The challenges facing dentists in these modern times are quite different from the ones their colleagues confronted in the past. The fast pace at which we live, an overwhelming number of appointments and procedures, a lack of managerial and organizational protocols with possible confusion at the practice, and uncomfortable levels of stress are some of the things that can detract from both excellence on the job and our general well-being. Regardless of these observations, more and more professionals assume that this type of accelerated lifestyle, along with the constant need to grapple with time, is something that they simply must accept as “normal.”
Knowing that there are already initiatives underway to find a calmer approach to life in areas such as dining, fashion, learning, and tourism, dentists who want to take things a bit easier might be motivated to be part of the “Slow Movement.”
Using the treatment and practice concept of Slow Dentistry, the dental health professional can learn to care for both people and the environment, benefitting patients and professionals alike. The quality of delivered care can be consistent and maximized, making it both accessible and profitable within a radically different time frame than experienced in the past. We have reached a point where the evolution of technology and innovation, the pace at which we move, and the competition we face have begun to make it difficult to implement those same principles that, years ago, made many dentists successful (thoroughness, adequate time for diagnosis, and execution of techniques, etc).
Quality Versus Speed
Quick results along with high productivity are often considered signs of success. Thus, the belief that “more is more” can make us wish for greater and greater numbers of patients, yet this will often end up jeopardizing the quality of our care and our own ability to perform procedures at the highest clinical level possible.
Speed and intensity are amazing tools, and they are undoubtedly useful. When employed on occasion to make an impact in certain clinical situations when appropriate and when of benefit to the patient, they can be great. However, in excess, such a focus can cause burnout. Slow Dentistry has nothing against speed and intensity per se, but the concept demands that speed is considered and administered properly, in a manner that works for us and our patients, not against us.
Controlled speed can be good for improving performance, but experts unanimously agree that working too hard for too long increases the risk of physical or psychological illness. Nobody can sprint around the track every single day of the week. Knowing how to balance the lulls in our practices with the bursts of activity is critical, not only when it comes to caring for ourselves, but also for being the best that we can be on the job.
Worshipping Time
Without a doubt, time is essential when it comes to enjoying practicing dentistry and making it beneficial for us and our patients. It seems fair to say that we probably are not communicating calmly and fully with patients when we see them in a rash of short visits, nor can we carry out clinical procedures as serenely as we should. Excellence can only be attained when professionals have enough time to do what they need to.
A poorly planned or haplessly managed agenda can mire our practice in mindless productivity devoid of strategy, pushing the thoughtful, analytical, and diagnostic aspects of care into the background. This approach to care increases the risk that patients will not be brought to optimal dental health, and it is detrimental with regard to the performance and profitability of the dental practice. The idea is not to work less but to work at a slower pace.
The emphasis and focus on care is shifted in Slow Dentistry to realize a more thorough approach, with greater efficiency and greater productivity, reduced waste, and an emphasis on quality. It is about making more out of less and doing things how they should be done while enjoying the emotional bond with patient and staff. It is also about remembering that, if we keep the human factor in the foreground and strive for excellence, we will bring greater benefits to ourselves, to our patients, and to dentistry in general.
Why Slow Dentistry?
If you’re still not convinced, here are some of the main benefits that both doctors and patients will reap from practicing dentistry using the Slow Dentistry concept of care:
- A higher quality of care with improved outcomes
- Heightened awareness of what our patients require, allowing us to anticipate what they need and thus reduce anxiety and “surprises”
- Enhanced patient safety, with reduction of risks, errors, and complications
- Increased satisfaction and a better overall experience for patients in all areas of the practice
- Healthier teeth for more years to come due to a more preventive and conservative approach to treatment
- Risk and error prevention, with fewer complications
- Financial savings with longer lasting results because of the additional time and precision invested in dental and office procedures
- Increased profits realized from doing things right the first time
- Greater satisfaction as professionals and more balance between our personal and professional lives
- A better reputation and prestige.
Closing Comments
Slow Dentistry is key to one of the greatest pleasures we have in our profession: doing what we really like to do, the way we like to do it, and when and with whom we want. You simply cannot put a price on enjoying your job to the utmost, giving the best of yourself to your patients, making your efforts profitable, and being able to balance your work with your personal life.
Additional Reading
Honoré C. In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed. New York, NY: HarperOne; 2005.
Dolara A. Invitation to “slow medicine” [in Italian]. Ital Heart J Suppl. 2002;3:100-101.
Bauer JL. Slow medicine. J Altern Complement Med. 2008;14:891-892.
Bonaldi A, Vernero S. Italy’s slow medicine: a new paradigm in medicine [in Italian]. Recenti Prog Med. 2015;106:85-91.
Roig P. Slow dentistry [in Spanish]. Quintessence Int. 2016;4:87.
Roig P. Slow dentistry: the time has come. Journal of Oral Research. 2017;6:82-83.
Dr. Roig maintains a clinical practice in Valencia, Spain, with a focus on the Slow Dentistry method. He holds an MBA in Health Management from the Universidad Católica de Valencia and has extensive education training, including the executive management program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago, the preceptorship program in periodontics and the Aesthetic Continuum at the University of California, Los Angeles, the master’s program in periodontics and implant dentistry at the Eastman Dental Hospital of Rome, the International Team for Implantology (ITI) Scholarship Program in implant dentistry at the University of Geneva. Currently, Dr. Roig is an invited professor and lecturer for the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Boston. He is the founder of the Spanish Association of Dental Practice Management and an ITI Fellow. Dr. Roig is the developer of the Slow Dentistry approach to care, a method designed to inspire dentists to be more successful, to enjoy their work more, and to offer patients optimal services. He is CEO of the dentalDoctors Institute of Management and an international speaker lecturing on communication with patients, clinical management, professional development strategies, team organization, leadership, and patient satisfaction. He can be reached via email at primitivo.roig@dentaldoctorsinstitute.com.
Disclosure: Dr. Roig is CEO of the dentalDoctors Institute of Management in Valencia.
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