While dental tools are clearly important to delivering top notch results, the professional culture of dentistry is often overlooked; but critically important to helping dental professionals care for their patients. In the second installment of Friday Favorites, I give you my favorite dental organization - the Dallas County Dental Society.

Dallas area dentists are fortunate to have an active, involved local organized dental group to join. Most of my readers are local Dallas dentists, many of whom are also members of DCDS. However a number of you live in other areas of the nation and may or may not have a strong local dental organization to call home.

Is the DCDS perfect - well, no but it is pretty darned good. I’ve listed below what makes it a great organization, which also are my reasons for making it this week’s Friday favorite.

Continuing education - Not only are there opportunities to obtain quality CE at DCDS monthly meetings, but DCDS also hosts the Southwest Dental Conference every year.
Member representation at the state and local level - I’m a big fan of DCDS, but not as much a fan of the rest of organized dentistry. I understand the need for national groups, but there are issues, maybe even a lot of issues where we don’t agree. DCDS allows the Dallas area dentists to have representation in national groups. If a local member has a beef with what is going on up the organizational chain, DCDS is the place to start. I can speak from experience that while my particular issue did not turn out as I would have liked, DCDS allowed my a place to voice my concerns and the backing of size to push those concerns up the organizational ladder.
Leadership development - For dentists with the desire, time and energy, DCDS will provide an outlet to work in group settings and hone your leadership skills. Leadership ultimately comes down to one’s ability to lead a GROUP. Most dentists rarely have the opportunity to work together in groups of colleagues, since so much of our professional life is spent in solo or small group practices. Developing the skill to wait your turn to speak, tactfully respond to an opinion you don’t happen to agree with and seek solutions that will work for most people and also anger the fewest is a worthwhile endeavor. That said it is not for everyone.
Social setting for dentists to spend time together - To remain a profession, members must treat each other as colleagues first. Dentistry is a business, and business success clearly requires that the business be able to compete with other businesses in the area. For that reason alone, it is so important that dentists have the opportunity to meet and socialize with one another as friends and colleagues, lest we forget that we are professionals and not lawyers! (ok, just kidding!!!)

So these are just 4 reasons why DCDS rocks and is this week’s Friday Favorite. If any of my readers are Dallas area dentists that would like to know more about DCDS, it would be my honor to host you as my guest at an upcoming meeting. Just let me know!