I can still remember the sound.
That quiet pause after I asked a patient a simple question:
“What worries you most about being here today?”
They didn’t answer right away.
They looked down, swallowed hard, and finally said,
“When I was a kid, I had a dentist who didn’t listen.”
That moment has stayed with me for years, because it reminded me that what we fix in dentistry isn’t always teeth… it’s trust.
Listening as Treatment
Early in my career, I believed success meant having all the answers: being quick, decisive, and technically flawless.
But the longer I’ve practiced, the more I’ve realized that listening is the most underrated clinical skill we have.
When we listen - really listen - we uncover what’s behind the fear, hesitation, or frustration.
A patient’s anxiety often traces back to a childhood experience.
A team member’s tension might come from something happening outside the office.
When we take time to hear those stories, treatment changes, outcomes improve, and relationships deepen.
Listening isn’t passive. It’s an active part of healing
It shapes the way we diagnose, educate, and lead.
Leadership Beyond the Chair
That same lesson applies to leadership.
For years, I equated leadership with confidence - the ability to answer every question and carry the weight of certainty.
Now I know better.
Leadership isn’t about talking louder.
It’s about creating enough quiet for other people’s ideas to surface.
When we stop filling every silence with solutions, we start hearing the truth - from our teams, our patients, and ourselves.
The best leaders I’ve met in dentistry are not the ones with the biggest voices.
They’re the ones who listen with intent, humility, and curiosity.
That’s how culture is built - not through speeches, but through conversations.
Why It Still Matters
Dentistry continues to evolve at a rapid pace - AI tools, data analytics, automation.
But no matter how advanced we become, human connection remains our foundation.
Our profession thrives when we slow down enough to ask better questions and to hear the answers that aren’t always spoken out loud.
The most important lesson dentistry has given me is simple:
Listen more than you speak.
When we do, we don’t just treat disease - we treat fear.
We restore trust, not just smiles.
And that, to me, is where the real work begins.
About the Author
Dr. Kartik Antani, DDS, MBA is a practicing dentist, entrepreneur, and dental group leader passionate about authentic leadership and innovation in dentistry. With experience in building and scaling multi-location practices, Dr. Antani focuses on bridging clinical excellence with the business of dentistry. His insights center on helping dentists lead with humility, embrace technology thoughtfully, and prioritize human connection in every aspect of care.