MDA we often adjust duties and find ourselves reskilling and upskilling team members. Currently, we are especially experiencing this on the front of digital transformation in communications. Print media may still find a niche, but our team members are having to adapt to a new technology for marketing and communicating with the membership (in addition to continually adapting to communicate across generations and practice models). It certainly creates an interesting labyrinth. We are fortunate to have team members who can close our gaps and advance their skills.


For dental practices, you likely are doing this too, especially since the pandemic. Yet what can this look like in the future when it comes to creating not only “new skills” but new and improved career paths for the dental team? Transforma- tive teams, and if I might be so bold to say … adjustments within assistants and hygiene skills and scopes, conducted with appropriate training that might be done in virtual and clinical settings?


I have been with the MDA for 30 years and in that time, workforce issues in all varieties have been present. There often has been resistance and reluctance to change. Certainly, dentists—the lead- ers in your practice—want to ensure the safest, most effective treatment for your patients. But are there ways the members can look at opportunities in education and scope to upskill your den- tal team? It’s a multifaceted problem and solution, which the current workforce committee is discussing. Stay tuned.


All these areas deserve concentration in order to effectively manage the stresses we all see within our profession or industry workforces. Stresses that can either crush us, or strengthen us with positive and appropriate movement towards successful outcomes.


Email vicki@modentalmail.org.


REFERENCES 1. https://www.talentguard. com/blog/reskilling-upskilling- strategic-response-changing- skill-demands


From the Editor CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6


that work. I quickly scrambled to figure out what we were going to do. Rental space was not available in town. A couple team members suggested asking a local orthodon- tist about using his space because he only uses it once a month. He was so gracious in allowing me to move into his office and “take-over” for four months. I couldn’t have done this without that gesture and kindness. Other local dentists also reached out and said if I needed anything at all to call. We used an- other office’s pano when we just had to have one. Our dentists and offices in this com- munity are awesome, and their willingness to help us while we were in transition was so comforting.


APPRECIATE YOUR FAMILY


This is two-fold. First is your dental family: your team that is with you day in and day out and one of your best support systems. You must remember they are going through this too, probably in more ways than you are. They are moving things, keeping patients happy, preparing to set things back up in a new setting. I give accolades to my team for being so giving of their time and energy in seeing that we made this a success.


Secondly, is your family at home. The stresses of this can overflow and follow you home at night and on the weekends. I tried


LETTERS Dear Doug,


I really enjoyed reading your “Practice Reflection & Re- sponsibility” editorial today! I was in practice for 50 ½ years before retiring at my wife’s urging!


I spent 10 years as an Air Force dentist right out of dental school and another 40+ years in private practice. While in dental school (1962- 66) I needed 27 restorations


in my mouth! I had amalgams completed by a faculty mem- ber and 80 percent of them are still in place (57+ years)! During my career, I have done thousands of amalgam restorations and was very comfortable doing them. And most of them remained in my patients’ mouths for the duration of my career!


My son practiced with me for 14 years before my retirement and he only does composite restorations for his patients. And I’m sure he feels comfortable doing them


to make every attempt to leave things at the office, but no matter how hard I tried, many conversations at dinner or in the car went to the remodel. My wife is my pillar of strength and there is just no way this could have hap- pened without her support and courage to tackle a project like this. I can’t imagine going through something like this not having sup- port from all my family.


Now the dust has settled and boxes are unpacked. We are acclimating to our new normal. It is an amazing feeling. I had no idea how comforting and life-changing this project would be. We have had an increase in patient flow and even though the sched- ule has sped up quite a bit, the stress level is low. I was so entrenched in what I was doing before the remodel, I did not realize that I needed re-charged. I feel like I am a new dentist again, excited to get going every day. It’s not hard when I have such a supportive family at home and at the office and the most amazing setting to work in. I can’t wait to see the challenges each day and am looking so forward to the rest of my career.


Contact Dr. Wyckoff at editor@ modental.org.


as I did amalgams. Dental practice marches on, so I now let him treat me as nec- essary and would never force him to do an amalgam for me if he feels more comfortable doing a composite to replace a failing amalgam. But I do agree with you that a dentist must keep up with new and current procedures if they prove successful in practice! Thanks for your editorial reflections!


Sincerely, Dr. Kurt H. Studt St. Louis, Mo.


ISSUE 3 | MAY/JUN 2022 | focus 11


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