Lessons in resilience

Something that you don't always realise when you are a new grad/ young dentist is that more experienced dentists still experience struggle.

Something I’ve learned from teaching is that experience helps you judge when to keep trying and when to stop and adopt a different tack.

Let’s take rubber dam as an example, it doesn't always go smoothly.

You may require a different clamp, you might need to floss. You might need to use some teflon. You might need to take it off and start again.

It can be tempting to think, ”this isn't going to work” and give up. This is exacerbated by feeling like the patient is judging your struggle and might be wondering if you know what you’re doing.

However, sometimes it just takes a moment.

To catch your breath.

To have a think.

To listen to a hint from your DA who might be able to help; you never know.

It's worth persisting, as quite often having the rubber dam in place in these particular cases transforms the procedure from impossible to possible.

Have a great day

Oh and don’t forget, if you’re looking for your first job as a dentist get my guide to a standout application here. Its free!

Have a great weekend

Rosie