How a Mentor Can Fast-Track Your Orthodontic Success

When a physician, surgeon, dentist, or other medical professional is learning a procedure new to them, they often rely on a mentor for experienced advice and insight. For example, a critical care surgeon who is taking continuing education courses to learn more about neurosurgery would depend on a seasoned neurosurgeon for in-depth explanations to difficult questions. 

In fact, initiating a mentorship with someone who has an established career in the field of your interest is one of the best ways to accumulate “insider” knowledge. Mentors not only help you get started on implementing a new procedure into your practice but also give you the knowledge you need to feel confident and ready to provide exceptional patient care.

Why would a general or pediatric dentist need a mentor?

With the demand for orthodontics at an all-time high, more and more general dentists are reaching out to the American Orthodontic Society (AOS) for assistance with taking orthodontic-related continuing education courses. A leading CE provider for dentists who want to add orthodontics to their general services, the AOS strongly recommends enrollees find mentors who have years of experience in the field of orthodontics.

Here are 5 top benefits of mentorship in creating your orthodontic practice:

Clarification of Your Goals

What do you hope to accomplish after completing the orthodontic courses through the AOS and offering orthodontic services to your patients? Learning a new skill can be a bit intimidating no matter what that procedure encompasses. Mentors have an “already been there and done that” approach to providing advice that gives you the kind of support and encouragement you need to achieve the goals you set for yourself. 

In most cases, your introductory conversation with a mentor will include discussions about when you expect to meet milestones, what you think is an achievable timeline to reach your goals, and how you imagine the future of your career as a dentist offering orthodontic services.

Expected Accountability

Mentors could be viewed as a sort of non-classroom teacher who expects you to regularly inform them of your progress. Whether you email, call, or have Zoom meetings with your mentor, you can bet they will treat their mentorship seriously and purposefully. After a discussion with you, a mentor may take away insights that you are not aware of, such as whether you are remaining on track with your goals and taking active steps to prepare for the next stage of your career. Just knowing that your mentor expects rigorous accountability from you is also a powerful incentive that helps cultivate your sense of direction and intention.

Mentor Connections

General and pediatric dentists typically have connections, but those connections may be limited when it comes to orthodontic practices, depending on their locations. Dentists taking our continuing education orthodontic courses have found our instructors to be wonderful mentors who regularly provide valuable and intuitive answers to their questions. Dr. Brad Williams also helps facilitate the transition to offering orthodontic services in your practice. Being a member of the AOS not only gives you access to Dr. Williams but also makes it easy to network with others who have completed our courses and added orthodontics to their practices.

Productive Feedback

Who is better than a mentor to give you the kind of constructive feedback that is meant to support the achievement of your goals? Remember, mentors were once in your position many years ago and are clearly aware of what they did wrong and what they did right while learning new procedures. If your mentor gives you constructive feedback that you feel is somewhat gratuitous, remember your mentor is likely speaking from their own experience and trying to save you from making their same mistakes.

The Best Free Resource Available

A mentor does not see payment for their services; they provide their seasoned authority on a complicated subject for free. The insight and expertise they give you during your mentorship are priceless. They can show you how to perform a difficult orthodontic procedure, explain common patient concerns, and give you phenomenal guidance based on what they have already experienced in their own careers.

Whether you need help with the compliance aspects of incorporating orthodontics into your practice, wish to learn how to advertise your new service to attract new patients, or just want to discuss a few of your own ideas, mentors are the ultimate free resource for establishing your career as an orthodontic provider.

What does membership with the American Orthodontic Society really mean?

Becoming a member of the AOS means you already have a mentor in Dr. Williams, a diplomate of the American Orthodontic Society and senior instructor for our Basic and Intermediate classes in non-extraction straight wire orthodontics. In addition, your membership includes discounted CE courses, networking opportunities, AOS credentialing programs, discounts on supplies needed to start providing orthodontics, admittance to the AOS annual conference, and much, much more.

If you have been considering including orthodontics in your practice, take the time to browse our website to learn more about our online orthodontic courses.