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If you want to ensure your dental team love their careers, you must provide them with career development opportunities. When employees have a chance to challenge themselves, learn additional skills, and serve patients in exciting new ways, they will be more motivated and productive.

Still trying to figure out where to start? Join us as we explore some practical career development strategies you can incorporate into your dental practice.

Why career development matters.

According to a 2023 survey, 74% of participants believe they aren’t reaching their full potential at work as a result of subpar career development opportunities. The survey also revealed a strong correlation between a lack of upskilling opportunities and attrition.

If you want to maximize team motivation and incentivize staff members to stick around, you have to invest in them. Send them to certification courses, offer on-the-job learning sessions, and cross-train them to fill other roles.

Investing in your staff is more important than ever in the current climate. As demonstrated by the Great Resignation, employees are willing to change jobs if doing so means better opportunities.

The role of continuous learning in dental practice success.

Continuous learning is a broad concept focused on providing your staff with ongoing opportunities to acquire new skills or hone existing abilities. Investing in development and learning can enhance team competence, job satisfaction, and overall confidence.

Keeping your staff happier is only one perk of career development. When your team becomes more skillful and well-rounded, patients will reap the benefits, too.

Think about it—a confident, efficient, and talented employee will be able to deliver a more comfortable and streamlined care experience. In turn, these positive experiences will elevate the reputation of your practice and support better patient outcomes. The bottom line is that investing in your staff benefits everyone.

Identifying Career Development Opportunities

Not sure which career development and training opportunities to offer your team? Start by asking each team member what their career goals are and aligning those aspirations with the needs of your practice.

Collaborative goal-setting builds chemistry between you and your employees, while simultaneously creating a roadmap that allows you to support their long-term growth.

After you get a grasp on each employee’s goals, compare them to any skill gaps facing your practice. Where possible, match team members’ stated goals with practice needs so you can promote long-term business growth while also satiating your employees’ desire to evolve professionally.

For example, if you are adding orthodontic services to your practice, consider sending your hygienists or dental assistants to an accredited orthodontic assistant course, such as those offered by Williams GP Orthodontic Seminars.

Our highly experienced instructors can provide your team with the opportunity to learn new skills and expand their professional horizons.

Orthodontic Assistant Courses From Williams GP Orthodontic Seminars

The Orthodontic Assistant Training Course from Williams GP Orthodontic Seminars is designed for dental assistants who want to expand their skills. Our unique two and a half day course covers a wide range of content and skills, including but not limited to:

  • Orthodontic terminology and instruments
  • Importance of cephalometric landmarks
  • Phase I–early treatment
  • Closing and opening space
  • Opening deep bites
  • Debonding and retention

As part of our efforts to make training accessible and engaging, we schedule these courses from Friday to Sunday. The session involves a significant amount of hands-on learning, which reinforces the material and helps with information retention.

Implementing a Career Development Plan

Creating and implementing a career development strategy will make your team feel empowered and appreciated. When crafting your plan, make sure to include several aspects.

Get your team involved early and often.

Goal-setting and career development must be collaborative processes. Get your team members involved and ask them what skills they want to learn. If they feel in control of their professional journey, they will be more engaged during training sessions.

Create a Timeline

Build a custom timeline for each employee based on their goals and organizational needs. Break down big-picture goals into smaller milestones.

Identify Measurable Outcomes

Set concrete, measurable outcomes so that you can gauge each team member’s progress. Basing goals around certifications is a great way of keeping your career development plan on track.

Pivot

If the practice’s needs change or an employee’s goals evolve, be willing to pivot. However, it’s important that your team members are willing to be flexible as well. This may mean getting cross-trained in other positions within the office or obtaining additional certifications to support the needs of your business.

Ready to embrace dental team development? We can help.

At Williams GP Orthodontic Seminars, we offer online orthodontic courses and in-person training sessions for both dentists and dental assistants. If you’d like to explore our course offerings or learn more about how we can support your career development plan, contact our team.