Succeeding as a new dentist

Abstract

A is an outstanding profession, and every dentist has the ability to have a successful career. Th e last fi ve years, however, have been a challenging time for most dentists, as well as the dental profession on the whole. Th e American Dental Association (ADA) recently released “A Profession in Transition: Key Forces Reshaping the Dental Landscape,”1 an in-depth report that documents the changes aff ecting dentistry. Critical findings from the report include the following: dfewer working-aged adults are visiting the dentist; dfinancial barriers to dental care are affecting most patients; dtwo of five dentists indicate they are not busy enough; ddental insurance benefits are likely to decline, resulting in fewer adult patients; dthe number of larger, multidentist practices, including dental service organizations, will continue to increase; dyounger adults are less likely to visit the dentist than are their parents, and they are prone to shop for dental care, as they view it as a commodity.