Why do you want to do dentistry?
- Personal experience, impact on confidence and quality of life.
- Led to more interest, TRYING TO BETTER MY OWN ORAL HEALTH
- found it affects more than than mouth, but whole body, physically and mentally
- This is what I find exciting
- rewarding nature, not just treating teeth but also improving patients well being
- I enjoy helping people, do a lot of charity when I can, so I volunteer at a blind centre where I help the elderly in and out of the centre and sit and talk with them,
- small part of my week, but they look forward to seeing and they like being able to talk to someone and most don’t have the opportunity to talk to young people.
- Chance to build rapport with patients, similar to blind centre, it is very fulfilling.
- Lifelong learning
- Always evolving with new technologies and techniques
- Recently, read about FDA approving dental robot for bone reduction in dental implant surgery
- Will always be growing and being challenged
What are the pros and cons of dentistry?
- Rewarding, helping people with their pain, or their appearance and self-esteem. Essential healthcare that will improve overall health
- Rapport, get to know patients and in cases get to watch them grow up, very fulfilling
- Lifelong learning
- Always evolving with new technologies and techniques
- Recently, read about FDA approving dental robot for bone reduction in dental implant surgery
- Will always be growing and being challenged
work life balance,
- Physically demanding, may spend long hours standing or leaning, can lead to back pain
- Stress and burnout, lots of things that can contribute to stress and potential burnout, constantly with patients and anxieties, and performing procedures need a lot of precision.
- Lots of responsibility, patients trust in you and their outcome is in your hands.
What do you want to specialise in?
- Open minded, dental school will expose to a variety of specialties and interests may evolve
- paediatric dentistry, personal experience means I understand the anxiety and difficulties children face
- compassionate perspective.
- Unique ability to communicate, developed in volunteering, must utilise your ability to interact with patience and empathy.
- Focus on preventative care sets the ground work to establish good oral health habits from a young age to adulthood.
Describe some health professionals that work alongside dentists, and explain what they do.
Dental hygienist:
Preventative treatments like removing plaque and tartar, scaling etc.
Educate patients.
Dental nurses:
assist with various tasks such as preparing the dental instruments and materials needed for treatments
providing chairside assistance during procedures.
may also take on administrative roles within the practice, such as scheduling appointments, maintaining patient records, and managing stock levels of dental supplies.
Technicians:
craft dental prostheses such as crowns, bridges, dentures, and orthodontic appliances based on moulds and specifications provided by the dentist.
detailed understanding of materials and anatomy to create functional and aesthetically pleasing dental appliances.
various tools and technologies, from manual crafting techniques to advanced CAD/CAM systems.
Why do you want to be a dentist rather than a nurse?
Respect for nursing, essential
Dentistry more hands on, technical challenges.
Get to find the problem diagnose it and then treat it.
What are the key qualities a good dentist should have?
Strong Interpersonal Skills- ability to communicate effectively, empathetically, understanding needs of patients, anxious or have special requirements.
Blind centre, help in out sit talk.
assisted living scheme really developed my skills,
people coming in voluntarily, more talkative.
Assisted some more shy and harder to get out of their shell, had to organise games to get them more involved.
What are some of the challenges of being a dentist?
Dentists, responsibility
patients great deal of trust
rely on their expertise for procedures that can have a significant impact on health or cosmetic outcomes
requires a lot of technical skill but also a lot of emotional intelligence
patient comfort and confidence
Can lead to a lot of stress, can grow into burnout
can be avoided by doing things you enjoy
personally, a lot of sports, also painting, martial arts every other day and then a big football match with friends every other week.
in between other sports like tennis, squash or maybe hike.
lets you blow off steam and switch off from work.
Do you read any dental publications?
try to stay up to date
BDJ
How would you dissuade someone from going into dentistry?
- highly skilled and rewarding profession, but it’s not for everyone
- for instance involves life long learning,
- GDC requiring CPD of 100 hours every 5 years and ongoing studies to keep up to date with new tech and techniques
- physically demanding, may spend long hours standing or leaning, can lead to back pain
- Dentists, responsibility
- patients great deal of trust
- rely on their expertise for procedures that can have a significant impact on health or cosmetic outcomes
- requires a lot of technical skill but also a lot of emotional intelligence
- patient comfort and confidence
- Can lead to a lot of stress, can grow into burnout
