As with any other healthcare field, care methods in the dental profession continuously evolve with new techniques. Facilitating education in the dental industry involves more than just classroom training. The European Journal of Dental Education highlights that mentorship provides a foundation for personal growth, supplements dental education, and gives stability and anchorage in times of crises. Sponsoring young men and women to be future leaders in the dental profession also helps them gain valuable insights while achieving career growth.
Because of the many benefits it can impart, mentoring is vital in any career development programme . Even younger generations share this view. A 2021 survey by Deloitte found that millennial leaders ranked mentoring as a top career development priority. It has advantages for both parties as well: mentors get a chance to polish their leadership skills and work on coaching techniques, while mentees receive valuable advice on how to succeed in their careers. The broad and profound benefits of mentoring have pushed many of the world's most popular companies to take advantage of the opportunities it provides. Most of them have created deliberate efforts to cement mentoring programs into their core strategies. Successful organisations across various healthcare fields use mentoring as a foundation for high-yield career development programs and help their future leaders navigate their profession and map out their career goals.
With this preview of its many advantages, today we'll dive into the reasons why mentoring is important for a career in dentistry:
It helps in developing skills
Once dental school graduates leave their classrooms and teaching facilities, they may find it challenging to learn new skills. Although they are encouraged to take continuing training courses, learning under a mentor can provide them with unique insights while also not cutting into their practicing time. As mentees, they can learn about multi-disciplinary facets of dentistry such as cosmetic dentistry and paediatric dentistry. They can also explore alternative career avenues like dentistry education, research, and public health. Having mentors that are experts in these fields can give mentees a wide range of ideas of new skills they can improve on or add to their skill set.
It helps set and monitor goals
An effective mentoring practice involves creating learning objectives to help the mentee achieve their desired professional growth. A good mentor can guide a mentee and support them in their journey, having already led the way before. Because of their wisdom and expertise, they can suggest alternative routes in treatment planning. They can also impart lessons they learned from their mistakes because even the most seasoned dentists can forget protocols such as hygiene exams in some situations.
Mentors can also use this opportunity to encourage their mentee's goals and dreams and help them thrive professionally and personally in a clinical setting.
It enhances productivity
Mentorship can leave a lasting impression on young dental professionals, and a good mentorship program can give them lessons they will carry throughout their career journey. In our blog, we discussed the importance of safeguarding the dental profession and ensuring that the workforce is resilient, supported, and engaged. For instance, in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery, the network availability and career outcomes of mentors can help increase the productivity of their mentees. Mentorship plays a role in this aspect by recognising each mentee's strengths while looking for ways to improve their weaknesses in that specific niche. This, in turn, allows for greater productivity and efficiency in the dental services they provide to the general public.
Recent studies have shown that mentoring is an effective way to support dental professionals. Apart from enhancing their well-being, it also creates a sense of belonging and increases their confidence. Having that kind of satisfaction from their career ensures their fulfilment as part of the dental industry.