You’ve graduated from dental school – congratulations! Now it’s time to take the next step in your career and begin practicing dentistry. While you may be eager to jump right into treating patients on your own, participating in a general practice residency (GPR) program can provide immense value as you’re establishing yourself as a dentist. Here’s why new dentists should strongly consider a GPR.

Gain Real-World Experience in a Supportive Setting

Expand Your Skill Set

In dental school you gain extensive theoretical knowledge and clinical skills. However, there is no true substitute for hands-on experience treating patients in a real-world setting. A GPR allows you to apply your abilities and continue developing as a clinician in an established dental office or clinic. You’ll work under the supervision of experienced attending dentists who can provide mentorship and coaching as you manage comprehensive cases. The structured residency environment gives you the chance to further refine techniques and build confidence before working independently.

General practice residencies expose you to procedures and dental issues that you may not have encountered frequently during dental school. By managing a wide scope of patients and conditions, you expand your skill set exponentially. For example, you may gain more experience with endodontic retreatment cases, surgical extractions, pediatric patients, caring for medically complex patients, and handling dental emergencies. The breadth of knowledge you gain in a GPR makes you better prepared for anything that arises in day-to-day private practice.

Learn How to Manage a Dental Practice

While you learned the clinical dentistry component in school, you likely had little exposure to the business and operational side of running a dental practice. In a residency program, you’ll learn skills like managing appointments, interacting with labs and suppliers, using practice management software, handling billing and insurance, marketing your services, and retaining patients. These real-world practice management skills are essential for success but rarely taught in school.

Get Comfortable with New Technology

Dental schools aim to provide training on current dental technology, but the latest tools and techniques are rapidly evolving. Entering a practice straight out of school can mean a steep learning curve getting comfortable with equipment and digital systems you haven’t used before. In a residency you’ll gain experience with the latest advances in areas like digital impressions, CAD/CAM, surgical instrumentation, and radiographic imaging that you can immediately apply in practice.

Build Professional Connections

GPRs allow you to build relationships within the dental community, including peers who may become lifelong friends and valuable professional contacts. Working alongside other residents provides the opportunity to network and learn from each other. GPRs also expose you to many specialists and allow you to get comfortable referring patients and communicating with other dentists. These connections are invaluable for developing your career. Additionally an opportunity for an associateship with one of the attending dentists may become a possibility.

Discover Your Interests

While in school you were exposed to all dental disciplines. A GPR lets you experience different aspects of dentistry up close. For example, you may find you especially enjoy working with children, performing extractions, or providing cosmetic dentistry services. The residency offers the chance to experience areas of dentistry you’re drawn to before fully specializing. This can help guide your career path and areas of focus.

Boost Your Confidence

Transitioning from school to professional practice can be intimidating. Being mentored and gaining experience in a supportive residency environment allows you to build confidence and get comfortable in your new role as a dentist. Working through a wide range of cases prepares you for independent practice so you feel assured in your clinical skills, decision making abilities, and chairside manner.

Stand Out to Employers

Completing a GPR demonstrates your dedication to expanding your education and skills. It shows you are committed to providing excellent patient care, not just doing the minimum required. Many prestigious practices specifically seek out dentists who have completed residency training. The experience can help give you a competitive edge in the job market when searching for the right practice to work in after graduation.

While a general practice residency requires a year of dedicated training, it is one of the most valuable investments you can make in your career. The intensive hands-on experience under mentorship of seasoned dentists will help you hit the ground running when you enter practice. The GPR path is challenging but rewarding, and sets you up for a lifetime of success as a skilled clinician.

Now, or course, there are a limited number of GPR programs in the U.S. (less than 100). With over 6000 new dentists graduating just this year, the competition is great. Still, if the opportunity arises, grab it.