1. health and fitness
2. dental care

Getting
down
to
business
THERE ARE MORE DENTISTS QUALIFYING
THAN IN THE PAST AND SO COMPETITION
FOR JOBS IS FIERCE. YOUNG DENTISTS
HAVE REALISED THAT THERE IS A NEED
TO DIFFERENTIATE THEMSELVES
with...
Reena Wadia
A RISING STAR OF THE DENTAL
WORLD AS AN ASSOCIATE
DENTIST, REGISTRAR IN
PERIODONTICS,TUTOR TO FINAL
YEAR DENTAL HYGIENE AND
THERAPY STUDENTS FROM
BARTS AND LONDON, EDITORIAL
BOARD MEMBER FOR
DENTAL JOURNALS SUCH AS
‘DENTISTRY’ AND ENTHUSIASTIC
DENTAL BLOGGER.
BOD : Hi Reena…Can you tell us a little bit about what you do?
RW : I am currently undertaking speciality training in periodontology
at Guy’s Hospital. I am completing this part time so I usually spend
three days a week at the hospital. I’m almost half-way through
and the experience so far has been stimulating thanks to the very
dedicated teaching team at Guy’s. Although enjoyable, the course
is certainly demanding. However, the close support given by fellow
periodontal trainees definitely helps when it comes to meeting the
stringent requirements and passing the rigorous assessments.
I am also working part time in practice at Harley Street Dental
Studio and Woodford Dental Care, providing general dental care
with a special interest in periodontics. In both practices, I am guided
by fantastic principals who are dedicated to the profession. Their
professional achievements inspire me and I am grateful for the time
and effort they give me. One day a week, I also have the privilege of
teaching the final year dental therapy students at Barts and The London.
Finally, as well as my daytime jobs, I’m a keen dental blogger
by night! I find social media fascinating and it allows me to indulge
my three greatest passions – learning, sharing and connecting.
BOD : What’s the long-term vision for you?
RW : Well, the Adult Dental Health Survey 20091 revealed that the
amount of severe periodontitis has increased by nearly 50% over
the past 10 years – so I will clearly be spending a lot of valuable
time with my curette! I hope to continue to develop my knowledge
and skills in the field of periodontics sufficiently enough to achieve
a recognised position.
I would also like to keep in tune with the challenges faced by GDPs
and help them to achieve better periodontal results for their patients
as well as contribute to the wider profession, particularly by helping
young dentists tackle the unique challenges faced at the start of
their career.
BOD : What are the key principles that drive you?
RW : 1. Inspiration – I look up to people ahead of me that have
made a mark in their career, and seeing how accomplished they
are inspires me to strive for similar achievements.
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the business of dentistry
2. Both giving and receiving – I’ve noticed that individuals
of the highest calibre not only work hard to accomplish great things,
but they are also passionate about helping others reach their goals.
I’ve always found the latter particularly encouraging and believe
it is worthy of emulation.
3. I love a challenge – even in the most difficult times, I think it’s
important to remain focused and motivated. One of my favourite
quotes related to this is by Dale Carnegie: ‘Most of the important
things in the world have been accomplished by people who
have kept trying when there seemed to be no hope at all’.
BOD : What’s the best bit of business advice you’ve ever
been given?
RW : ‘Everyone backs a winner’ is the best piece of business
advice I’ve received from a mentor. Quite simply, the fastest route
to success is to ask someone who knows. But successful people are
busy, resulting in a catch 22. However, if you work hard
to successfully implement any advice they give you, they will always
give you more. If you work harder to demonstrate progress,
they will help you a lot as they believe you have the determination
to succeed. After which, assistance arrives in many forms.
In contrast, I have rarely found these same inspiring individuals
give up their valuable time to unlock this process to help someone
who just asked for help as they are struggling. So ‘everyone
backs a winner’ has stayed at the forefront of my mind.
BOD : What opportunities and threats do you think you
and your industry faces?
RW : There are more dentists qualifying than in the past and
so competition for jobs is fierce. Young dentists have realised
that there is a need to differentiate themselves, but the general
consensus is that there is very little guidance on career development
pathways. As a result, young dentists are being forced to manage
their careers in a way that has not previously been required. As
well as the uncertainty in the job market, newly qualified dentists
have less clinical experience than their predecessors and are
working in a more litigious environment with reduced NHS
funding. All of these threats mean that young dentists are clearly
qualifying at a very challenging time. However, even though this
the business of dentistry
35
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Getting
down
to
business
with...
Reena Wadia
HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY
TO WORK WITHIN A
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM
HAS BEEN THE MOST ENGAGING
AND REWARDING PART OF
PRACTICE SO FAR
is a tough period for junior dentists, I believe that there are ways
of successfully navigating through the first few years following
graduation. Furthermore, I believe that dentistry will continue to be
a rewarding profession as those around me have proven it is still
possible to build a successful career in the current environment.
enthusiasm has encouraged me to reach my full potential and their
advice has made a significant difference in my ability to successfully
steer through the early years of my career. So, find someone
senior whose values and approach matches yours and they will
be able to share the quickest way to achieve what you want.
BOD : What changes have you noticed in the industry since
you’ve been working in it?
RW : We are at the beginning of a huge shift in the way dentists
communicate which will transform the profession. I am, of course,
talking about social media, as 72% of all internet users are now
active on social media2. I could go on with similar astonishing
figures but the point is, before the emergence of social media, the
usual dentist’s working day would be spent isolated in the dental
surgery with the majority of interaction limited to the practice team.
These platforms have made it easy to share experiences and
learning through articles, photos, videos and discussion groups
with the rest of the dental profession worldwide, day or night.
3. Keep up your record keeping skills – During our undergraduate
years, we spent plenty of time and effort making impeccable notes.
When under time restraints in a busy NHS practice, it is
very easy to start picking up bad habits. However, it is very important
to spend time discussing treatment plans with our patients and
documenting all the important points. Time spent on detailed notes
may save you hours of stress (and possibly a legal case) if the
patient is not satisfied. We’re now living in a very litigious society
and if any claims are made against you, your notes will be your
only defense. At the same time, you don’t want to be spending
hours after your working day catching up on notes; have specific
times during the patient’s appointment where you can complete your
notes and make the most of the current tools such as templates.
BOD : What are your views on the future of NHS dentistry?
RW : Recent discussions with more experienced individuals has led
me to have some hope for the future of NHS dentistry if it is based
on the pilots. The essential premise of the pilot is that it is
prevention-based and this seems appropriate as we are
essentially dealing with two largely preventable diseases – caries
and periodontitis. So, if we manage to realign the contract
so it is prevention focused, it will be successful. However, the
concern seems to arise when the measures of activity are
incorporated and this may change the real imperative of the
contract. So, whilst many are hopeful for NHS dentistry, the actual
reality will be tempered by the details of the new contract.
BOD : What advice would you give to any young dentist starting
a career in dentistry?
RW : 1. Be confident in yourself – Not having someone peer over
your shoulder constantly can feel great, but it can also be a daunting
thought that you have to start making decisions for yourself. Your
confidence will slowly build up as you generally do more work
in the first few weeks of practice than you have done during the
whole of dental school! However, try to be confident from the start;
have faith in what you’ve been taught as an undergraduate and
always remember to keep the patient’s best interests at heart.
4. Invest in a camera – Photographs can be a valuable part of
your patient record and can also be useful for patient education
and liaison with other members of the dental team. As a young
dentist, it’s great to get stuck in with using a camera as you can start
building up a portfolio of all your cases, which will be helpful when
you apply for associate jobs. Importantly, having photographs of
your work allows you to be self-critical so you can regularly reflect,
audit and find ways of continually improving the quality of your work.
BOD : What do you find most challenging and rewarding
when working in a dental practice?
RW : Having the opportunity to work within a multi-disciplinary team
has been the most engaging and rewarding part of practice so far.
Access to a range of experienced clinicians under one roof allows
you to easily seek expert advice for all aspects of your patient care.
I also have the added bonus of working alongside a very experienced
periodontist, who often guides me through the more complex cases.
As I work in practice part time and also work in two different
practices, keeping up to date with the changes and developments
in each practice is often challenging. Regular meetings are helpful
to stay informed, but I’m looking forward to dedicating more days
in each practice once I’ve completed my speciality training!
2. Find a mentor – Throughout my dental training and first few
years after qualifying, I feel blessed to have been surrounded
by exceptionally inspirational dental professionals.
Reena Wadia was talking to Laura Byrne.
For more information, visit www.reenawadia.com
Over time, a few of these individuals have become my mentors.
By sharing their knowledge and experience, my mentors have
become trusted advisors and role models. Their support and
References:
1 Steele J G, O’Sullivan I. Executive summary: Adult Dental Health Survey 2009.
London: Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2010.
2 22 Social media facts and statistics. Available at: www.jeffbullas.com, 10.01.15
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