When I first started my career as an Aspen Dental practice owner nearly 20 years ago, there were barely 50 offices in the country. Now, there are more than 1,000 Aspen practices, and I will be opening my 13th practice in July.
That astonishing growth doesn't happen overnight, nor does it happen due to the efforts of a single person or even a small handful of people. From the beginning, I've worked with excellent people who have provided the support, encouragement and mentorship that has allowed me to build my career. Now, I'm in a position to pass on that spirit of mentorship to create an ongoing cycle of support that lifts everybody up so we can provide the best possible patient care.
One of my doctors, Neelam Attri, DDS, is an excellent example of a mentee-turned-mentor. After hiring her as an associate in 2009, she evolved and grew to become a partner in six Aspen Dental practices. Together, we've uncovered the three most important foundations for building a solid culture of mentorship.
Believe in your people
The basis of any relationship, but especially doctor-to-doctor, is trust. When I was first starting out, I benefited from incredible mentors who supported and believed in me as I grew my career. Even today, those same mentors continue to offer wisdom and guidance that helps me develop as a doctor and as a business owner.
With any colleague, especially new hires just out of dental school, you must believe in them and trust their instincts. Trust is reciprocal — when you trust your new hires, they have the confidence to trust you, allowing them to grow and develop their skills.
With Dr. Attri, I trusted her instincts and gave her the support she needed. When she first started, she could do one crown in three hours; now, she can do three crowns in one hour for three different patients.
"When Dr. Gupta interviewed me, he was so genuine, honest and transparent, and I really believed in him. Dr. Gupta and our other associates held my hand during those initial three months to build my confidence in my basic skills. After that, for anything I wanted to do, I had support available," said Dr. Attri.
Approach relationships as colleagues
Respect goes hand-in-hand with trust as a significant part of any relationship. Approaching mentees as colleagues eager to learn from an equal as opposed to students needing to hear from a teacher firmly establishes that level of respect.
Everybody is different, but having a mentor who doesn't judge or put mentees on the spot can do wonders for a mentee's confidence. Dr. Attri said, "I like the subtle approach to mentorship, saying something like, 'Hey, there are other alternatives to your treatment plan,' instead of forcing something on my mentee. Creating a meeting of the minds is so important; it builds more of that colleague relationship, and less of the teacher/student relationship. I believe that approach, of helping mentees learn through experience while still guiding them, can foster confidence as they grow in their skills."
This is the same mentorship approach I took with Dr. Attri, and now, she carries that on with her mentees as well. Remember, the goal of a mentor is to build a mentee's confidence along with their skills, and treating them as the licensed, capable professional they are is necessary to achieve that goal.
Help mentees grow at their own pace
One of the principles I follow and preach is that the development and growth of any individual, especially in the field of dentistry, should be self-paced. Some doctors are ready for leadership in six months, while others need longer or are happy in other roles. It's important not to rush them — you need to be able to jog with those who want to go at twenty miles per hour and sprint with those who want to go at 200 miles per hour.
Dr. Attri was one of the sprinters. "The support I got was just amazing. I had friends from dental school who were not at Aspen practices who struggled for two years to do basic procedures, whereas I was doing everything within two years. I had full autonomy, and there was no stopping me. If I wanted to do something, I did it — and I had all the support I needed at so many levels."
This culture of support nourishes the next group of doctors, who in turn help the next group to grow and develop. In this way, mentorship practices get passed down from doctor to doctor. Now, I have a dozen mentor-doctors who help me follow my agenda and still provide new doctors with the training and mentorship they need and deserve. This means I'll hopefully get to tell the same success story over and over for each doctor, just like I have with Dr. Attri.
"Good communication and finding and developing the right people will inevitably lead to success," Dr. Attri said. "And that success, of course, always starts and ends with the patient."
Shekhar Gupta, DDS, is the doctor-owner of 12 Aspen Dental practices in the Pennsylvania area and will be opening his 13th practice in July. He has nearly 20 years of experience in dentistry and loves helping new doctors grow and develop in their careers.
Neelam Attri, DDS, is a partner-owner in six Aspen Dental practices in the Pennsylvania area. With nearly 15 years of experience, she still pushes herself to learn new techniques and technologies while also providing mentorship and support to her doctors and staff.