Earlier this year, Oral Health’s annual “Women in Oral Health Care” webinar took place, moderated by Dr. Sanj Mohanta. A thoughtful conversation was had with guest speakers Dr. Nada Albatish and Dr. Carla Cohn. These are just a few of the key insights from the discussion.
Should we even be talking about women in oral health care? Some may think there is no need because dentists are dentists, period. But it depends on who is listening and if there is a demand for the conversation. And there is a demand based on the audience that signed up for the webinar and had excitement for it, and the numerous groups that have been created around the world to celebrate and support women working in dentistry. Dentistry can be lonely, and people are looking for safe spaces to have discussions and feel supported, no matter your gender.
Building Resiliency and Confidence
For new dentists, it is natural to struggle with confidence and to question whether you are ready to begin practising on your own. Continuing your education is a step you can take to build up your courage. The more you learn and experience, the more self-confident you will be. Seek out mentors. Watching someone else be successful and duplicating what they do will lead to your own successes.
Know what your specific goals are and where you want to go. This is crucial because once you have clarity on this, you can create your plan, commit to it, and then act on it with small steps until you get there. At least if things go wrong or you make a mistake along the way, you know you have your plan and your passion to get you through the tough times. You can look ahead and know it won’t always be this hard.
Always put 100% effort into striving for excellence. Even though many dentists aim for perfection, it is often unattainable, but you can always strive for excellence. Then as you work hard and persevere, that resiliency and confidence will build over time.
Empowering Other Women
For those in leadership positions or those giving lectures and writing articles, many dental professionals will inevitably approach looking for guidance. Taking the time to answer their questions, starting study groups, or teaching continuing education courses will make an impact and empower your peers.
If mentoring other women in oral health care, point out how they can learn from their mistakes to be better next time instead of just focusing on what they did wrong. Be compassionate, supportive, and non-judgemental to strengthen those relationships and it will help empower them. Then they are also more likely to pay it forward and help other dentists in the field. Acknowledge and accept that every woman has their own path in dentistry and not everyone follows the same formula.
Challenges and Barriers
Luckily, dentistry has changed a lot over the years. Women used to be a minority in dental school and now they are the majority. Some patients would insist on seeing only male practitioners, but now there are many female dentists who run their own practices with a healthy patient base.
One of the largest barriers often facing dentists now is themselves and the pressure they put on themselves. Imposter syndrome is a phenomenon that impacts every profession, especially dentistry. Dentists question themselves when leading a team for the first time because they have learned so much clinical information and less about how to be a good leader. Dentists question themselves when teaching a class for the first time because “what gives me the right to tell others what to do?”
Just because these thoughts are present, it doesn’t make them real. Realize your worth and that nobody is going to be perfect. These feelings may be stunting at times but can also be used as a benefit. Sometimes it is a healthy anxiety that pushes professionals to learn more and become a better practitioner and leader.
Advice for New Female Dentists
Keep learning and don’t be afraid to try new things, whether it’s a new technology, procedure, or material. Surround yourself with a good support system because no one knows everything so it is helpful to have people around you that you can trust to ask for help. You are not alone, so build those relationships with classmates and colleagues.
