We chatted to new practitioners about life after Dental School.
Where did you start your career as a dentist?
I made the move to Geraldton for my first job out, working full-time at a private practice in town.
Have you benefited from a mentor/or anything else that has made the transition easier?
I am extremely lucky to have an incredible mentor/boss (shout out to Tom!) who has guided me through my first year out – dedicating time every day after work for the first few weeks, and weekly thereafter, to discuss not only clinical cases but other important aspects of a career in dentistry. Having someone there at the start who is always happy to pop in to lend a hand or provide a second opinion has really helped build my confidence in practising independently.
What has surprised you most about your transition from student to dentist?
How quickly you develop your patient management skills – largely due to the sheer amount of patients you get to meet every day!
What have been some of the challenges and the most rewarding aspects of starting your career?
Some of the greatest challenges at the start were learning to manage my time efficiently (going from seeing 1-2 patients a day at Dental School to 10 or more!) and making clinical decisions independently.
The most rewarding aspect of practising dentistry has been the genuine gratitude of patients who you’ve been able to help. Starting my career out in a regional town has also been so fulfilling and full of adventure!
Have you taken part in any volunteering since graduating?
Healing Smiles is a female-run and lead program, which I have been lucky to be a part of since graduating. We provide pro-bono dental treatment to women who are survivors of domestic violence.
What advice would you give to soon-to-graduate dental students?
A good mentor is so important in your first year out! Keep this in mind when looking for your first job.
Specialists are an awesome resource and are generally so happy to discuss cases with you. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for advice!
Where did you start your career as a dentist?
I commenced work in January 2022 at two different practices, Anchorage Dental Care and Banksia Grove Family Dental. I am still working at these practices and have really enjoyed working at both so far.
Have you benefited from a mentor/or anything else that has made the transition easier?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have experienced dentists at both practices that have been able to mentor me throughout the year. This has included both going through complex cases and helping out clinically when needed.
I’ve also been paired with some experienced DCAs that have helped me just as much at times. It has also been nice to chat with my graduating classmates to make sure we are all having similar experiences in our first year out. All these things have made the transition into full-time dentistry much easier.
What has surprised you most about your transition from student to dentist?
That I really belong at this level. When you’re in final year as a student, you tend to doubt whether you can make that step to become a practicing clinician on your own and complete procedures with a certain speed and precision. While there are definitely challenges here and there, I was surprised with how well I adapted early on.
What have been some of the challenges and the most rewarding aspects of starting your career?
The biggest challenge initially was keeping up with the pace and timing of each day, and additionally being able to think on your feet as to not lose any extra time during appointments. This was difficult for the first couple of months until I found a good rhythm for each appointment. So far, the most rewarding aspect has been seeing patients leave my chair with a smile on their face – whether this is because they are out of pain, happy aesthetically or simply felt content with their appointment.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were at Dental School?
How common some common presentations are, for example lost fillings, fractured teeth or hot/cold sensitivity. I think towards the end of Dental School I became so fixated on completing my larger requirements of crowns and dentures that I didn’t devote enough extra energy to work on my basic restorative dentistry and hence I’ve had to actively work on this quite a bit since graduating.
What advice would you give to soon-to-graduate dental students?
Remember to know your scope of practice. If you aren’t comfortable doing a procedure, then always remember you have the option of an internal or external referral to someone with more experience.
Don’t ever feel shy to ask questions. Dentists enjoy sharing cases and are normally more than happy to provide advice.
Make sure you have some templates ready to go when writing clinical notes!
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