Keith Konvalinka, DDS

The MDA Peer Review/Ethics committee has had questions put to it about how to deal with dentists whose clinical abilities have waned to the point that their continuing to practice is putting their patients and their otherwise stellar careers at risk.

For the most part our committee is dealing with an aging dentist who doesn’t recognize or willfully denies his or her deficits. Anyone who’s had to “take the keys away” from an aging parent who should no longer drive a car knows this is a difficult position to be in. Issues of self-worth, independence and mortality complicate the discussion.

Consider the following thoughts:

Many dentists hang on due to monetary concerns. So, step one is: Fund your retirement now. If you’re more than one week past graduation, it’s time to consult with a professional to get that going. You cannot possibly start that too soon.

Also, our profession provides many dentists with a sense of self-worth. For many it’s not just what we do, it’s who we are. If that’s all you have, it’s pretty hard to walk away. So, dentists, find other outlets. Pursue hobbies, follow other passions, explore and continue to learn new talents and new subjects. Travel. Get out. Do stuff. The saddest thing to tell a retiree is to “find a hobby,” when the hobby they really want is dentistry, they no longer have the tools to do it, and they lack the hobby habit.

And then there’s socialization. Being a dentist gives you high status. Patients look up to us. That gives the ego a daily stroke or two. Plus, you meet all sorts of folks on the job. But without a social network to fill the void it might seem unthinkable to leave a profession that feeds that human need.

Find some like-minded people outside the profession and connect. Volunteering is great, but schmoozing at a local hangout is equally good. Or find something that pays. A second or part-time career can kill other birds with the same stone. If you don’t have a big family, then develop a big family of friends.

Find every venue you can to be with and to touch your fellow man or woman — church, school, arts, politics, whatever. Make a plan.

Last but not least, enlist the help of your colleagues early, before you need it. Alert the specialists you refer to that if they ever see a troubling, downward trend in your work, to please let you know. It could be age-related, or not. That’s not an easy conversation when it comes, but if a colleague can say to you “Remember when you asked me to let you know …” the news hurts a little less.

Know one thing: You’re not alone. With luck, we’ll all have long and happy careers followed by long and happy retirements. Luck or no, we have colleagues here to help in that transition.