Dentistry was supposed to be your dream.
The career with purpose, prestige, flexibility, and a healthy paycheck.

But somewhere between the endless charts, insurance headaches, patient anxiety, staff issues, and the looming weight of $500,000 in student loan debt…
The dream started to feel more like a trap.

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “I hate this. But I can’t afford to quit,” you’re not alone. Thousands of dentists quietly suffer through their careers—burned out, bored, or just plain miserable.

But here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Some dentists are discovering creative, life-giving ways to rekindle the spark and make dentistry feel less like a job—and more like a hobby they actually love.

Let’s dive into what they’re doing, and how you can bring some joy back into your operatory.

1. Injecting Fun Into the Workday

Yes, dentistry is serious business—but that doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, play, or get weird (in the best way possible).

Here’s what fun-focused docs are doing:

• Theme Days – Pajama day, 80s music Friday, Disney scrubs—patients love it, and your team will too.

• “Song of the Day” Battles – Each team member gets to pick one hype song for the day. Patients vote on the winner.

• Chair-Side Surprise Boxes – One doc keeps a drawer of fun dollar-store prizes for patients who hit milestones or just need a little joy.

Why it works: When your office has energy, creativity, and laughter—it doesn’t just help patients. It helps you. Fun becomes contagious.

2. Rewriting the Rules on How You Practice

Some of the happiest dentists are the ones who’ve given themselves permission to break out of the traditional mold.

Try this:

• Work 3 or 3.5 days a week instead of 5. Your body (and your brain) will thank you.

• Stop doing the procedures that drain your soul. If endo makes you rage—refer it.

• See fewer patients, do more comprehensive care, and create longer, less chaotic appointments.

One doctor shared:

“I stopped chasing production numbers and just started treating people like I’d want to be treated. The money still came in—but I stopped hating my life.”

3. Find Your "Dentistry Adjacent" Passion

Sometimes it’s not about changing what you do, but changing how you engage with the profession.

Here are some ideas from dentists who fell back in love with the field by diversifying:

• Start a podcast about dental myths, mental health, or patient stories

• Create a fun Instagram or TikTok channel around dentistry

• Write a blog or book about your experiences

• Become a mentor, coach, or CE speaker

• Do mission trips or mobile dental outreach

Sometimes, when you zoom out from the drill, you remember why you got into this in the first place.

4. Turn Your Team Into Your Tribe

Burnout often isn’t about the patients—it’s about the loneliness of leadership.

Fix that by investing in your culture:

• Do weekly coffee huddles that are about life, not just numbers

• Celebrate birthdays, wins, and random Wednesdays

• Take your team on retreats (even just a spa day or escape room)

• Create a culture of appreciation, not perfection

When you love your people, dentistry becomes lighter. And when your team has your back, the stress doesn’t hit the same.

5. Redesign Your Space to Spark Joy

Sounds silly—but it works.

You spend 30+ hours a week in your office. Make it feel like your space:

• Hang up art that inspires you

• Add plants, light, music

• Display photos of happy patients, your family, or your dog wearing dental glasses

• Light a candle that smells like “peace” (if your lease allows it!)

This isn’t just aesthetics—it’s emotional oxygen.

6. Work With Partners Who Help You Win Again

Let’s be honest—nothing kills joy faster than working your tail off only to be told “your insurance didn’t cover that.”

Insurance drama is one of the biggest soul-sucking parts of modern dentistry.
And if you’re feeling trapped by low PPO reimbursements, feeling like you’re stuck in a system you can’t win...

That’s where the right partner makes all the difference.

Veritas Dental Resources is helping dentists across the country:

• Evaluate and renegotiate their PPO contracts

• Identify which plans are draining their profits

• Strategically drop insurance and go out-of-network—the right way

• Create more financial freedom so you can practice on your own terms

Because nothing reignites your passion like feeling in control again.

Final Thought: You Don’t Hate Dentistry—You Hate What Dentistry Has Become

But it’s not too late.

Dentistry can still be a life-giving, creativity-filled, joyful profession—if you strip away the parts that are crushing you and lean into the parts that light you up.

It’s time to stop surviving your career—and start enjoying it again.

Because dentistry shouldn’t feel like a sentence. It should feel like a calling you can actually love showing up for.

Benjamin Tuinei

Founder - Veritas Dental Resources, LLC
Phone: 888-808-4513

Services:
PPO Fee Negotiators | PPO Fee Negotiating | Insurance Fee Negotiating
Insurance Credentialing | Insurance Verifications

Websites:
www.VeritasDentalResources.com | www.VerusDental.com