Hi Nicole-
I can see how it sounds like I may have gone into teaching by my comment, but I only ever thought about it! I never did it. I actually stayed in private practice until “the end.” I actually think I would enjoy teaching, but our dental school is pretty far from my house, and I haven’t ever made the effort for that reason. I don’t really know what is involved, but I think it’s worth a call over to your local school. I think there are probably pros and cons to that job also. 😉
(Your user name had your full email in it, so I edited it out for you, so you could remain a little more anonymous… FYI.)
Good luck! I’d love to hear what you decide to do. I bet at the very least, you could get a gig volunteering part-time at first.

I am a dentist who is feeling the exact same dread of private practice and have recently started to consider teaching at a dental school. Just out of curiosity, what makes you like it so much more than practicing? How did you get into teaching – did you have to take extra classes etc?

We have a lot in common, Jas. In my experiences, what started out as some good experiences turned into bad ones. It sounds like you have had a similar roller coaster ride. I worked in an insurance practice (high volume, low pay,) and I hated that I couldn’t give my patients the time I wanted and worried about the equipment, materials, quality, etc. Sadly, in those environments you have to cut corners somewhere to be able to keep the business open. I then went to very high quality offices, but even being in my “dream job,” there were also a lot of problems. I can only conclude that all jobs have the ups and downs, so it just makes it easier to roll through the ups and downs if you can at least enjoy the ride.

You sound like you have a great attitude and that you are very clear about how you want your life to look. I have no doubt that you will find that. Good for you for taking the steps you want, and good luck! I hope you’ll continue to share your story and its progression with me!

I’m a 33-year-old woman from the UK. I’ve been a dentist for 10 years. When I went to my interviews for university, I didn’t know what a crown or a bridge was, and if you’d have asked me what endodontics was, I would have guessed that it was the future of robotics.

So it’s little wonder that after 5 years at university, it was a rude awakening to find that there were no essays or presentations or ‘well done you!’s to be hadin general practice – just you doing your best, in often challenging circumstances. 3 months into my first job I got crippling shoulder pain. I went home every night and cried. After two years. I was emotionally numb and honestly didn’t care if I lived any more. That’s quite a weighty state for a 25-year-old. I went in to it wanting to make a difference, quickly discovered it wasn’t for me – so I set my sights on getting good at it, and making money. I think it can be an especially challenging job for a people pleaser. I came back to live with my parents completely burned out. I took a year out, and felt myself again. Michael Jackson came to my home town, and I enjoyed dancing on the streets outside his hotel, I sang, danced, didn’t care about running into my patients and looking professional – I got me back.

Unfortunately, my savings ran out, so I needed to work again.

This time I got a job in a poor end of town, where the patients deserved honorary arts degrees for being so creative with the ways they damaged their teeth. They were so grateful, not one complaint. I rolled up my sleeves, and got stuck in. My assistant was hugely enthusiastic (the dentist she worked for in her home country had trained her up as an apprentice – so she knew more than she really should) – every time I did a root canal treatment, she would hold the radiograph aloft and gleefully announce, “Wooow! You ARE a PROFESSIONAL!” I never felt so happy to be at work!

However, working in a poorer part of town had its drawbacks. The equipment was mostly always faulty, and even though I was working my socks off, I wasn’t earning much money. The sad reality of NHS dentistry in the UK is that the more you work – the less you make. The government cap the amount they will pay per course of treatment – so you get paid the same whether you do one filling, or ten. The same price whether you do one crown, or twenty. Needless to say, my patients needed a lot of work and I couldn’t sleep at night doing what is known as ‘gaming’ the system – turning a blind eye and dragging out the treatment (or just not offering treatments).

So I got a job working as a salaried dentist in the community dental services.

My first day was interesting. I had induction all day. And I was still getting paid. It took me ages to get used to being on a salary. I thought it was amazing! Patients don’t turn up? Still get paid. Call in sick? Still get paid. Take three weeks off to go travelling? Still get paid. A lot of money. I put on so much weight in that first year. I was going out to dinners all the time, I actually had some cash to spend! I was also getting to treat nervous patients and have as much time as I wanted to spend with them.

The only thing that ruins community dentistry, is the same thing that has ruined dentistry in the UK – the politics. Because it wasn’t a money making business, I saw a lot of wastage and time not being used efficiently. We had shoddy managers, who thought it was a good idea for us to have a different nurse every day, rotate between clinics, have all instruments and burs as single use (I cringed the first time I had to throw a £25 Parapost drill into the sharps bin) and have cross infection procedures more stringent and time consuming than in your average hospital theatre. Our service was tendered out to new owners, and the ensuing stress made me leave that job and find a new one. I’ve been working 4 yeas in my current post, still in community services. Over time, I’ve done more patient management and less actual dentistry. In 4 years I’ve made no dentures, one crown, and done 4 or 5 endos. The rest has been mostly paeds and prevention on patients with special needs.

I know that for a dentist who doesn’t really like dentistry, this job is brilliant. It’s also my Achilles heel. Our service is cranking up the pressure – with streams of under 6’s coming in with masses of grotty teeth. I’m actually really good with kids, which is why I’ve been placed in my role, but it is extremely draining, and I get little out of it other than knowing that I do a good job. I’m a people pleaser, and I find myself overcompensating for the trauma of the procedures with massive amounts of praise and enthusiasm. I thought I could do that forever. Until.. My manager wanted me to discharge the young adults on my list so I could see more children… and the stress of it made my back give way. I just don’t want to. I realise that my pain, and probably that pain I’ve always lived with as a dentist, is just the fear of saying enough’s enough, love yourself way more than this and do something you’ll want to do.

So I’ll be seeing an occupational psychologist at the end of the month for some help with narrowing down my choices.

I’m a prayerful person and I’ve no doubts that I’ll be okay. I’ve had some very privileged moments as a dentist, no doubt. In every job I’ve had, I’ve had the chance to make a significant difference in at least one person’s life, whether it be spotting an oral cancer, giving someone their smile and their pride back, or meeting people I would never get to encounter otherwise. I still cry when I think of one particular lady who had HIV, who was finally going to see her mother in Africa after seven years of being too ashamed because of her teeth. She said my work would probably last longer than she would, but that she would make the most of it. I pray that she’s wrong.

Anyway, as an aside. When people ask me what I do for a living, I reply, “I put people in and out of pain for a living.” I once read a book on how to make conversation (I sound like such a no-mates) which said if you just give yourself a label it doesn’t say anything interesting about what you actually do. I’d add to that, you are not your job. You’re you 🙂

It’s so late here and I should have gone to bed ages ago to curtail the waffle. Great blog, it’s inspiring to know that someone out there is living the ‘early retirement’ dream lol 🙂

Haha, Donna! I guess it happens on all scales. I think your response to them is very funny– we might as well have fun with patients and the perceptions they have. And then, how crazy is it that they think the dds is checking your work! How insulting! Again– I love your response. Brilliant– it’s is all about THEIR work. If only we could get patients to understand this better. The same stuff is going on here in Colorado with hygienists being able to have their own practices. The boys want to keep the control (and perhaps the $$$????) I have to say I haven’t invested much energy on forming an opinion on that debate, but I do think the scenario of having a dentist referral system could be a good solution.

Anyway, I bet you feel it’s worth it everyday to help people the way you do even if it is a much smaller paycheck. I decided after my first dental job that no amount of money could convince me to continue living the way I was. It is unfortunate though– same way with teachers. Thanks for the “applause!” It’s much appreciated, and yes, life is much better now.

Yeah, I guess it is a bit of a boys club. I guess I sort of got used to it over the years. I bet people don’t ask about your job because it probably confuses them, and they’re intimidated to ask. Can be a good thing 😉

And you’ve given me something to be grateful for – most people just say “oh ok” after I say I’m a software engineer. And if they ask for computer help, I can rely on “classic engineering lack of social cues” to not get it. Suckers.