It’s never been a better time to pick and choose where and how you work as a dental professional; there are opportunities with different types of contracts for different roles, levels of expertise and specialisms all over the country. Pressures on dentistry in recent years have presented challenges for many practices, but have also created opportunities for growth, and dental practices are increasingly looking for positive ways to attract great staff.
If you are looking to provide NHS or private services, are foundation-level or an experienced dentist, or a dental hygienist/therapist, and you want to work with a new dental provider, what are the things to look for when choosing the right fit?
Meaningful work, recognised and supported by organisational culture
Professionals want to receive fair payment for a job well done, but research shows that individuals are not wholly profit-driven. A recent study found that in the UK, meaningful work is seen as the strongest factor determining job-satisfaction in all careers.[i]
For some dentists, meaning can come from working to improve the lives of disadvantaged patients and their families joining outreach programmes or charity work that supports the most deprived communities in the UK. Recent government reports show that oral health inequalities remain a significant public health problem in England.[ii] Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are disproportionately more likely to be admitted to hospital to have teeth extracted. In a study from 2017, almost one-fifth of such admissions in the UK were for children from the most deprived tenth of the population.[iii]
For others, the greatest meaning as a dental professional can come from using their skills and expertise to push the ‘art and science of oral health’.[iv] This could be through using the latest in technology and resources to conduct ground-breaking research, or specialising in an area that pushes the envelope of the science of dentistry.
Whatever the passion that drives you, you will benefit from finding a practice culture that facilitates and encourages this motivation so you can enjoy work that means the most to you.[v] A good dental provider will ensure that dentists’ clinical interests can flourish by supporting the personal as well as professional development of clinicians.
A culture of support, learning and development
A recent review of the evidence by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that organisations with a strong learning culture are simply better to work for.[vi] They experience more profitability and productivity, enabling more income potential for dentists and greater investment in workflows for streamlined daily routines and reduced stress among the team. Studies correlate learning culture with job satisfaction, and the effect is cyclical. The more that organisations invest in the development of individuals, the higher the motivation among peers to communicate well, sharing information and learning with peers.[vii]
Supporting the overall wellbeing of professionals practising dentistry is also important, both to safeguard the health and safety of individuals, and to ensure a consistently high-quality service for patients. A good organisation will invest in training, genuinely useful resources and programmes to support the wellbeing of employees as well.[viii]
Finding the right fit
When seeking a new position, you will want to ensure the operational and clinical support offered meets your needs, and that you are respected both as a professional and as a person. Does the company have a culture that encourages and supports growth? Does it respect your core motivations, your professionalism, and does it allow you to flourish? Does it have mechanisms in place to provide emotional as well as practical support when needed?
Rodericks Dental Partners is a dental group that has created a supportive culture of continuous development, where teams are empowered to deliver exceptional dental care and are genuinely fulfilled by their work. Rodericks Dental Partners’ has six core values: ‘respect, flexibility, empowerment, openness, integrity and support’, underpinning the right kind of culture to foster growth and development as well as a positive and safe environment.
Joining Rodericks Dental Partners gives dentists, dental hygienists/therapists and all team members access to a large network of practices offering opportunities for personal and professional development. For example, an experienced dentist could become an educational supervisor or mentor other dentists.
Working with Rodericks Dental Partners gives access to a dedicated clinical team, operational team and compliance team, allowing dentists to focus on their clinical work.
Alongside all this support is respect for every practitioner’s autonomy. Dentists working with Rodericks Dental Partners have complete and genuine clinical freedom. Clinical expertise is valued and trusted, so dentists can treat patients in the way they see fit.
Being respected for your skills, as well as being part of a supportive and learning-focused network is beneficial to anyone working within the dental profession. Finding a support system that enables you to flourish in your own way, according to your own motivations, is a recipe for job satisfaction.
To find out more about what it’s like to work with Rodericks Dental Partners and to discuss current vacancies, you can visit www.rodericksdentalpartners.co.uk/careers
[i] Wrike Happiness Index, Compensation. Wrike.com. Available at: https://cdn.wrike.com/ebook/2019_UK_Happiness_Index_Compensation.pdf 2019. Accessed Feb 2024
[ii] Public Health England. Gov.uk. Inequalities in oral health in England: summary. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inequalities-in-oral-health-in-england/inequalities-in-oral-health-in-england-summary March 2021. Accessed Feb 2024
[iii] Health Action Research Group. Oral Health Inequalities. Available at: https://www.healthactionresearch.org.uk/tackling-obesity/oral-health/#:~:text=Children%20from%20disadvantaged%20backgrounds%20are,deprived%20tenth%20of%20the%20population. August 2021. Accessed Feb 2024
[iv] BRITISH DENTAL JOURNAL | VOLUME 223 NO. 2 | JULY 21 2017 file:///Users/media/Downloads/sj.bdj.2017.617%20(1).pdf
[v] https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/comms/get-involved/events/2023-arc-fostering-intrinsic-motivation-high-work-intensity-8415.pdf
[vi] Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Creating Learning Culture, Available at: https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/creating-learning-cultures-1_tcm18-75606.pdf. April 2020. Accessed Feb 2024
[vii] Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Creating Learning Culture, Available at: https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/creating-learning-cultures-1_tcm18-75606.pdf. April 2020. Accessed Feb 2024
[viii] Health and Safety Executive. What are the Management Standards? Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards/ Accessed Feb 2024
