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Are You Scared of Being Your Best? How to Face Your Fears and Grow Your Business by Evelyn Teague Samuel, DMD

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As dentists and entrepreneurs, we sometimes get in our own way when it comes to progress. What exactly is it that causes us to be paralyzed in our tracks?

Fear.

We'll deal with that topic later in this article. For now, do you ever stop and wonder why two dental practices can be within miles of each other with pretty much the same patient pool demographics, and one practice is doing exceptionally well while the other one is struggling to keep its doors open?

Or why a cosmetic office can be inundated with insurance-driven patients, trapped on the merry-go-round of seeing volume, while another office can provide bread-and-butter dentistry, but operate as fee-for-service, seeing one patient at a time with no roller skates required?

I cannot count the number of times I have listened to dentists who express disillusionment with our profession. During my 16 years of practice, I have interacted with dentists across the country, and taken a plethora of continuing education courses among and from the greats of our profession.

In the process, I have met many like-minded colleagues who share the common goals of exceptional clinical skills and patient care. I am sometimes amazed at the investment I have made in these "high-dollar" courses, and I am reminded that only a select few among the masses partake.

I am also reminded of the many colleagues who say that they wouldn't dare spend that much money on courses as they could just take local courses to satisfy CE requirements for the year. Many of these are the same colleagues who take only the minimum CEs required.

The parameters in the examples I mentioned are multifactorial: the dentists' leadership skills, the team or lack thereof, the office atmosphere, the skill level of the providers in the office, practice philosophy, patient care, and very importantly, the dentists' mindsets. And, we all know that each dental office is as different as the personalities of the dentists who own them. However, I would like to focus on what it is that keeps many dentists from striving toward being greater.

The way of fear
I have heard many dentists voice a desire for more. Sometimes these desires are financial. Sometimes a dentist wants more patients, or a sense of feeling fulfilled with our chosen profession, or simply more vacation time. So what holds us back? The answer is quite simple: fear.

Fear is real. As you read this article, consider your practice circumstances. Are you fulfilled with dentistry? Are you practicing the way you want to practice? Are you treating the patients you want to see? Or are you merely existing and working a job that appears to be a dead end?

Do you take the vacations you wish to take? Are you making a good income to support you and your family? Are you funding your retirement?

Do you spend time with your family and loved ones? Or are you working many hours and seeing many patients to pay astronomical debt from loans that you took out to join our profession? Are you stuck in a practice that doesn't share your passion or vision for dentistry?

If any of these questions resonate with you, ask yourself if you are paralyzed from fear. Fear is normal and healthy to an extent. It is a mechanism that helps keep us safe from bodily harm.

But what happens when we are dealing with irrational fear—fear that prevents us from pursuing our true passions, from being greater, and boxes us into conformity? Just think about it…how many people do you know in any given profession who express misery in their jobs, but continue to work them, year after year?

This leads me back to my earlier example of the cosmetic dentist who joins many insurance networks for fear that if he doesn't, patients will go to the dentist down the street for cheaper prices. On the other hand, his counterpart chooses to stick with his philosophy of offering better services and not participating in reducing fees with insurance companies.

The difference lies in their beliefs. One is operating from a sense of fear, while the second one is operating from a place of firm belief that if the practice offers its very best, the patients will come.

The insurance example is not to insinuate that offices accepting it are bad or operating in fear. There is a place and a need for insurance. However, many dentists bemoan that they are held at the mercy of several insurance companies that reduce reimbursement rates and thus affect their practices' bottom lines.

I believe that if we didn't sign up for these restrictive plans, they would not exist.

However, as I mentioned earlier, each practice is as unique as the personality of its individual owner. And there is no one right way to practice dentistry.

The problem of fear
Some people believe that fear is not a big deal, and in some cases that can be true if we master it and allow it to motivate us to change. But all too often, fear can become paralyzing and crippling. The problem is that fear is insidious—it can work its way into our emotions without our being aware of it. Sometimes we think we're just trying to "stay on top of things." Sometimes we're only aware of a rumbling discontent, a sense that things just aren't quite right, but we don't know why.

Fear robs us of our joy in life. It can prevent us from pursuing our ambitions. At its worst, fear can become physically destructive, leading to anxiety disorders and health complications. According to the Mayo Clinic, fear can lead to (or worsen) depression, substance abuse, insomnia, digestive problems and poor quality of life. At its most extreme, fear can lead to suicide.

Fear and anxiety have also been implicated in the progression of heart disease. Dr. Una McCann, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, believes that anxiety can both worsen a heart condition and interfere with recovery from a cardiac event. Anxiety is also linked with high blood pressure and rapid heart rate; left untreated, these conditions can have serious—and even fatal—repercussions.

Given the stress levels that most dentists cope with on a daily basis, none of us needs that extra burden of fear backpacking on top.

Some people have fear issues because of a traumatic event that has occurred in their lives, either as children or as adults. If this is you, please do not hesitate to seek counseling; this is not a weakness on your part, but a medical issue that needs healing, just like a broken leg or a root canal. A qualified counselor can help you work through and heal from trauma, so you can once again find joy in your life.

The way out
I would like each person reading this article to soul search and find what inspires you to be greater.

Greater could be taking that course that you always wanted to take. Greater could be leaving your dead-end position and starting the dental practice of your dreams. Greater could be transitioning to a fee-for-service practice, or renovating your present office. Greater could be changing your practice hours to spend more quality time with your family. Figure out what greater is to you. Then take a hard look at what is keeping you from pursuing it.

Sometimes, all it takes is starting with something small. Taking that first step will help you break through your fear and open up new vistas of possibility.

Write down your dreams and goals with a deadline date, as if they have already happened (e.g., "By 2018 I have accomplished…"). It has been shown over and over that a person is more likely to achieve his or her goals if they are written. Fear is healthy, but it can be destructive if allowed to control you and your life. Dentists, own your fear and do not let it own you. Do not get in your own way. You can accomplish and achieve anything that your mind can conceive!



Dr. Evelyn Teague Samuel practices general and cosmetic dentistry in Northern Virginia. She is also a dental practice efficiency coach, speaker, and the author of 100 Things I HATE/Love About Dentistry: A professional's guide to efficiency, profitability, and sanity! For practice management coaching or more information, visit Drevelynteaguesamuel.com.


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September 2025
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