12 Reasons to Pursue a Career in Dentistry

Dentists can use their artistic and scientific abilities to assist patients with their dental health care, including examinations and operations. There are several benefits to being a dentist, including career security and a high wage. You can decide if a career in dentistry is suited for you by understanding its advantages. In this post, we define a dentist, list 12 reasons to become one, and provide advice on how to do so.

What is a dentist?

A dentist is a trained professional who cares for the teeth and mouth and promotes good oral hygiene. Dentists use different technologies like X-ray machines, lasers and drills to examine and diagnose the mouth, teeth and gums. While performing dental procedures, they wear protective gloves, masks and safety glasses to minimize the spread of bacteria. Some of the primary duties of a dentist may include:

• Repairing or removing damaged teeth
• Filling in cavities
• Teaching their patients about oral care
• Removing buildup from teeth
• Placing sealants on teeth
• Assessing jawbones and teeth bite alignment
• Administering anesthesia for dental procedures

12 reasons to become a dentist

Here are 12 reasons you might decide to become a dentist:

1. Transform patients' lives

As a dentist, you can help transform patients' lives by relieving tooth pain. By pulling a painful tooth or placing a crown on a tooth, you can restore function to a patient's teeth. You may also watch a patient become more confident in their smile over time by filling in cavities, whitening their teeth or placing braces on their teeth. You may also improve their speech or ability to eat by administering proper dental care, which can be gratifying.

2. Earn a high salary

Working as a dentist may allow you to earn a high salary. The national average salary for a dentist is $225,817 per year. Depending on your state, city, education or area of specialty, your salary as a dentist may vary.

3. Choose from multiple career options

Once you've completed dental school, you can become a general dentist. You can also choose to pursue a more specific aspect of dentistry. Some areas of specialties you may choose from include orthodontists, periodontists and endodontists. You may also pursue a career working as a public dental health specialist to promote dental care and health.

4. Enjoy a flexible lifestyle

As a dentist, you may enjoy a balanced personal and work life. Depending on if you own a practice or if you work in a certain specialty area, you may choose your work schedule. For instance, you can choose to work full time or you can decide to work three days out of the workweek.

5. Maintain job stability

Since many people have an increasing desire to take better care of their oral health, there's some job stability in this field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the job outlook for dentists to grow by 8% through 2030, which is the same as the average growth rate for all other occupations. Having a dental job with stability may reduce your stress when working.

6. Pursue self-employment

When you've completed dental school, you may choose to pursue self-employment and open your practice. Owning your own practice can be a great investment opportunity for you that gives you full control of a business. In your practice, you can set the prices, decide what days you want to be open and be your own manager. You can also find and hire staff; purchase equipment and create the work atmosphere you desire.

7. Contribute to the future of oral health care

As a dentist, you can contribute to oral health care research to improve technologies, processes or cures. Attending dental conventions allows you time to travel, network with others in the field, learn from others' research, and present your own work. You can do this as a general dentist or work specifically as a dental educator. A dental educator is someone who teaches and shapes the curriculum in dental school. You may also become a dental researcher to study oral care phenomenons and share your finding with the dental community and the public.

8. Use creative and scientific skills

Becoming a dentist can allow you to use your creativity skills and knowledge of math and science to solve challenges and help make patients happy. For example, if a patient has a chipped tooth, you may resolve this issue using permanent adhesive. Since dentistry also involves the aesthetics of teeth, you may use creativity to straighten or whiten patients' teeth using natural remedies or options such as veneers.

9. Work in a team

Dentists often work closely with their teams, including their dental assistants, technicians or medical student interns. Working with a communicative team offers opportunities for all members to learn new things, and you can use this knowledge during your dental career. Having an efficient team might also increase the chances of a dental practice having an excellent reputation and positive financial gains.

10. Educate patients on oral care

Part of being a dentist includes educating patients on how they can take care of their teeth at home. Dentists may also provide patients with information on oral surgeries or recommend other dentists if their patients require a type of specialist or are seeking a new dentist. Dentists can provide patients with pamphlets and written directions or call them to follow up if needed.

11. Work in a respectable profession

Many people view dentistry as a prestigious and respectable profession because dentists continually work to improve the lives of their patients. Often, dentists host charitable events that benefit their local community. On a more national level, colleagues of dentists may respect each other if they've discovered a treatment breakthrough or the cause of a certain type of oral health illness.

12. Meet many people

As a dentist, you can meet many people throughout your day because you typically work with a team, other staff members and several patients. In addition, if you attend dentistry conventions or conferences, you can also meet fellow dentists. This can allow you to network and build your professional relationships, which is beneficial if you're looking for new opportunities in your career.

Tips for becoming a dentist

Here are some tips you can follow to help you become a dentist:

• Enroll in math and science classes early. In high school and college, take multiple courses in math and science, such as algebra, calculus, biology and physics. Enrolling in these classes early may help you develop your knowledge sooner, which might improve your chances of success in dental school.
• Ask local dentists questions. Your local dentist can be a reliable source of information for learning about dentistry and how to become a dentist. Consider calling or emailing them to ask if they have time to answer some questions you have regarding this career.
• Shadow a dentist. Spending a day with a dentist and observing their daily routine can help you determine if you'd like to pursue this career. To find a dentist to shadow, ask your school if they have a job shadowing program or ask a local dentist if they'd be willing to let you shadow them for a day.
• Join a professional dental organization. Joining an organization like the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) can provide networking and learning experiences within the field. These organizations may also offer scholarships, tips and health and wellness resources to dental students.
• Get involved in your community. While you're in dental school, consider looking for volunteer opportunities for dental students in places like dental and health clinics. You can also join clubs available at your campus for dental and health care students to make connections with others.

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