WE ARE ALL LOOKING FOR THE SAME THING
How we communicate as dental colleagues has changed quite a bit in the last 10 years. Younger dentists share stories in text threads with dental school classmates and you may connect with a referral through a text rather than sending a letter or picking up the phone. These changes can be felt throughout organized dentistry as the “baby boomer” generation is beginning to retire and the new generation of “Gen Z’s” communicate differently than past generations. I feel that the heart of membership is still about creating and maintaining the community of our profession. That community looks different now than it did a generation ago, as the monthly membership meeting or local society golf outing is not attended as it once was. But community is still at the core of the dental profession. While our profession is made up of dentists of different generations, I feel that many dentists are looking for their community or “tribe” but want to connect in their own way.
When I was graduating from dental school 12 years ago, online discussion boards were popular but there was little additional learning that was done online. Over the last 10 years, online social media groups and virtual study clubs have given that sense of community that previously existed in written journals or in-person meetings. Almost any clinical question can now be answered in minutes with a photo and a quick post online. Current graduates now turn to their favorite dental “influencer,” podcaster or YouTube channel to find the latest tip or review of the latest dental material.
It has been encouraging to see the American Dental Association recognize and embrace these changes in learning and communicating as they have found ways to evolve their messaging and reach younger dentists. One recent initiative is the ADA Member App. It is an easy way to stay up to date on the latest news, events and research topics in dentistry. It also allows colleagues to connect directly through the app, making it easy to find a mentor or directly reach a dentist in an easy-to-communicate platform. In its current form, it highlights the success of organized dentistry at the national level and I’m excited for future iterations that will allow it to become the go-to for all discussions and topics dental related.
Next, there have been different dental influencer pilot programs from the ADA New Dentist Committee. The goal has been to share the message of organized dentistry on different platforms that reach younger dentists differently from traditional print or email. This approach has been a great success as students have reached out to these influencers for advice and to speak at many of their ASDA programs. For those on Instagram, check out @jamesleedmd and @thedailydentist for a glimpse of some of these successful “dental influencers.”
Lastly, I personally listen to podcasts daily and I know many of my colleagues do as well. Check out the ADA’s Dental Sound Bites or CEBJA’s Dental Dilemmas for a different take on current trends and ethics in dentistry. These podcasts bring up some great topics of discussion and keep you up to date on the changing landscape of dentistry.
While these means of communication are different from the traditional peer-to-peer interactions that were commonplace a generation ago, building on these communication successes will help to keep organized dentistry as the premier organization when it comes to all things dental related.
