RCT Struggles, Stress, and Success: A Recap of My Live Q&A with Dental Nachos

Not too long ago, I had the privilege of sitting down with Dr. Paul Goodman (a.k.a. Dr. Nacho) of Dental Nachos for an online Q&A session. We touched on a variety of topics, including work-life balance, dental technology, case selection, and more.

Our conversation ended up producing a whole range of helpful tips and recommendations related to endodontics, so I wanted to compile them and share them with you here. No matter where you are on your journey, I'm confident you'll pick up something useful!

1. Don't overthink it. Efficiency is key in endodontics. Far too often, I see dentists trying to overcomplicate endodontic treatments by taking too much time on a single step. I call this “making love to the tooth,” LOL! Dental school is partial to blame—we're taught to nitpick the smallest details, as if crossing all your t's and dotting all your i's is the only way to guarantee a successful outcome.

In reality, sometimes you have to move on to the next step in order to finish the first one. If you want to do endo procedures smoothly and efficiently, the best thing you can do is keep things simple and follow a systematic approach.?

1. Balance is possible. So many dentists feel overworked and overwhelmed to the point that finding work-life balance seems completely unattainable. But you can achieve harmony between your personal and professional lives—I know, because I've done it!?

Over the course of my career, I've transitioned from working five days a week to just five days a month without compromising my productivity, and you can too—especially if you invest in your endo training. The more confident you are, the easier endodontic procedures become, which translates to reduced chair time, fewer mid-treatment referrals, and more time for you to devote to your personal goals.

1. Choose your cases wisely. When it comes to picking cases, it's vital you take on only as much as you can handle. Sure, tackling that MB2 would be an awesome achievement, but at what cost? Assess your comfort level honestly and choose cases accordingly to avoid unnecessary stress and complications that can damage your confidence.?

At the end of the day, being a badass at endo isn't about taking on the hardest cases—it's about achieving great outcomes while still protecting your energy and preserving your passion.

1. The cone beam is your friend. If you want to save chair time and choose cases that are right for you, then make the cone beam your right-hand man. CBCT is key to helping you with your risk assessment because it aids you in understanding canal anatomy. And when you understand what's going on inside the tooth, you can better decide which root canals to punt, which to take on, and how to treat your patient.
2. Get to know your specialists. Making connections with endodontists and other dental specialists will help you facilitate patient care, whether you decide to do your own endo or not. Because when you already know your specialists, you can communicate with them more easily when it comes time to make a referral.?

Personally, I love getting to know dentists and making an effort to create real friendships with them. There are 15 million root canals done every year, and if we endodontists tried to do it alone, we'd have to do 20 root canals a day each. Which is (let me get out my calculator here)... IMPOSSIBLE! So it's in all our best interests to build relationships with each other, because when we can all work together, everybody wins!

1. Invest in yourself. You owe it to yourself and to your patients to invest in continuous learning and professional growth. When you enhance your training, you not only produce better outcomes for your patients, but you also increase your confidence, reduce stress, and increase revenue to your practice. It's truly a win-win!

With E-School, my online CE course for dentists, you can master endodontics and build a thriving practice full of loyal, happy patients for years to come.

If you're itching for more and would like to see a recording of the full webinar, you can find it here.