Endo Mastery

Profiles in success: Women in endodontics

The three doctors we spoke to this week are exemplary of the best endodontics has to offer: dedicated clinicians providing superb patient care, superlative leaders for their teams, highly successful in their businesses, and committed to great personal lifestyle beyond the practice. We asked them to share their experience and advice for other doctors, especially for female endodontists.  

What advice would you give other women in endo?  

Dr. Carla Webb of Siesta Key Root Canal Specialists in Sarasota FL: “What I want female endodontists to know is that you can have exactly what you want with perseverance.”  

 

Dr. Nicole Yingling of Mason-Dixon Endodontics in Chambersburg PA: “Just like dental school and endo residency, nothing worth having comes easily. Grit, perseverance, and integrity are key qualities that helped me get to where I am today.” 

 

Dr. Roxene Gascoigne of East Hills Endodontics in Roslyn Heights NY:I would recommend to any young woman entering the career of dentistry that she should associate herself with like-minded individuals. Find a mentor who is successful and experienced and stay away from naysayers.”

How do you face the challenges of being an endodontist? 

Dr. Yingling: “I never stop learning. Work hard but play hard and practice self-care.” 

 

Dr. Gascoigne: “Dentistry can be a challenging career and isolating for female owners at times. Being passionate about why you entered the profession in the first place and surrounding yourself with a positive support system are paramount to fulfilling your dream.” 

 

Dr. Webb: “There are always challenges and potential failures along the way. It’s important to not feel bad about yourself as you grow. Use past experiences to learn and keep moving forward.” 

What is important to you to feel successful? 

Dr. Gascoigne: I will always say that life is too short to not create a vision for yourself. For me personally, I wake up each day knowing that I am going to change the emotional state of my patients by making them pain-free, changing their fears about dentistry, and creating a high-level customer service experience. I love to teach and encourage young aspiring dentists, which is why I volunteer every month at a residency program. 

 

Dr. Webb: “For me, dentistry has to be one part of my life, not my entire life. I love my team and the office, and I love my family. What I learned from Dr. Ace Goerig is with a strong intention of what you want, you can accomplish your dreams.” 

 

Dr. Yingling: “Achieving balance between your personal life and professional life is vital. With coaching, I have been able to achieve my lifestyle goals a lot sooner.” 

We thank these doctors for being part of our endodontic family and coaching community. We admire so much their dedication to the profession and the success they have achieved. 

Celebrating women in endodontics

CYNTHIA STAMATION

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Women in dentistry are simply amazing! 

 

According to the ADA Health Policy Institute, just over half of dental school graduates are now women, making dentistry one of the few science-based fields that has parity with the general population. Women represented in the endodontics specialty lag slightly by comparison, comprising about 41% of endodontic residents in the recent 2020-2021 academic year. However, the resident ratio keeps growing year to year, and female endodontists now account for nearly a third of practicing endodontists.  

 

One of the most admirable qualities about women in endodontics is strongly rooted empathy and caring. Lying in a dental chair for a root canal can be very intimidating, and it makes some patients feel very vulnerable. Patients are often more willing to open up about their fears or concerns to a female doctor and feel calmed more quickly. 

 

In addition to female endodontists, there are also many female team members who work in endodontic practices. These women play an essential role in ensuring that patients are warmly welcomed, receive excellent care, and that the practice runs smoothly. From dental assistants to receptionists, female team members are the backbone of many endodontic practices. 

Challenges and opportunities

Like many professional women, female endodontists are often juggling multiple responsibilities. Despite some progress being made on the division of household duties in families in recent decades, this is one area that is still far from parity. Women often remain the primary caregiver in the family, the primary organizer of family activities, and the primary doer of household chores even when both partners are working.  

 

These factors don’t change the goal to be successful professionally, but often amplify the need for work/life balance in their vision. It can be particularly challenging for women with young children, who may need to adjust work hours to care for them.  

 

We believe that endodontics is a wonderful profession for women. Women can design and structure their practice life to perfectly meet the needs of their personal and family life. On top of that, endodontic practice owners can be highly productive and profitable on a limited schedule. We’ve helped female clients working full-time grow and reorganize their practices to be able to take more time off while protecting (or even growing) their income.  

 

Of course, some female doctors don’t want to own a practice and prefer to work as an associate. Since associates in Endo Mastery-coached practices are often paid more than the average endodontic practice owner, associate opportunities can be a desirable option for women practitioners, especially in the early years of their family when they want the most flexibility.  

Our appreciation

At Endo Mastery, we love working with female endodontists and helping them achieve their vision through practice coaching. This month, we are offering a special promotion for practices with female endodontists. Register using code W33 before the end of March for any Endo Mastery seminar offered this year and receive 33% off tuition.  

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