7 / 48
7
Volume 2 Issue 5
|
CDA
at
W
ork
I
t’s impossible to predict the future, but we
should pay attention to prevailing trends and
prepare accordingly. I think it’s generally ac-
cepted that the breadth of skills required for a
career in contemporary dental practice can’t
all be covered in 4 years of dental school; newdental
graduates will need to seek additional training.
If I could have a fireside chat with these new
dentists, based on my 30 years of experience
and a watchful eye on our professional
environment (aided by CDA’s ongoing
environmental scan of the social, political,
economic and health trends affecting dentistry)
here’s what this one dentist would say are key
skills to acquire.
First are business skills. I don’t think it’s
enough to engage an accountant and attend
a marketing seminar, nor do I believe that
teaching these skills can be easily integrated
within dental school curricula. I’m talking about
basic practice management skills that should be
acquired from a trustworthy organization, such
as your provincial dental association (PDA). To
determine what the provinces are offering
in practice management education and to
identify gaps in training, a CDA Working
Group has been formed with contributors
from CDA and the PDAs. University-based
business schools are another option;
at least one that I’m familiar with, the
UBC Sauder School of Business, offers a
program in dental practice management.
Next I would encourage any new
practitioner to acquire skills in implant
dentistry. We frequently
examine patients with
heavily restored, failing
dentitions. Obtaining
informed consent from
these patients, for even
simple restorative
treatment, requires
a comprehensive
discussion of the
patient’s treatment needs. These discussions
need to address occlusion, options for fixed
and removable prosthodontics, (including the
use of dental implants), cost implications, and
the potential need for bone augmentation or
sinus grafts. A practitioner must have a sound
understanding of implant dentistry, whether or
not the practitioner intends to place or restore
implants, or refer the patient to a colleague.
Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is
another technology that is rapidly becoming
part of the mainstream as it becomes more
affordable and as the risk/benefit ratio improves
with diminishing radiation levels used in the
newer units. Although many dentists don’t
have direct access to CBCT, all of us need to
understand its value and risks. Even if another
office acquires the image or another practitioner
formally reads the scan, practitioners should
develop skills to interpret these CBCT scans.
Finally, I would highlight the changing dentist-
to-population ratios in Canada. In many regions,
a surplus of dentists means it will be difficult to
become established and meet modest financial
expectations. Although roughly two-thirds of
Canadians have good access to dental care,
other segments are underserved, such as
seniors in long-term care, people with special
needs, individuals living in remote First Nations
communities, and new immigrant families.
These individuals have diverse treatment needs
and face multiple barriers to care that go beyond
affordability. By acquiring the skills to provide
care and developing a business model for one
of these vulnerable groups, a practitioner can
generate additional income while also providing
a much needed service.
Dentistry is and will remain a great vocation,
but all of us must be prepared to move with the
times.
AlastairNicoll, bds h
ons
president@cda-adc.caFrom the President
AFireside Chat
Preparing for an uncertain future: