Careers in Dentistry Series: The Life of an Associate Dentist in Canada

What is it really like to be an associate dentist? That’s the question Chief Learning Officer, Dr. Marwan Al Rayes and Lecturer and Clinical Instructor, Dr. Ibrahim Saadeldin at Prep Doctors, is answering in this week’s edition of our Careers in Dentistry Series.

Talking to our host, Dr. Lesia Waschuk, the Compliance and Education Specialist at Prep Doctors, Dr. Al Rayes and Dr. Saadeldin, share their experiences in private practice at Denali Dental, where they are the principal and associate dentist, respectively. As they begin to discuss working in previous dental offices, Dr. Al Rayes describes the differences between being an associate, the entry-level position for recent dental graduates, and owning a dental clinic. He notes that the dental practice environment is quite diverse from providing care to patients in the teaching clinics in dental school. It wasn’t until he became a dental practice owner that he understood a principal’s concern with production and overhead. Dr. Saadeldin agreed, adding that the necessity in finding the right fit and best environment at a dental clinic to ensure comfortability and drive in your profession was of utmost importance. Watch the full interview below or on our YouTube page here.

Their advice? Trust your gut. Give the dental office you have joined in your associateship a fair chance, but believe in your abilities and how you are feeling after a day’s work. Speak to previous associates, as well. If there has been a high turnover of dentists, there may be a reason for this. Lastly, learn to communicate with the patients, dental assistants, and front desk staff. While there are both positives and negatives that may come from an associateship experience, there also may be signs that a dental practice may no longer be a good fit. In this case, there is nothing wrong with moving on to another opportunity where you can feel more confident.

About the Series

Our Prep Doctors Careers in Dentistry series is an opportunity for you to peek behind the curtain of various avenues of dentistry you can take from a career and business perspective. Hosted by Dr. Waschuk, we sit down with highly regarded dentists to discuss their career paths, the challenges and benefits of the field, and how you can get started on your dentistry journey.

Click here to learn more about Prep Doctors and the stories of our dentists. Have a question? Please reach out to us on our Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you!