Building Stronger Dental Teams Starts With Hiring Differently

Why the best dental hires are not always the most obvious ones?

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned throughout my years in dentistry is this: the best hire is not always the one with the longest resume, and the most experienced person is not always the one who will make the greatest impact.

In dental practices, hiring decisions are often shaped by easily measurable factors: years of experience, technical knowledge, previous roles, and familiarity with systems. These things matter, of course. Practices need capable people who can contribute effectively. But experience alone does not tell the whole story.

I have come to believe that some of the most important qualities in a great team member are much harder to capture on paper. Attitude. Integrity. Warmth. Humility. A willingness to learn. A natural ability to make others feel comfortable and cared for.

I remember early in my career working with a dentist who hired the young woman who made her a sandwich every day at a local café. Obviously, she had no dental experience, yet she was chosen because the dentist was so impressed by the way she served people. She was friendly, attentive, consistent, and genuinely welcoming. She had the kind of customer service presence that made a lasting impression.

What that dentist understood was something many leaders eventually learn: technical skills can often be taught, but a strong service mindset and a caring attitude are much harder to develop in someone who does not naturally possess them.

That story stayed with me because it challenged the assumption that the best candidates always come from traditional backgrounds. Sometimes they do not. Sometimes the person with the least direct experience turns out to be the one with the greatest potential because they bring the right attitude, energy, and heart.

But I also learned early on that experience alone is never enough.

At one of the first dental practices where I worked in my early twenties, a team member left the office, and it was later discovered that she had been stealing. It was shocking, disappointing, and eye-opening. At that stage in my life and career, it was one of those moments that changed how I thought about hiring and trust. I couldn’t believe someone could take advantage of their employer like that. I could not understand why she did it. It just didn’t make sense. She was so nice!

What made it even more surprising was seeing her again about twenty years later, working in another dental practice. I remember feeling caught off guard. And in that moment, I found myself hoping she had changed and grown. Still, the experience reminded me of something I have never forgotten: people are not always who they appear to be on the surface, and experience does not automatically equal integrity.

That is why hiring well requires us to look beyond resumes and beyond first impressions.

A strong candidate is not just someone who knows the job. A strong candidate is someone who demonstrates trustworthiness, respect, emotional maturity, and a willingness to be part of something bigger than themselves. They are coachable. They communicate well. They take ownership. They contribute to the culture, not just the workload.

This is especially important in dentistry, where team dynamics affect everything from retention to morale to the patient experience. A practice can train systems. It can teach processes. It can build technical ability. But it is much harder to teach character.

As leaders, owners, and managers work to build stronger teams, it is worth asking deeper questions during the hiring process. Not only “Can this person do the job?” but also “Can this person be trusted?” “How do they treat others?” “Are they teachable?” “Will they strengthen the culture of this practice?”

Building a great team is not just about filling an open role. It is about creating an environment where the right people can thrive.

And often, the right people are the ones who bring more than experience. They bring heart.


With Courage and Encouragement,
Monica Watson