
13 minute read
Exploring Nonclinical Career Paths
By Carrie Pallardy
After years of dental school, new graduates are thrust into the world of practice. They have a variety of paths they can take in that clinical world: working as an associate in a private practice, working at a dental school clinic, starting their own practice, or joining a dental support organization (DSO). But some dentists, for a variety of reasons, decide to look outside of the clinical sphere.
What are some of the nonclinical career paths in dentistry, and how can dentists who want to leave the world of chairside care explore their options?
Nonclinical Career Paths
A clinical career is the goal for many dentists. “I certainly think clinical dentistry is a much bigger space than nonclinical dentistry,” said Clayton O. Pesillo, DMD, an
American Association of Dental Consultants (AADC) board member. “I think most dentists who go to dental school and graduate go with the intent of practicing dentistry. They either want to work with a practice, join a practice or open a practice.”
But there are also a lot of different ways to build a nonclinical career. Academia is one avenue. Dentists can join the faculty of a dental school and dedicate their careers to teaching.
Whatever areas dentists are interested in — whether it be specific oral diseases, dental materials, technology or any other specific subject — they can channel that passion into research. Academic roles can give dentists the opportunity to build careers in research. Military dentistry also offers a way to build a career in teaching and research.(1)
Dental product and technology companies hire dentists to champion their research efforts. Laura Brenner, DDS, founder and CEO of Lolabees Career Coaching, has worked with clients who have gotten research positions at Colgate, for example.
Product companies also hire dentists to serve as liaisons to their customers — the dentists buying and using their products in clinical settings. “It’s not a sales position, but it is very social. You can educate the doctors so that they know about the product,” Brenner explained.
If dentists do have an aptitude for sales, there are several ways to put those skills to work. They can work in sales positions with product and technology companies, or they can serve as practice brokers, connecting buyers and sellers.
Many nonclinical positions are available in the dental benefits space. Dentists can review claims for insurance companies, for example. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, this work can often be done remotely.
“The company sends the claims electronically. Dentists review them electronically and keep track of and get paid for their time. In some cases, companies will pay by the claim,” said Pesillo.
This flexibility means that some dentists opt to do this work in conjunction with their clinical practice. But dentists can also work full time in administrative and executive leadership roles at dental benefits companies.
DSOs offer another option for dentists seeking nonclinical positions. Andrew De La Rosa, DMD, is vice president of clinical support at Aspen Dental. He spent the first eight years of his career in the clinical space alongside his co-owner and wife, Lauren McDonough, DMD. They became practice owners under the Aspen Dental umbrella before transitioning to nonclinical roles as part of Aspen Dental’s clinical support team. McDonough is the vice president of practice owner development, working alongside De La Rosa and eight other clinical support leaders.
“Being able to teach a younger doctor — or even a doctor who has experience — how to become successful and thrive in the dental field is what we ultimately enjoy doing,” De La Rosa said. “I get to work with a lot of our doctors in the field to be part of building the next generation of Aspen Dental practices.”
De La Rosa pointed out that DSOs can be a solid bridge to a nonclinical position for dentists who are thinking about retiring from clinical practice.
“After working with a DSO for years, many dentists have built and fostered meaningful relationships, resulting in a strong network within the organization,” said De La Rosa. “These connections and relationships naturally help curate nonclinical opportunities. As doctors are ready to retire from clinical dentistry, many choose to pursue these nonclinical roles, and the connections they’ve made are paramount to secure them.”
Dentistry appeals to many people who have an entrepreneurial spirit. Some dentists thrive on building, operating and expanding their businesses in clinical practice. That same entrepreneurial drive can be put to work in the nonclinical space.
Some dentists find the perfect blend of desire to build and to teach in consulting roles, which can take various forms with any company that touches the field of dentistry.
Why Choose Nonclinical
The decision to leave clinical practice — or to avoid entering it at all — is made for many different reasons. For some dentists, it may be a difficult choice. For others, it may be a natural way to continue their passion for dentistry.
Brenner spent a decade working in clinical dentistry, but she knew by her third year that the fit wasn’t right. She wanted to quit dentistry.
“I talked myself out of it because we invest a lot into this career and it becomes a part of your identity,” she said.
Instead of quitting then, she tried working in different practices. But she still did not find the right fit. After that decade in the clinical space, she gave herself permission to try something else. She scaled back her time practicing dentistry and worked as a weight loss coach on the side.
Ultimately, Brenner found her fit in dentistry through career coaching. She officially launched Lolabees in 2018.
“When I was in the process of recognizing that I had chosen the wrong career, it was very isolating. It felt shameful. It was painful, and I worked with a career coach,” she said. “I really valued the work and how she helped me.” At Lolabees, she works to help dentists through the experience of transitioning to nonclinical work.
Some dentists may love what they do for years but become burnt out. Sometimes, burnout can be addressed.
“When you love your work but get burned out, I’d say the typical burnout treatments like taking breaks and getting support, going on vacation, and creating more space and balance in your life will help,” said Brenner.
Other times, burnout requires a more significant pivot. After years of clinical practice, a dentist may opt to leave the clinical space to find a position that offers a different kind of challenge. When the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shuttered practices and then required significant precautions as patient care began again, some dentists stopped to think about a different future.
An influx of people reached out to Brenner during the pandemic. “It made them reevaluate their careers and their lives,” she said.
However, some dentists may not have a choice about leaving clinical practice. Illness, injury and age can impact the necessary fine motor skills and ability to stand for hours.
“Dentistry is incredibly taxing on your body. We have a lot of doctors who are brilliant in the field, but, long term, they don’t know if they’ll be able to continue that route,” said De La Rosa.
Dentists in this position may opt for a nonclinical career path because they are still passionate about dentistry but unable to work in a clinical environment.
In some cases, dentists can embrace work in both the clinical and nonclinical realms. Pesillo spent 42 years as a general practitioner and 38 years as a dental director with United Concordia Dental in Pennsylvania.
“It was like having a two-path career,” he said.
Through his work at the AADC, Pesillo has gotten to know many dentists working in the dental benefits field. He has seen some dentists gravitate toward the administrative aspects of dentistry instead of the clinical side. Some of his colleagues opted to get MBAs.
“Some of them got MBAs right out of dental school and then took positions in dental benefits companies as administrators,” he said.
However a dentist arrives at the decision to explore a nonclinical career is personal, but the next step for most becomes figuring out which nonclinical path is the right fit.
How to Find the Right Fit
Making the shift to a nonclinical career path can be a monumental and often overwhelming choice for a dentist. What does work outside of practice look like? How do you begin to find the right fit?
Simply jumping from practicing to the first nonclinical job opportunity that comes up may not be the best decision.
Allison Norris worked as a dental hygienist for more than a decade before launching her talent recruiting agency, The Dentele Group.
“If you’re looking to leave clinical dentistry but don’t have a clear path, it’s important to not jump into the first nonclinical role you find just to escape your current situation,” Norris warned. “Without intentional planning, you could end up in a position that doesn’t truly align with your skills or long-term goals. Make sure that you explore your options and find roles where you can leverage your strengths. You will then find a position where you can truly thrive.”
Rather than taking a blind leap, a productive first step can be evaluating what you like about clinical dentistry. Brenner enjoyed the teaching, coaching and relationship-building aspects of dentistry, so career coaching was a natural fit.
Brenner worked with a client who loves to read radiographs. That interest guided her to become a director at a dental insurance company. Similarly, someone who is tech-savvy and loves to implement the latest software and equipment in their clinical practice may find a natural fit with a 3D scanning company.
Dentists can also turn to some helpful tools to inform their decision-making process. “Taking a strengths assessment or career aptitude test can help you discover in what role you will excel. These assessments will help you explore your strengths and weaknesses, which will help you focus on roles that fit you best,” said Norris.
While making an informed decision can help dentists find the right fit, it is important to remember that a career shift can take time. “Let go of the idea that your next step has to be your perfect plan B. It might paralyze you into never taking that step,” Brenner warned.
If dentists are still able to practice, they can scale back their hours and try a few different options in the nonclinical space to work toward a smoother transition. Brenner likens it to dating.
“If you really want to find the career that you love, date your career, and give yourself that freedom,” she said.
Salary is another consideration. “Your income is going to play a role in your decision-making,” said Pesillo.
Dentists may find that they are able to earn more in a clinical role than in a nonclinical one, although that is not guaranteed.
In 2023, general dentists in private practice earned an average salary of $218,710.(2) And clinical dentists can increase their earning power when they become practice owners.(3)
A dentist who shifts to sales can expect to see salaries for dental sales representatives ranging from $85,000 to $158,000.(4) In the academic world, dentistry professors typically earn between $121,285 and $193,442.(5)
For some people, career satisfaction may outweigh earning power. Other dentists may decide to remain in the clinical sphere because they want to maintain their current salary. For younger dentists with higher student loan burdens, salary may be a weightier factor.
Shifting to a nonclinical role may also require a change in perspective for dentists who are accustomed to running their own practices.
“Working for a corporation is very different than working for yourself. When you work for yourself, you make decisions,” said Pesillo. “If you’re in a corporate setting, that’s not the case — unless you’re the CEO.”
Clinical autonomy is valuable to many dentists, but, in the corporate world where they are not practicing, they are likely to be working under the direction of a manager or management team.
If you feel prepared and want to make the shift to the nonclinical world, how do you actually land a job?
“It’s more about networking and building relationships than simply performing a Google search,” said Brenner. “Anytime I ever got a different job, it was through relationships. It was through a connection. It was never through a search.”
Dentists can build their networks through personal relationships and with the help of professional organizations. For example, the AADC hosts a yearly workshop for people interested in the dental benefits industry.
“Whether it’s for part-time work or for a complete career change, they can network and talk to different dentists and companies to learn how to get involved in this space,” said Pesillo.
Networking and forging a nonclinical career might be easier for someone who has an established clinical career than for someone fresh out of dental school. For example, someone who has worked for years with a DSO could consider selling their practices and shifting to an administrative role within that organization.
“To best support the doctors who join or who are already in our network, it’s important that our clinical support team has the foundational knowledge of being a chairside dentist, managing a practice and running a business. These key components give us the background needed to fully understand what doctors and dental teams need to thrive,” said De La Rosa.
That doesn’t mean new graduates or dentists earlier in their careers cannot take a nonclinical path.
“Dentists who are early in their careers and find they don’t enjoy practicing clinically still have plenty of time to explore new career opportunities,” said Norris.
The Future of the Nonclinical Space
The nonclinical space will continue to be an option for dentists who want or need a different path to leverage their skills. Demand in some areas may even grow in the coming years.
More dentists are affiliating with DSOs. In 2019, 10.4% worked with a DSO. In 2023, that number increased to 13%.(6)
As the DSO practice model grows, there will be more administrative job openings for dentists. “Every DSO is going to need support teams, and I think you’re going to see that trend accelerate fairly quickly,” said De La Rosa.
The technology sector is another area that could attract dentists who want to work in nonclinical roles. Digital dentistry, for example, is a significant trend today.
“Dentistry is changing quickly, and the technology is finally catching up to meet the industry’s needs. For example, digital workflows in practices are making everyday processes more efficient,” said Norris. “As these innovations continue to grow, they will transform the way dental practices provide patient care.” Dentists could find roles consulting or researching for these kinds of companies.
The artificial intelligence (AI) boom could also prove to be a growing opportunity for nonclinical careers. “Due to their specialized expertise and knowledge, many AI companies are hiring dentists to help train and refine their AI models,” said Norris.
Brenner is hopeful that the nonclinical opportunities for dentists who want them will continue to grow. “My hope is that dentists and the people hiring can see how much we have to offer and that we will be considered for these roles,” she said.
Carrie Pallardy is a freelance writer and editor based in Chicago. To comment on this article, email impact@agd.org.
References
1. “‘My Workday Is Not What You Would Think’: Options Abound for Military Dentists.” AGD Impact, vol. 50, no. 12, December 2022, pp. 22–26.
2. “U.S. Dentist Earnings and Busyness Trends.” American Dental Association, ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/ dental-practice-research/2023-us-dental-practice-trends. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.
3. Hanks, Brian. “How Much Does a Dental Practice Owner Make?” Dental Buyer Advocates, 30 Aug. 2024, dentalbuyeradvocates.com/ how-much-does-a-dental-practice-owner-make/.
4. “Salary: Dental Sales Representative in United States 2024.” Glassdoor, glassdoor.com/Salaries/dental-sales-representative-salarySRCH_KO0,27.htm. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.
5. “Professor - Dentistry Salary in the United States.” Salary.com, salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/professor-dentistry-salary. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.
6. Ganski, Kelly. “More Dentists Affiliating with DSOs: Newer Dentists Leading the Trend.” ADA News, 1 June 2023, adanews.ada.org/ ada-news/2023/june/more-dentists-affiliating-with-dsos/.