There are four cornerstones of dentistry that determine a balance essential for true success. In Part 1 of this series, I discussed Clinical Services and Patient Care, which have an external focus on patients. They guide how you and your standards are viewed by your community and presented to them.

Now, I’ll dive into Team Participation and Practice Growth and Development. These two cornerstones have an internal focus that shape quality of life and internal direction.

All four of the interrelated cornerstones will impact success in dentistry, especially if one is out of balance with the others. Use them to identify your current reality, vision for the future, and action plan.

Cornerstones of Dentistry: Team Participation and Practice Growth and Development

Team Participation

Team participation is a tacit feature of all dental practices. Team members have a huge impact on the practice atmosphere, as well as the collective success of patient care. Individually, the level and quality of team participation must be cultivated and supported based on your practice vision.

You can seek out and hire team members who are passionate and keen on raising the practice up. You can also determine standards for teamwork built on healthy expectations, the fair exchange of ideas, and support of insights. You can design a culture that enables different opinions to thrive in light of shared values. You can share the ups and downs, as well as the pride and purpose, of working together.

Practice Growth & Development

You have the ultimate say in defining and instituting a standard for growth. In your practice, you create and have responsibility for meeting goals related to finances, size of patient base, size of practice team, and your schedule.

Your personal and professional growth is your decision. You can seek out opportunities that fit your educational desires and sense of monetary value. It’s not helpful to compare yourself to other practices, because their goals and how they achieve them will not be the same. The ‘return on investment’ for CE and other professional development can only be gauged by you.