FEAR: The Silent Force Holding You Back
by Dr. Thomas Detert — Certified High Performance Coach
In dentistry, we’re trained to manage risk.
We’re taught to minimize error, follow protocols, and aim for clinical excellence—because the stakes are real and the consequences matter.
But there’s another force shaping our decisions every day—one that never shows up on an X-ray, never appears in a treatment plan, and yet quietly influences how we practice, lead, and live.
That force is fear.
And it’s far more pervasive than most of us are willing to admit.
Fear Isn’t a Personal Weakness — It’s a Cultural Pattern
From the moment we enter dental school, we’re conditioned toward caution. Precision. Control. Doing things “the right way.”
That mindset serves us clinically—but over time, it can bleed into the rest of our lives.
Not just clinical risk avoidance…
but personal and professional risk avoidance.
Fear shows up as quiet, reasonable-sounding questions:
What if I try something new and fail?
What will my colleagues think if I change direction?
Am I actually cut out for leadership—or ownership—or something more?
These aren’t signs of incompetence.
They’re signs of a profession that rarely teaches us how to work with uncertainty.
And fear doesn’t discriminate.
It affects new associates and seasoned practice owners alike.
It keeps some from expanding their practices.
It keeps others from investing in themselves.
It convinces many to tolerate burnout under the banner of “being responsible.”
How Fear Shrinks Potential — Quietly
One of the biggest myths in high-performing professions is this:
“Once I feel more confident, then I’ll act.”
But confidence doesn’t come first.
Action does.
Fear doesn’t disappear when you wait.
It tightens its grip.
Growth begins when you stop asking fear for permission.
When you:
Have the uncomfortable conversation
Set boundaries that protect your energy
Step into leadership before you feel “ready”
Invest in support instead of white-knuckling it alone
That’s when momentum starts to build—not just in your practice, but in how you experience your life.
Fear Isn’t the Enemy — Avoidance Is
Here’s the shift most professionals never make:
Fear isn’t something to eliminate.
It’s something to understand.
Fear often points to growth, meaning, and identity-level change. The problem isn’t fear itself—it’s letting it run your decision-making behind the scenes.
Left unchecked, fear:
Keeps you overworking instead of evolving
Confuses safety with stagnation
Turns capable leaders into reactive managers
Erodes fulfillment while everything still “looks fine”
How I Help Dental Professionals Work With Fear
As a high-performance coach working with dental professionals, I don’t promise to remove fear from your life.
That would be dishonest.
What I do help you do is change your relationship with it.
Together, we uncover:
The patterns that keep you playing small
The stories you’ve inherited about responsibility, success, and sacrifice
The habits that drain your energy instead of directing it
And we replace them with clarity, alignment, and intentional action.
This isn’t about reckless change.
It’s about conscious growth.
Leading your practice—and your life—from clarity rather than caution.
Reconnecting with the purpose that brought you into dentistry in the first place.
Building success that actually feels sustainable.
You’re Not Stuck — You’re on the Edge
If fear has been quietly shaping your decisions…
If you feel pressure you can’t quite name…
If part of you knows there’s more available than the version of life you’re currently living…
You’re not broken.
You’re not weak.
And you’re certainly not alone.
You’re standing at the edge of something meaningful.
A Gentle Next Step
You don’t have to make a dramatic leap to move forward.
Sometimes the most powerful shift begins with a single, honest conversation.
If you’re curious about what working with fear—rather than being driven by it—could look like in your life or practice, I invite you to explore that with me.
No pressure.
No fixing.
Just clarity, perspective, and a space to think differently.
Because fear doesn’t mean stop.
It often means pay attention.
And when you learn how to do that, everything changes.
