Dentistry: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Preparing for a dentistry career

If you want to become a dentist, it is imperative that you build a firm foundation in the sciences, math, and social skills. Plan your pre-university schooling with an aim of building a broader set of skills. After that, choose a major that not only challenges but also interests you.

In addition to a strong foundation in sciences, a good dentist also needs to have excellent communication skills, problem-solving, as well as analytical skills. To develop your intellectual skills, you may need to do advanced coursework in the social sciences and humanities.

Students who chose to major in the hard sciences need to consider undertaking humanities or a social science; this will enhance their communication and analytical skills. However, for students that major in non-science fields, completing a few extra courses in chemistry or biology can come in handy as they prepare to enter dental school. Also, pre-dental students should aim at developing greater manual dexterity skills as these are very important in dentistry practice.

In the past few years, there has been a sharp rise in people who want to go into the dental care field. This has increased the competition for admission into a dental school and, consequently, raised admission standards. Therefore, it is important that you possess high achievements in class as well as extracurricular activities to improve your chances of being admitted into a dental school.

Career options

The dentistry field has many types of career and job options at various educational and professional levels. Professionals at all these levels work together in providing dental health maintenance services and oral care, which range from simple cleaning to more advanced procedures and surgeries. The following briefly describes some career options in dentistry.

Dentist

This is normally called Doctor in Dental Surgery (DDS) and is a general dentist who is similar to a primary care doctor in the medical field. As a general dentist, you will be tasked with providing cleanings as well as general dental health care. Duties here include fluoride treatments, teeth cleaning, root canal and cavity fillings.

Dental hygienist 

This type of a dental professional is allowed to perform basic dental care but must be under a licensed dentist’s supervision.

Orthodontic therapist 

This type of dental professional specialises in teeth positioning and jaw alignment. They often use various methods and tools such as braces and retainers to straighten and realign crooked or misaligned teeth.

Primarily, orthodontic therapists treat younger patients, particularly still-growing children, whose teeth are easier to remove and align. However, patients of all ages may consult an orthodontic therapist.

Maxillofacial prosthetist

These professionals work in cancer, burns, oral surgery and ophthalmic units in hospitals. They help to reconstruct the faces of patients after a deadly disease or an accident. The work of maxillofacial prosthetists involves meeting patients to explain to them what facial reconstruction entails and how long it is likely to take. Part of the job involves taking the impressions of the face (or a face mask).

Dental therapist

Dental therapists, also known as oral health practitioners, play a critical role in promoting dental health. They treat both children and adults.