Women Dental Practice Owners & Staff on Business Challenges & Solutions

Input Wanted — Women in Dentistry — Challenges for Practice Owners Hi all. I’m a reporter working on a piece about the challenges dentists face as business owners — with a focus on women who own practices. The feature is for a B2B magazine read by dentists and other dental professionals, so I want to make sure I capture the unique challenges that dentists face running a practice day-to-day on a deeper level — i.e. I don't want to just be regurgitating surface-level things they already know. Would also love to include meaningful solutions and tips for dealing with those challenges. For that, I need the help and insights of women in the field! A few Qs to get the conversation going: Dental school teaches clinical skills, not business management. Did your training prepare you in any way to lead a team or run a business? Most dental offices are small (under 50 staff), meaning there’s rarely much middle management. What challenges come with that? Do you feel like you’re handling HR, finance, and operations all at once? Working in a small, close team every day must have its own dynamics. How do you manage staff relationships, office politics, or conflicts? On the flip side, do you find your team feels like family? Do women face any unique challenges in leadership or ownership roles within dentistry? What keeps you up at night as a practice owner? What would make your work easier? What’s working — strategies, systems, or lessons learned that help you stay afloat? I’d also welcome input from hygienists, assistants, and office managers who’ve seen these dynamics up close. I’m especially interested in concrete examples, solutions, or lessons learned. THANK YOU!