It Takes a Village to Build a Thriving Practice

Over the years, building a successful career in dentistry has relied on the same old yet familiar path of graduating from dental school, diving into a residency program, and then landing an associate position at a local practice—all while slowly building the skillset, expertise, and financial means to (hopefully) open up a practice of your own one day.

But times have changed. “When I think about building my career, I ask myself, ‘How can I become an elite provider in the field,’” said Samarah Al-Jamali, DMD. Owner of an Aspen Dental practice in Miami, FL, she says the answer is simple: mentorship.

“I encourage all new and upcoming graduates to find a place that provides 1-on-1 mentorship that advances clinical skills and presents the opportunity to become proficient in your craft—whether that means implant placement, clear aligners, or digital dentistry,” she added.

Dr. Al-Jamali found her key to mentorship in Aspen Dental where, after graduating from dental school in 2018, she eagerly began her career as an associate dentist. Remembering a thriving practice in Fort Meyers, FL, with both a high need and an equally high volume, she knew instantly that Aspen Dental was the perfect place to dive into her dental career—providing an environment where she could quickly build her skills as well as her confidence.

The Keys to Practice Ownership

Supporting more than 1,100 Aspen Dental-branded practice locations across the country, The Aspen Group (TAG) provides education, support, and mentoring to dentists, many of whom share a lifelong goal of practice ownership.

 "During my first few years with Aspen Dental, I participated in doctor development programs and advanced clinical training, which led to my next role as managing clinical director of a South Naples, FL, practice," Dr. Al-Jamali shared.

Now approaching 5 years since joining the Aspen “nation,” Dr. Al-Jamali believes Aspen provided her with both challenges and tools that shaped her into becoming the provider she is today. She points to a particularly complex case in which she benefitted tremendously from Aspen Dental's training and support.

“After returning from Guadalajara, Mexico, for implant training where I placed 30 implants, I had a case where we needed to place 8 implants for implant-supported dentures,” Dr. Al-Jamali shared. “When the case was ready, Aspen’s implant support team flew down to provide clinical support during the procedure. It would have taken a long time for me to build the confidence to perform the procedure if I hadn’t had the resources and wealth of knowledge Aspen provided,” she said.

Impacting the Community, Instantly

A similar story is shared by Dr. Shahzaib Tariq, a recent dental school graduate and managing clinical director at an Aspen Dental location in Burleson, TX. Having spent most of his childhood in Pakistan, Dr. Tariq believes the great amount of poverty he witnessed firsthand was the deciding factor in his decision to become a dentist.

“I remember feeling helpless at the time, wishing I could do something to help out and change the world,” Dr. Tariq recalled. “Dentistry was an easy decision because I knew it would allow me to help people in need and open doors to give back to the community. I liked that with dentistry, I would be able to get people out of pain, and I could also improve their quality of life and get to see the results of my hard work instantly. Being a dentist would also allow me to have a great work-life balance, which was very important to me," he shared.

Over the course of his time at Aspen Dental, Dr. Tariq has been extremely proud of his ability to successfully treatment plan for his patients. "I've also had tremendous clinical growth, which has made me a more confident provider and allowed me to take on complex cases," he said. "It's all thanks to the support I've had from Aspen Dental.”

Dream Job: Practice Owner

Dr. Tariq knew in high school that he wanted to be a practice owner, and he credits Aspen Dental for providing a network of individuals who are fully dedicated to supporting dentists, and whose main objective is to be a resource for the questions that arise during the journey to practice ownership.

“I always had a deep desire to have a practice of my own one day,” he echoed. “The challenges of starting a practice from scratch and growing it on a daily basis with a diverse patient roster excite me. As a practice owner, I'll get the opportunity to bring my own unique personality, skills, and talents into the office, which will allow me to create an atmosphere where patients are excited to get treatment."

Cutting-Edge Technology

Both dentists agree that having innovative technology at their fingertips is a huge perk of being an Aspen Dental provider.

“I was most excited to work with TRIOS scanners and digital dentures because they make providing care much more efficient and accurate,” Dr. Tariq shared. This abundance of technology is an observation shared by Dr. Al-Jamali, who added, “The most exciting part of being at Aspen Dental is that we are innovative and constantly advancing our methods of digital technology, which transforms the way we deliver care to our patients.”