There is no doubt that we all want to do good dentistry, both for our patients and for our own sense of satisfaction. It makes us feel proud when we have executed a procedure well and when we have served a patient well. This turns to reward in financial and fulfilling terms.
In order to achieve this level, we go on course after course hoping that we will learn new things that we can implement with our day to day procedures.
This is part of growth. However, after spending this much time, effort and resource, and all to develop our skills, we can feel frustrated if our working enviroments are not conducive to what we want to achieve.
An example is the NHS remuneration UDA system that makes it difficult to achieve such clinical excellence without losing economic sustainability and viability.
We therefore decide to:
- either focus on those treatments that do not hamper us in the system (such as implants, aligner orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry)
- or try to create systems that may enable us to do these treatments in a sustainable way such as turning to private care.
In fact some do both together. This is all good so far.
Yet, after all this learning, you go back to your practice only to find that you struggle to implement many of the things you learnt.
Some things are forgotten in all this however.
First, the value of the team. While we continue to focus on our development and our technical skills, we forget the role the team plays in enabling this. How many of us take our team to these courses?
2. The working environment. Whilst turning private or offering treatments that enable private will enhance your progress in these areas, the working conditions will remain. A.higher turnover of a workforce, a disengaged workforce or equipment not being upto standard etc.
Understandably, many patients do not have the means to pay for.some of these treatments. The harsh reality is that in todays world of high risk, litigation and well-informed patients, the NHS is not equipped to suppprt us or resource to help us meet these challebges. As an example, a well informed patient consultation that covers proper consent and delivers value can easily be an hour. If we are to cover everything expected of us by every single regulatory body and protect us from the risks of all their consequences, we need new systems and new ways of approaching the issue.
If the NHS cannot fund this, and the patients cannot afford this, then who will fund this?
How will we as a profession build and develop value?
Healthcare is about the care of health. If we as dentists are developing all these skills then who is portraying the leadership to help us expand the implementation of these skills into the wider world where they can be applied, valued and implemented in good working environments?
Who is creating environments where patients see value in good healthcare?
Who is creating the trust within the public of the transformative inportance of dentistry?
If we truly believe that we transform, and we truly care about healthcare to transform in the service of another person - then who is doing this?
Our intentions are reflected in our behaviours. Currently our behaviors are protrayed more in self-congratulatory awards and self-validation.
Maybe we are looking for validation because we dont believe in what we do?
Therein lies a deeper leadership question... for another blog.