Deborah Swanson is a coordinator for the Real Caregivers Program at allheart.com, a site dedicated to celebrating medical professionals and their journeys. She keeps busy interviewing caregivers and writing about them, and she loves gardening.

Deborah Swanson

	You’ve done it. You’ve completed all of your classes and requirements and graduated from dental school (or you’re about to). It’s time to get yourself that white lab coat and look for your first job as a dentist. Your two main options are working for a private practice or a dental franchise. So, which one should you pick? There’s no right or wrong answer, so we’ve compiled our top tips to help new dental graduates make the best decision for their future career aspirations.

	As the name suggests, private practices are owned by the dentist who runs them. If the private practice employs multiple dentists, they may all be co-owners. Sometimes new dentists are given the option to buy into the practice as well. On the other hand, dental franchises are owned and operated by a managing company or investor. They’re sometimes referred to as Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) and offer multiple offices and locations under the same brand. Dental franchises may be confined to one region or spread across multiple states. Some of the largest DSOs in the U.S. include Heartland Dental, Aspen Dental, Pacific Dental Services, Smile Brands and American Dental Partners.

Trending article: Why being a good dentist is never enough

	In a private practice, you’re involved in the entire process of running a dental office, especially as you earn more experience. This means that you not only do dentistry, but you also have to think about hiring and firing, billing, staff training, patient scheduling, marketing and other administrative tasks. Even if you’re not involved in the day-to-day work of these to-do items, you’ll still have to make decisions about them on a high level.

	On the flipside, at a dental franchise, the managing company takes care of all these decisions for you, so you don’t have to worry about them. However, it also means that when something goes awry, you don’t have a lot of power to change it. Dental franchises also provide the option to move between offices and even cities, a flexibility that most private practices simply can’t match.

	Decide what kind of patient relationships you want

	Private practices have a reputation for nurturing deep, long-standing patient relationships as compared to dental franchises, and there’s some truth to that. Due to the turnover in both patients and staff at franchises, it can be harder to build up those relationships and maintain them over time. This isn’t a deal breaker, but if you’re the type of person who thrives on consistency and getting to know others really well, you’ll get more of that at a private practice.

	Is your ultimate goal to own your own private practice? If it is, then you’d be wise to get as much private practice experience as possible before you strike out on your own, starting with your first job out of dental school. On the other hand, if you’re thinking about opening your own franchise eventually, you’ll want experience on that side of the business before taking the leap. Neither option is right or wrong, and you might even change your mind after working for either a private practice or a corporate franchise. It’s much better you figure this out early on in your career than after you’ve already committed to opening an office.

	Dental franchise versus independent practice isn’t the only decision you’ll have to make. Location is very important, especially if you’re trying to move to a new city. Benefits such as health insurance may also play a role, and of course salary is incredibly important, especially if you’ve got student loans to pay off. Figure out which factors are nonnegotiable and then look for jobs from there. For example, if you’re really committed to moving to a particular city-say, your partner already has a job there-then you might need to be a bit flexible on whether you work for a franchise or a practice.

	Shadowing is a key part of any dentist’s education, and it can also play a critical role in finding a job. If possible, while you’re still in school, ask to shadow at an office where you’d be interested in working. This will give you firsthand experience of the dental franchise versus independent practice environments and you’ll have already established a connection with the dentists, which is much easier to do before you’re actively looking for a job. While you’re there, pay attention to how the dentist treats the staff and patients and what the office culture seems to be like. Are people friendly and chatty or all business? The more places you can shadow, the more you’ll learn what kind of work environment you want.

Related reading: Top challenges of transitioning to a group practice

	Whether you decide to look at private practices or dental franchises (or both), it’s a good idea to cast a wide net as you look for job openings. Field-specific job boards such as the A

merican Dental Association’s CareerCenter job board

 are a great place to start. Ask around in your personal network to see if anyone knows of any openings. If you’re moving to a new city and you don’t have any contacts there yet, reach out to local dentist organizations to see if you can get involved. They may also host their own job board specific to the area.

	Finding that first job after school can be daunting, but as long as you start looking in advance and think critically about what you want out of your career, you’ll make a good decision. No matter what job you accept, nothing beats the feeling of putting on your safety eyewear for your first real day of work.

	Good luck on finding that perfect first job, and congrats on graduating from dental school!
	 

Articles

Pros and cons for new dental school grads to consider.

Dental franchise vs. independent practice

	You’ve graduated and gotten licensed, and now you’re ready to put on your scrubs and start your first job as a dental hygienist. For seven to nine hours a day, you’ll be interacting with patients and helping them to improve or maintain their oral health. Even if you have the technical side of the work down pat, building rapport with people you’ve never been around before can be tough, especially since so many patients are apprehensive about going to the dentist. Here are eight tips to help new dental hygienists build relationships with their patients.

	The key to getting any relationship off on the right foot is a good introduction. Even though your patient probably already knows your name and that you’re a dental hygienist, still introduce yourself and explain who you are and that you’ll be taking care of him or her today. Shake the patient’s hand and ask how he or she is doing and if he or she has anything specific he or she would like you to look at during the appointment.

Related reading: Why dental professionals need to get rid of 'deep cleaning' lingo

	We all have different emotions throughout the day, and sometimes it can be hard to stay positive, especially if it’s early in the morning or if you’re having a bad day. However, try to stay upbeat as much as possible when interacting with patients. If you’re worried or anxious about something, even if it’s totally unrelated to work, patients will pick up on it and that can exacerbate any 

 they already have. If you need to confide in someone or blow off steam, do it with a trusted coworker rather than a patient.

Obviously, patients can’t talk once you’re working. But while you’re walking them back to the chair, it’s nice to ask them a few innocuous questions about themselves, such as what they do for a living and whether or not they have plans for the weekend. Just a few questions show that you’re interested in them as people and can help to create rapport before you start poking around in their mouth. When appropriate, it’s also polite to follow the norm of reciprocity and share a little bit about yourself so that it’s not a one-way conversation. You don’t want to overshare, but a few fun facts can help the patient feel more at ease.

	Even if your patient is a regular and knows the drill (pun intended), it’s still courteous to tell him or her what you’re about to do before you do it. Patients can’t see what’s going on in their mouth, and a sudden or unexpected movement might startle them, which is never a good thing when you have tools and fingers near teeth. Explaining what you do as you go through the appointment is also a great way to educate patients about their bodies and oral health.

	Leave time at the end of the appointment to answer any questions the patient might have and proactively ask him or her if there’s anything he or she would like to know. Sometimes patients do ask silly questions, but try to keep judgmental thoughts to yourself, as you don’t want to discourage open communication by making them feel embarrassed. If patients say they don’t know if they have questions or they don’t have anything to ask, confirm that they understand their treatment plan and any special actions they should be taking at home for their oral health.

	Few patients have perfect dental health, so there are probably a couple of things each patient can improve on at home. When recommending changes, offer concrete suggestions whenever possible. So, rather than just advising that they start using mouthwash, explain how and when to use it and recommend specific brands that will address their oral health concerns. While it’s fine to recommend products that your practice sells, just know that can turn some patients off or make them resistant to the underlying suggestion, so you’ll need to do it with a light touch.

Trending article: The devil wears a patient bib

Nearly 60 percent of patients experience dental anxiety

, and that concern can cause them to put off dental appointments or neglect their oral health. Many patients are already aware if they have issues with their teeth or mouth, and they’re likely embarrassed about it. Plus, knowledge that seems obvious to you as a dental hygienist may not be as clear to patients who haven’t gone to school to study dental health. As much as you can, try to withhold judgment and have compassion for your patients, especially those with dental anxiety.

	You might see anywhere between eight and 16 patients a day, depending on how much time your practice allots for a standard cleaning and check-up. Given five days each week and 50ish work weeks in the year, that’s hundreds of patients per year. Remembering all of these patients off the top of your head is near impossible, but making a few notes in their patient file can help to jog your memory so that you’re not flying blind in each appointment. It’s also a good idea to make a note of any dental concerns the patient had at his or her last appointment so that you can follow up on it the next time you see him or her.

	If you’re nervous about working with patients, remember that they’re probably just as anxious as you (though for different reasons). Take a deep breath, relax and believe that the appointment will go well. Even if you don’t make friends with every patient, it’s not the end of the world. Now, don those exam gloves and go start your new job with confidence!
	 

Check out these top tips for new dental hygienists.

You’ve graduated and gotten licensed, and now you’re ready to put on your scrubs and start your first job as a dental hygienist. For seven to nine hours a day, you’ll be interacting with patients and helping them to improve or maintain their oral health.