.