top of page

50 Years in Dentistry: A Personal Journey - Without the Naughty Bits! By Diana Spencer, LDS RCS Eng

Alpha Omega
A short review of my career, from being an inexperienced, just-qualified dentist to a serial practice owner, overcoming impostor syndrome and having fun. Presented at the Women Dentists Network Convention at The Belfry Hotel, Sutton Coldfield and published in Dentistry Magazine.

One fine evening, as I was quietly minding my own business collapsed on the sofa after a long day at the clinic, I received a phone call from an old colleague and friend. "Hi Diana!" she said. "We are holding the first-ever convention for the Women Dentists Network... (I could tell she was smiling). How would you like to give a presentation for us?".


"On what precisely?" I asked."Well, how about practice ownership and impostor syndrome?" she suggested. "It's entitled Pearls of Wisdom (seriously?)."


It was six months till the event, and my initial thought was, Why not? How hard can it be?  So I said OK even though I had never stood up in front of an audience like that in my life… and then I promptly put it out of my mind.


As time passed, I found myself six weeks out from the event and thought, Crikey! Now’s the time for conscious incompetence. (I do remember some stuff!) So, I sat down and started writing a condensed version of my professional life—without the dodgy bits. I even dug out some pictures, especially from when I was feeling creative, and put together a 15-minute presentation.


Reader, although my salivary glands packed up halfway through from terror, there was laughter and resonance from the audience, and I felt a deep sense of achievement after facing the unknown.


So, here, for your entertainment, is the story of 50 (gulp) years in this rather peculiar profession.


I enjoyed science at school and wanted a career that would offer independence and a reasonable living. However, I wasn’t great at exams and ended up taking my A-Levels twice to improve my grades. Eventually, I had an interview at Guys Hospital, where the Dean was doubtful about accepting women into the course. He feared that it would be wasted on those who would exchange a career for marriage and babies! Those were the days!


Nevertheless, I was accepted. It was the early '70s—long hair, bell bottoms, Led Zeppelin, and Woodstock. I was shy, immature, and, yes, impostor syndrome had already started to take root. I felt out of place. But I stuck with it for five years, determined to graduate. I even had to take my finals twice!



For the next ten years, I worked in the NHS and general practice as an associate, initially being supported by a very experienced dental nurse. I learned to act confident, despite being terrified, and I made plenty of mistakes. Some of my biggest blunders included:


  • Prepping the buccal of 7 and the palatal of 6. ( Don’t worry I spotted this early on!)

  • Attempting RCT and finding a non-existent lateral canal.

  • Flicking out several loose silicates while explaining the need for new fillings (the patient was not happy).

  • Agreeing to treat a friend at a special fee during my lunch break—this went pear-shaped, and a complaint was lodged.

  • Learning that if you’re not feeling confident, don’t start. And definitely don’t treat family or friends!


In the mid-'80s, I bought an NHS practice in North London with no idea how to run a business. I saw 40 patients a day, overpaid my staff because I was very dependent on them and wanted their support. I felt unable to practice to the standard I had been taught, and I struggled with treatment planning, often deferring to patient-led treatment, which led to unhappy results.



I nearly went bankrupt, but finally, I asked for help.


I received some business training; started running my own books, and ensured that money IN exceeded money OUT! I took out a Business Development Loan (BDL) to cover the ever-increasing overdraft and daily costs and began building up my skills. Due to an expiring lease, I relocated to a nearby practice after buying a rundown, single-handed practice. I converted it into a three-surgery setup and computerized the whole system.


In 1990, I made a conscious decision to exit the NHS after the first contract was published. I only lost about 10% of my patients because I priced my private fees slightly above the NHS rate and then slowly increased them over the years. I learned how to manage the books, value myself, and, most importantly, begin to have fun.


In between all this, I set up a practice from scratch at the CityUniversity to care for the students and staff… Yes…. I do love a project!




In those days, advertising was not allowed for dental practices. Then, when it was allowed, it was often terribly boring. After travelling on the underground one day, I had an idea for a different type of advertising—not about the dentistry itself, but something eye-catching, amusing, and memorable. That’s how the Princess Di advert was born! It caused quite a stir and even landed me in the national papers.



I paid off the BDL quickly and was making a profit. I took on associates and hygienists, and, importantly, I learned to delegate.


Those were the days!! Pre CQC After 17 years, I sold the practice and decided to try my hand at corporate dentistry. Quite quickly, I realised I wasn’t suited for it—I wanted to make my own decisions and create a welcoming environment for my patients and staff, not be just another cog in a business run by accountants who  I felt didn’t seem to care about the patients but were more fixated on pie charts!


In 2011, I dove back in and bought a run-down practice in St John’s Wood after being unable to find an associate position (I was considered too old—duh!). The practice had no computers, and it was pre-CQC, with carpets, flowers, sterilisers, and filing cabinets in the surgery. Just the kind of challenge I was after!



I rebuilt the practice from scratch, recruited top-quality staff, invested in IT, and established a local marketing strategy. I also created a top-notch, full-time hygiene clinic with three hygienists.


 

Yes, there were nights of fear, feeling alone and inadequate, and the impostor syndrome was still there. But I worried less about it, learned to believe in myself, and enjoyed the creative aspects of running the practice.


 

And here I am, still in the game, loving what I do. I’ve learned to know my clinical limitations, (The older you get, the better you get, unless you’re a banana!) and despite the Dean's concerns back in the '70s, I have established myself as a mentor and advisor. I teach my patients to face their fears, just as I faced mine. Practicing dentistry is so much more than just teeth!

 

 

 

 

A Few Take-Home Messages

  • Confidence increases with age! You’ll worry less about making mistakes (they happen) or admitting ignorance (which is part of the path to knowledge).

  • Be your true self and don’t overthink things.

  • Anything is possible—be excited!

  • You are more capable than you think.

  • Ask for help when you need it. Find a mentor.

  • Don’t drift—have a plan, and if it doesn’t work, rethink it.

  • Don’t give up, and most importantly, enjoy yourself!




Dr Diana Spencer

Membership Secretary

Website and Marketing

Former Chairman

 

Alpha Omega Dental Society

London Group

 

66 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page