Top Tips From Young Dentists

We hope you find these top tips useful. Everyone has their own ways of making life a little easier. If you would like to include a top tip on this page please email us at [email protected]

1. Orthodontics - take it slowly. If you’re not going to formally study orthodontics, make sure you train adequately for whatever service you hope to provide. Appropriate case selection is essential for the non-specialist- maybe liaise with a local orthodontist to make sure you are fully aware of what you are taking on.

2. Keep on training - maximise your learning to improve your skillset. Your BDS is just the first step in lifelong learning- that’s why we call it ‘practice’! Avail of the huge range of study groups, local lectures, day courses, conferences etc to build on what you know. 

3. Get involved in your local dental association. It is the voice of our profession - it is there to support you right through your career. These are run by enthusiastic, committed members who genuinely want our professional lives to be fulfilling, and to provide a good service to our patients. Get involved if you can- dentistry can be a lonely business. 

4. Most of the day at work you are sat down, make sure you make time after work for some form of exercise.

5. Be familiar with the online dental trauma guide. It is a user friendly guide to help you manage your trauma patients.

6. Use a putty matrix for temporary crowns and it will keep unlike an alginate if replacement temps needed.

7. When thinking about treatment options for managing caries in the primary dentition, don't forget to consider placing stainless steel crowns with the Hall technique. Young patients love their princess or pirate teeth!

8. When it looks like it is going wrong, get help/advice early - the situation is going to be far more favourable.

9. Ask questions - never be afraid to seek advice from other dental professionals, there is always something more you can learn.

10. Trust your basic instinct - make that referral, drill that extra bit of caries - it makes for a much more peaceful night’s sleep!