You’ve just had a conversation with a dental colleague who has opened your eyes—literally and figuratively—to airway issues, and now you want to get on board.

Maybe you have a child struggling with airway problems, and you know there’s an issue that needs solving. Maybe you’ve noticed a colleague or friend who has embraced airway dentistry and seems excited about their career again—while you’re feeling burned out.

But despite your motivation, obstacles stand in your way:

• You’re buried in debt, working in a corporate practice with little control over your own continuing education.
• You’re in a practice run by a parent, aunt, or uncle, and they’re perfectly content with the status quo.
• Your 20-year partner is firmly planted in quicksand—they hate dentistry, resist change, and want nothing to do with evolving the practice.

Is all hope lost?

Only if you allow it to be.

I’ve seen all of these challenges hold back students (or would-be students) in my mentorships. But the first step is having a real conversation with yourself.

• List the pros and cons of changing.
• List the pros and cons of not changing.
• Decide how miserable and unrewarding you’re willing to let your life be.

If you’re motivated enough to succeed, solutions exist:

• Find a mentor to help you start your own practice, where you call the shots.
• Consider a “professional divorce” from your family-run practice and carve your own path.
• Buy out your partner and help them transition into a career they might actually enjoy.

Everybody wins.

When your motivation is rooted in the joy of helping children live healthier lives, you’ll find a way.

It’s been done before. Why not you?