By: John Cranham, DDS
This topic originally appeared on PankeyGram.org. Dr. Cranham granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers.

No matter how many years in practice, dentists never have everything figured out. The things that you are doing now are not going to be right forever.

My Advice for Young Dentists

My advice to young dentists is to be open to new processes and new materials, even if you have a predictable way of doing things now. Learning and adapting make dentistry incredibly fun. Even in my 60s, I am always learning something new—like the digital 3D world of dentistry. 

The techniques and dental materials that work today may be outdated tomorrow. Being open to innovation not only improves patient care, it keeps your passion about dentistry alive.

Finding Purpose as a New Dentist

Starting out wasn’t easy for me, I wanted more than just a job; I wanted to be known in my community for solving patients’ problems that others couldn’t. But getting to that point required two key ingredients: courage and dental continuing education.

I found the training and mentorship I needed through comprehensive programs at The Pankey Institute. At the turn of the millennium, I was trying to take the traditional occlusal information and blend it with the hottest cosmetic information at the time. (Those concepts were diametrically opposed back then. It was blasphemy to put them together.)

prevailed and became better at solving functional problems and improving aesthetics at the same time. Today, dentists do this all the time. 

A Fulfilling Career Starts with a Learning Mindset

Over the past 30 years, I and many of my colleagues have learned that embracing new dental technology and advanced techniques is critical for career longevity. Nothing I do today resembles the protocols I was taught in dental school, and that’s a good thing.

It’s common for maturing dentists to let go of certain procedures and focus on what they enjoy most and develop specific expertise in niche services. It’s also common for other maturing dentists to continue enjoying general dentistry half of their time and focusing on complex cases the other half.  

At its core, dentistry is about the relationships you build. The trust you build with patients and the pride you take in delivering outstanding care make the challenges worthwhile and your job more rewarding.

In Conclusion

So here’s my advice to every dentist: stay curious, stay humble, and stay open to change. Invest in quality continuing education, surround yourself with good mentors, and never stop evolving.

I highly recommend advanced continuing education at The Pankey Institute to shift your focus towards relationship-based dentistry and build confidence in new procedures.