Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

November 14-20, 201124 Feature United Kingdom Edition T his is the first of two ar- ticles in which I aim to examine why so many dentists are considering leav- ing the profession. This notion is not based on any hard-and- fast ‘evidence’ or research, but on anecdotal evidence and hearsay. My assumption is therefore that there are a great many dentists who are dis- heartened, disillusioned, dis- appointed, or just downright unhappy with the profession. I want to explore ‘why?’ and then suggest ways in which you might overcome these feelings and perhaps begin to regain your enthusiasm. At some point in your life you made a conscious deci- sion to become a dentist, so the first question to ask your- self is: ‘What was my motiva- tion?’ I was talking recently to someone closely connected with the dental school student selection process, who told me that 20 or so years ago, when you asked someone why they wanted to be a dentist, the reply was nearly always be- cause they wanted to care for people. Nowadays, they said, the answer is more likely to be that they want to own five practices, a big house and an expensive car! Avarice is nev- er a good reason for entering a caring profession. To me, one thing should be common to all professions, and that is a desire to help people; the fi- nancial rewards are a conse- quence of that care and should never be the prime motivator. Dentistry has undoubtedly changed in the last 20 years, but it will always be a caring profession, hopefully one that is populated by caring people. When you first decided that you wanted to be a dentist, were you doing it for the right reasons? Ironically, many ‘caring’ dentists end up, almost by default, as business people, whether it is as principals or associates. Slowly the caring element that was initially so strong is forced to give way to a harsher financial reality. Some dentists struggle to come to terms with what they regard as two diametrically opposed concepts, that of caring for people and of having to make money. It has always struck me as odd that solicitors never seem to have any trouble talk- ing about their fees (some- times very large fees!) with their clients, whilst many den- tists appear to have a sense of guilt about theirs. For dentists, this lack of confidence in one area can seriously undermine their confidence in others. Do the dental schools do enough to turnout well rounded den- tists equipped for the ‘real’ world of dentistry? Of course not all dental graduates end up in practice, or even as clini- cians, however, I suspect that most of the unhappy ones are in practice. Part I: Michael Young examines why so many dentists are leaving the profession Stop the world, I want to get off ‘Ironically, many ‘caring’ dentists end up, almost by default, as business people, whether it is as principals or associates’