Developing Your Pediatric Dental Career
Developing your pediatric dentist career profile can open new opportunities for you and your practice. You’ll have a wider range of options as you move forward in your career and can continue to advance in your personal and professional goals. You can pursue these avenues to start improving your career profile today.
1. Continuing Education
By the time you become a practicing pediatric dentist, you already have more than your fair share of dental education. However, an ongoing commitment to continuing education is a key aspect of any medical profession.
In addition to helping you meet licensing requirements, continuing education advances your pediatric dentist career profile. You can expand your expertise in your current practice area and pursue entirely new treatment options. Additional credentials broaden your horizon and demonstrate your value as a pediatric dentist.
One of the most effective areas for pediatric dental practice expansion is orthodontics. With the right approach to orthodontics, you can implement new treatment options at your practice. An orthodontic course for general and pediatric dentists prepares you to offer more comprehensive treatment for your patients.
2. Research and Publications
Research and publications have always been important parts of top pediatric dentists’ career profiles. Contributing to your field in a meaningful way can increase your prestige both with your peers and with your patients.
While developing research articles for dental journals can seem intimidating, chances are that your practice provides ample opportunity to do so. Evaluating trends and assessing treatment methods during the course of practicing dentistry can serve as the foundation for research efforts.
Journals are far from the only type of publications dentists are known to produce. There are also opportunities to publish work in magazines, newspapers, and more. You can provide insight from your experience to a variety of audiences, whether to your peers in the industry or the public in general.
3. Professional Associations and Networking
As a pediatric dentist, you’re likely already part of organizations such as the ADA or AAPD and state equivalents. However, you can improve your pediatric dentist career profile by taking advantage of other professional associations.
Becoming a member of a professional association focused on your specialization has various benefits. You’ll gain access to relevant resources and can demonstrate your capabilities through accreditation and certification programs.
Such organizations provide ample opportunities for networking with fellow dentists. Seeking out other networking events can also help you advance your career. There are many conferences spread across the country addressing all aspects of dentistry.
4. Volunteer Work and Community Outreach
Dentists can also advance their career profiles by providing care for those who need it most through volunteer work and community outreach. Several groups organize free clinics for dental care in communities, and you can offer some of your time and experience to help there. You could also look into establishing your own volunteer initiatives.
Community outreach can include a wide range of education and other efforts. Spreading information throughout your community about the importance of proper dental care and oral hygiene can help many people while familiarizing local residents with your practice.
5. Marketing and Branding
Getting your name out there is a big part of finding new patients and keeping the ones you already have. Marketing and branding are key here. Explore options such as improving your website, social media marketing, print and broadcast advertising, and more to spread the word about your practice.
One of the best resources for professionals to establish their brand is HARO (Help a Reporter Out). This program puts journalists in contact with experts to serve as sources in stories. You can provide your expertise and be quoted in various articles and stories about dentistry, spreading your name at no cost to you.
6. Mentorship and Leadership
One of the most important aspects of pediatric dentistry is learning from experienced professionals. As your career advances, you can eventually transition into the role of a mentor who instills knowledge and skills in new dentists.
This doesn’t necessarily mean pursuing a role in education; it could be as simple as providing practical advice for newer dentists. This may be in your own community or through various networking opportunities or online forums.
Take action to advance your career today.
If you’re a pediatric dentist, you can take action to advance your career with Williams GP Orthodontic Seminars. Our courses prepare you to start offering orthodontic treatment at your practice, covering the full range of areas involved in diagnosis, treatment planning, and administration. See our full course catalog today.
