Organized dentistry: What’s in it for me?

By | October 15, 2022

If you’re a new grad, you’ve definitely asked yourself this question about organized dentistry.

“What’s in it for me?”

If no one has said this to you before, I see you and acknowledge the challenges that you face as a new doctor. It’s a balancing act. You’re working long hours, gaining speed and proficiency, learning how to communicate effectively with your staff and patients, taking continuing education, paying off student debt, and of course trying to maintain some semblance of work-life balance.

So when it’s time to renew all of those wonderful organized dentistry memberships, you end up wondering, “Well, what am I paying for?”

I struggled initially with the answer to that question. The biggest barrier to dentists renewing their membership seems to focus on cost. Three years out of school, I felt burnt out in my profession and began wondering why I pursued dentistry in the first place.

There was an opportunity to attend my dental society’s annual meeting. I went alone and sat at a table full of unfamiliar faces. The moment I sat down, I looked across the table and made eye contact with an older dentist with kind eyes and a warm smile. He introduced himself and his wife to me, who were both dentists. My first thought was, “Wow, I feel so welcomed and accepted.” My second thought was, If this is how his chairside manner with his patients is, I can learn a lot from him.

This chance encounter led me to learning more about his successful practice of over 21 years. Ultimately, we developed a professional relationship where I’ve received mentorship in practice management, treatment planning and a crash course in occlusion.

At the same event, the guest speaker that night was Laila Hishaw, D.D.S. She is a pediatric dentist and is the founder of the nonprofit “Diversity in Dentistry.” Wow! As we all know, mentorship is a gift for the mentee and the mentor. We can all reflect back on our own experiences and identify those mentors who gave us their time and talents to help us reach our goals. I felt so moved by her mission that afterwards I went up to her and through conversation realized that she was looking for additional mentors for her high school workshop at Spear! I jumped at that opportunity. It was a great honor to mentor high school students and guide them to a rewarding career in dentistry.

At one organized dentistry event, I had two chance encounters that positively impacted my personal and professional life. After that evening I gradually became more involved within my local dental society. I currently serve on the society’s council on membership, with the to recruit and retain members, along with developing innovative programs for new dentists.

As humans we all seek connection. That much is obvious as we think back to how the pandemic isolated us. In such a digital world where we can get advice and approval and communicate via social media, we lose the value of face-to-face interaction. In an age where we face the real struggles of staff shortages, increasing costs of materials, decline in reimbursement rates of insurance companies, know that your local and national societies are working on protecting our profession through advocacy, volunteering, and CE opportunities.

As dentists we can choose to disconnect, work alone on a island by ourselves, or we can choose to seek connection and grow together to improve our profession for the future. I’ve experienced the power of organized dentistry on the local, state and national level and I hope that you will see the value of organized dentistry.

For me, the answer to my original question is: I’m involved in organized dentistry to better myself, my patients and the future of our profession. When we work together united as one voice, we as a whole are stronger. It’s very simple to dismiss organized dentistry or think that it’s archaic, but ask yourself: Have you truly given organized dentistry a chance?

Elieza Yonan, D.M.D., graduated from Midwestern University’s College of Dental Medicine-Arizona in Glendale, Arizona. She currently works as an associate in a private practice in Tempe, Arizona. She also serves on the council of membership with the Arizona Dental Society and is a peer reviewer for the Journal of Periodontal Research.

 

 

 

11 thoughts on “Organized dentistry: What’s in it for me?

  1. Ralph Winge, D.D.S. USC

    Nice Article!

    Joining organized Dentistry will help you become better because you will automatically and subconsciously pick up pointers that can help you in your practice and life. And when you really spread your wings and fly in your new way! You will soar into intellectual spaces that no one else has entered. That’s the only way that Dentistry can further push out its boundaries!

    Reply
  2. Orlando Smith

    It’s a beautiful feeling when someone older than you helps you, and it’s important to remember the value of respecting our elders. Not only do they have life experiences that can guide us, but showing respect for them is a way to honor those who came before us and paved the way for our lives.

    Reply
  3. Darrell J. Stafford

    You guys have reminded me of my mentor! He was very knowledgeable and always pushed me to become the best version of myself. I am grateful for his guidance and support during my career journey. Thank you for being such incredible mentors as well! Keep up the great work in motivating and inspiring others.

    Reply
  4. Billy A. Cruz

    This blog is a great post! It highlights the importance of getting involved in organized dentistry and how doing so can benefit the individual dentist and the profession. I especially appreciate the personal story about the author’s chance encounter with a mentor, which illustrates the value of face-to-face interaction and mentorship. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Melissa Weber

    Organized dentistry is a way of life for dentists. It ensures that every patient receives the best treatment possible and helps them get back to normal life as soon as possible after an operation.

    Dentists are trained professionals who need all the help they can get when it comes to organizing their work. They can use various tools like dental software, dental office organization, or even scheduling software for dentists which will help them organize their day-to-day tasks more efficiently. After joining the dentistry you can spend the best time & get the complete knowledge about dentistry.

    Reply
  6. kids care dental

    I agree with your sentiments about organized dentistry Elieza! The chance encounters you experienced at the dental society events are just one of many examples of how being a part of organized dentistry can help to expand our knowledge, foster relationships, and open doors. I’m sure countless more stories like yours show how powerful and valuable organized dentistry can be. Thank you for sharing your story and reminding us to invest in our professional societies!

    Reply

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