The Road to Success

The Road to Success

By Dr. Michael Maroon

 

Congratulations Doctor! You’ve just finished dental school and passed your dental licensing exam. Welcome to the real world. You never have to answer to anyone again other than yourself. There will be no more clinical or practical exams, or listening to lectures where time seemed to stand still, or getting a signature to complete a procedure or receive supplies from the dispensary, you have achieved the goal that you set out for so long ago…to become a Dentist…and you have arrived. You have completed four or more years of the finest dental education that your school has to offer and you are ready to conquer the dental profession, help lots of people and make loads of money. School is over! YES! Is it really?

Everyone has their own personal definition of success. For some of you it may mean that you go into the public health arena and make your mark. For others, you may have gone on to specialize in orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, oral surgery or one of the other fine recognized specialties in dentistry. For others still, it may mean that you are now in private practice, either as a solo practitioner, or as an associate or partner. In any case, your definition of success is formed by your values and beliefs. For me personally, success means that I am recognized by my peers and patients as being a great dentist, and I am able to provide for my family to live in relative comfort. Not too bad a definition, is it? I always thought that once I graduated from dental school all of the things that defined success for me would come quickly; however I discovered that I was mistaken. Success is not a destination, but a never-ending journey and sometimes the road is smooth and paved and other times it is rocky and full of potholes! One of the first things that I realized after I graduated was that even though I received a tremendous education that allowed me to pass the dental board examination and become licensed, I really didn’t know a lot about what was happening in the real world of dentistry. There were so many materials, techniques and procedures that I was NOT familiar with coming out of dental school…boy, I still had a lot to learn! The good news is that there are so many resources for higher education in dentistry that you don’t have to look hard to find them.

            One of the great benefits about the modern generation is that we have access to an incredible amount of information via the world wide web. There are so many great resources of information and most of them are free! One of the best things that I’ve ever done is become a member of an online dental community. There are several to choose from, however my favorite is the ACEsthetics Email Network (www.ACEsthetics.com), of which I am the founder. This email network has been around since 1998 and we have thousands of dental professionals from around the world sharing information on procedures, materials, courses and daily life on an ongoing basis. The majority of the dental professionals on the network are esthetic-oriented and we have some of dentistry’s leading clinicians, speakers and practice management consultants as participants as well. The network is free of charge and is a great way to gain valuable information from your colleagues, some who have been in practice for several years and have loads of experience. There are several other online communities that share information, a quick web search will give you a listing and you can select those that are appropriate for you.

Another recommendation that I have for any new graduate is to get involved with organized dentistry. Try to determine what aspects of dentistry appeal to you and locate an organization that can help you meet like-minded dental professionals. For me, it meant being a member of the Connecticut State Dental Association (CSDA), the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) and the American Dental Association (ADA) to begin with. As I gained more experience, I realized that cosmetic & esthetic dentistry appealed to me so I joined organizations like the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) and the Academy of Comprehensive Esthetics (ACE). When I wanted to gain knowledge of implant dentistry, I became a member of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) and the International College of Oral Implantologists (ICOI). These organizations have events where they bring in the leading speakers on the subjects that interest you and the added bonus is you get to make some friends who can help you along the way to success. One of the added benefits of belonging to the ACEsthetics Email Network is that when I attend the ACEsthetics events, I already know the people who are going to be there! We’ve shared information online and now I get to meet them in person. It’s like we’re long lost friends returning for a reunion. In addition to the great information that I receive, that camaraderie & friendship makes the meetings more memorable and worthwhile.

In recent years, dental continuing education has seen several post-graduate “institutes” crop up as a way for dental professionals to receive more detailed continuing education on specific subjects. For esthetic dentistry there are several great institutes of higher learning, especially The Hornbrook Group (www.HornbrookGroup.com), The Nash Institute (www.RossNashSeminars.com), Aesthetic Advantage (www.RosenthalInstitute.com), LVI Global (www.LVIGlobal.com), the Seattle Institute (www.SeattleInstitute.com), the Kois Center (www.KoisCenter.com), the Dawson Center (www.DawsonCenter.com), the Misch Institute (www.Misch.com) to name just a few. These institutes feature world renowned clinicians who have developed a series of ongoing continuing education programs to impart their knowledge of dentistry on to dental professionals. Don’t forget that many dental schools also offer additional hands-on training in a wide range of subjects. They are ALL great resources of information and I highly recommend that you visit the websites of the programs that I have listed and, in addition do a web search for some of the other programs that I have not listed. You will find that you may want to attend one or more of these programs as your knowledge and experience in dentistry increase.

As you gain knowledge in dentistry through these online continuing education programs, a great way to challenge yourself clinically and didactically is to achieve credentials from dental organizations. The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) has both Fellowship and Mastership awards for general dentistry. The American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) has Associate Fellowship, Fellowship and Diplomate awards for implant dentistry. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) has an Accreditation award for cosmetic dentistry. The Academy of Comprehensive Esthetics (ACE) has a Fellowship award for cosmetic & esthetic dentistry. As a recipient of several of these credentials, I can tell you that the pursuit and achievement of these awards allows you to challenge yourself personally and professionally to be the best that you can be. They allow you to be recognized by your peers and patients as being clinically proficient in specific areas of dentistry. I have yet to meet anyone who has achieved an award who has not become a better dentist in the process. The pursuit of the award is what makes you better. You learn, see and do things differently. You challenge yourself and expand your thinking and clinical skills to become a better dentist. You make new friends and gain more confidence when dealing with patients, and can help patients by being able to provide additional services.

One of the best quotes that I’ve ever heard is, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” That statement has resonated loud and true throughout my life. If you look at your dental career in stages; Stage 1 – Recent graduates years 1-3; Stage 2 – years 3-5; Stage 3 – years 5-10; Stage 4 – years 10-15; Stage 5 – years 15 and beyond; you will discover that at each stage in your dental career you will learn something new and different teachers will appear as you are ready to learn and understand new things. Some of the things you will learn will be based on your own personal experiences in dealing with patients. You’re going to see some crazy things…patients have a way of getting themselves in some pretty crazy situations due to neglect, lack of education or lack of finances. In any case, in the real world, patients are going to ask you to help them get out of some tough situations and most of the things you will learn will be due to your desire to be a better dentist for your patients. You will seek out the online communities, organizations and resources that will allow you to treat the situations that you are seeing in your patients on a daily basis. For me, dentistry is as exciting today as it was in 1986 when I graduated…I’ve just seen more than you. May you always enjoy success in dentistry and may the road get smoother as you go on your journey to success!

 

About Dr. Mike Maroon

            Dr. Mike Maroon received his DMD degree in 1986 from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. He maintains a private practice in Berlin, CT focused on Functional Esthetic Dentistry and fun! He has presented seminars to dentists and staff all over the world. As one of the founders of the Academy of Comprehensive Esthetics and moderator of the ACEsthetics Email network, Dr. Maroon is recognized as a leader in esthetic and restorative dentistry.

            Dr. Maroon is a member of many fine organizations and has obtained Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry, the Academy of Dental/Facial Esthetics, the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and is a Master in the American Academy of Implant Prosthodontics. He has also published articles for leading dental journals like Dentistry Today, Dental Economics, Contemporary Esthetics and Restorative Practice, Dental Practice & Finance Mentor and ACEsthetics Magazine.

            For more information or to contact Dr. Maroon please visit www.ACEsthetics.com, or www.AdvancedDental.com or email him at MMaroon@ACEsthetics.com.