What It Means To Be A Woman In Orthodontics
Dr. Moran and her son in the Foundations Orthodontics office.
What It Means To Be A Woman In Orthodontics
Orthodontics, like many careers in the healthcare world, has historically been a male-dominated field. And just like any other male-driven business, women have faced countless challenges when carving out their place in the industry. Dr. Renee Moran is one of those women who has overcome obstacles to establish herself as a leader in orthodontics.
In this post, Dr. Moran talks about her experience leading Foundations Orthodontics, running her own orthodontic offices in Denver, Granby, and Winter Park, what it’s like to be a woman in the traditionally male-driven orthodontic industry, and how she finds work/life balance between business ownership and being a mom.
How did you get your start in orthodontics?
I started my dental career in the Air Force where I attended an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) Residency at the Air Force Academy. It was there that my interest in occlusion, or the way the teeth fit and function, took hold. I worked closely with a prosthodontist during my studies, but their specialty focuses on full mouth rehabilitation using crowns and other prosthetic appliances. I, however, wanted to help fix people’s bites before their own teeth were worn down and/or broken. From then on, I knew I wanted to go back to school to study orthodontics so I could help build my patients a perfect bite with their own teeth.
Dr. Andrew Giradot and Dr. Renee Moran at the AAO Winter Conference
When did you decide to start your own practice and why?
Owning my own practice was never a specific goal of mine, but the stars aligned when one of my close mentors during my orthodontic residency was looking to retire in a few years. His focus was also on the health of the chewing system, so he took me under his wing and provided the additional training needed to center my focus. I worked with and learned from him for about a year before taking over his practice once he was ready to retire.
What challenges did you face as a woman taking over a formerly male-owned business?
The transition of taking over the practice was smooth but definitely not seamless. Not only did I have to deal with gender differences, but there was also a large age discrepancy. I had met most of the active patients before I took over so fortunately there weren’t many contests here. My hardest challenge has been with existing referral doctors.
Most of my predecessor’s referrals were also older men. I knew being a female would be hard for some, but I actually found that the generation gap was harder to overcome than the gender difference. I’ve found that younger men are more accustomed to working with female counterparts and, for the most part, are more than willing to do so. In my predecessor’s generation, in contrast, there just weren’t any women dentists so it’s harder for them to feel comfortable with that relationship.
I think there will always be a form of nepotism for your own gender and that goes both ways. I enjoy working with both men and women and feel we learn more from the diversity of thought, but I will admit that it is often easier to connect to like-minded women as we have more in common.
Dr. Moran’s three sons on the counter of the Foundations Orthodontics office.
What is it like to be a mom and a business owner? How do you juggle your work and family life?
Juggling a proper work/life balance is difficult for everyone. There are months that I am required to put more time into the practice, and I feel that my duties as a mom and wife are lacking, and I carry guilt. But then there are months that I intentionally carve out more family time to make up for my absence. Due to the nature of this business, I have a hard time taking extended time off work, so we like to plan long weekend getaways for a refresh. That flexibility is one of the benefits of being a business owner.
My kids spend a lot of time with me in the office (on snow days, in-service days, or sometimes on the weekends just to help out). I feel it is important for them to see what I do at work so they better understand why I can’t always be there for them. As they get older, I enjoy teaching them age-appropriate concepts to help them better understand the inner workings of running a business. And maybe someday one of them will want to pursue a career in orthodontics and work by my side!
Dr. Moran’s son entering the Foundations Orthodontics office as it was renovated.
Do you think it's harder for women to carve out their place in the orthodontics industry? Why or why not?
Yes and no. Dentistry has traditionally been a male dominated field, so most of the older generation of dentists are all male and refer to other men. But times are changing and now most dental schools are graduating at least 50 percent females, if not more. I know some people prefer male dentists or orthodontists because that is what they are accustomed to and comfortable with. But I also know that many people prefer female dentists, as I have been told we are typically more “gentle, caring and have smaller hands” (which I think is funny because I actually have pretty big hands). Where I do see an advantage as a woman in orthodontics is that moms are usually the ones that bring in their kids for appointments and, being a mom in the thick of it myself, I can more easily empathize with them about their situations.
Want to find out how Dr. Renee Moran can help you achieve your smile goals? Contact Foundations Orthodontics today to book a complimentary consultation.