CDA Essentials 2019 • Volume 6 • Issue 3

12 | 2019 | Issue 3 CDA at W ork managing the business side of things—I could come in and do what I love to do: dentistry.” His early experiences working in three very different types of practices allowed him to sharpen his ideas about what he found most fulfilling about the profession. “I’m glad I had the experiences I did, rather than experiencing just one practice and thinking, ‘This is the way dentistry is.’” One thing he learned to value is having time to interact with his patients, which perhaps influenced his relatively unconventional approach to staffing. Dr. Mutchmor’s team includes only a dental assistant (who has been at the practice for 45 years) and receptionist, as he performs his own hygiene on his patients. “I don’t think it’s a very common setup, but it grew out of the way my practice started. In the early days, I had lots of time to do hygiene on my patients,” he explains. He planned to continue working that way until his practice got busier but found he appreciated having the extra time to talk with his patients. “The way I work has allowed me to build good relationships with my patients and it’s made my practice very enjoyable. I might have a smaller number of patients, but they’re very loyal.” Staying connected As a solo practitioner, Dr. Mutchmor appreciates how important it is to stay connected with other dentists. “We can become isolated from each other,” he says. “You go through school as a very close group with lots of opportunity for consultation, but then you’re on your own and there is a tendency to get stuck doing things the same way and not keep up with advances in techniques and materials.” Although he feels fortunate to have graduated as part of a tight-knit class that remains close to this day, he’s aware that other students can lose touch with their peer support group after they graduate. 1 2 3 7 8 6 5