Life through a different lens

The principle of mentoring is well established in education, skills and personal development in most business environments. Many forms of professional education lack a mentoring component or offer it only in a somewhat random and ill-defined format. Many postgraduate training courses consist of a formal, time-limited teaching episode, with no ongoing component thereafter. In other training programmes, a mentoring phase is firmly embedded as part of formal, supervised training. Within the dental profession, it is acknowledged as a hugely invaluable stage in the learning process, encouraging team members in their individual paths towards learning and mastering new skills. Indeed, there are many aspects of dentistry for which mentoring is particularly suitable. Mentoring should not be confused with coaching, although both do allow the assisted individual to discover new ways to develop their skills by encouraging, supporting and inspiring them in a more holistic way.