The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) recently released the September 2026 issue of AGD Impact, featuring the cover story, “From Chasing to Chosen: Freedom from a Demanding Life,” written by AGD member and spokesperson Maggie Augustyn, DDS, FAGD.
In the deeply personal essay, Augustyn examines the pressures that can accompany a career in dentistry and challenges readers to reconsider how they define professional and personal success. She explores the demands dentists face as both health care providers and business professionals, as well as the expectations, competition and constant pursuit of achievement that can leave clinicians feeling disconnected from themselves, their families, colleagues and patients.
Augustyn draws from her own experiences to describe a professional journey fueled by a desire for visibility, achievement and approval. Despite building a successful career as a dentist, author and speaker, she came to recognize that continually pursuing the next accomplishment was jeopardizing some of the things she valued most.
“In winning, I almost lost myself,” Augustyn writes.
The article chronicles Augustyn’s decision to begin letting go of external validation and redefine what success meant for her. Rather than continuing to chase accolades, visibility and professional opportunities, she describes intentionally choosing greater simplicity, presence, connection and self-acceptance.
Her message extends beyond her personal experience to dentists who may find themselves navigating similar pressures. Augustyn encourages clinicians to examine the “anchors” keeping them tied to expectations that may no longer serve them and to consider whether the lives they are building reflect what they truly value.
“Life is full of challenges,” Augustyn writes, but those challenges can also create opportunities for self-evolution. Ultimately, she argues that freedom can come from moving away from the pursuit of perfection and approval and toward a life grounded in joy, connection, presence and personal values.
Augustyn is a practicing general dentist, owner of Happy Tooth in Elmhurst Illinois, author, inspirational speaker and AGD Impact wellness columnist. She also serves as an AGD spokesperson.
The September 2026 issue of AGD Impact is available at agd.org.
