Career of a dentist.

i'm a smiler

I know there are a few dentists on this forum and i'm just wondering are you satisfied with your day-to-day job?
Would you pick dentistry all over again?

I am an eager first year dentistry student and would love to hear some feedback!

res ipsa

Dentistry is a great career, I would definitely do it again. If you can develop good people skills, you will do very well.
A dentist is selling their house at the moment.
If I hadnt wasted my time& money doing specialist training, It could be me taking it over:p
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/property/2010/0128/1224263284382.html

i'm a smiler

res ipsa wrote: »

Dentistry is a great career, I would definitely do it again. If you can develop good people skills, you will do very well.
A dentist is selling their house at the moment.
If I hadnt wasted my time& money doing specialist training, It could be me taking it over:p
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/property/2010/0128/1224263284382.html

Haha:)

So would you not recommend doing specialist training?
And is an honours degree important at all in dentistry?

Thanks fo replying res ispa!

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Honors degrees are irrelevant, it being able to do the job that counts. You can know every word from a book but if your hands cant follow you will find it hard. Specialization is a discussion for another day, get the undergrad done then worry about more study.

ballsymchugh

i'd have to say to avoid vocational training too. throw yourself in at the deep end in the uk for a couple of years and figure out what you like. you'll learn way more that way. then figure out if you want to specialise. there's plenty of people that i've noticed (esp from dublin) that go straight into hospital jobs and go down the specialised track that way, without ever working full time in general.
as fitz said, the person who comes first in the class walks out with the exact same job as the person who comes last (but above the pass mark). the degree is of little relevance. if you have to do an interview for a job somewhere, they'll expect a chat more than you reeling off info you learned the few days before.

res ipsa

I wouldnt say getting an honours degree is a waste of time especially if you want to do ortho in the uk/ireland which 7 of my class of 39 have now done.
I would agree with BMH about VT, better to do a year in hospital or straight in the deep end.
Working in general practice can be quite an isolated existence.
Dont forget you can work in Oz or NZ, I didnt really know about that when I qualified, a much more dentist friendly system than the UK NHS.
I was being a litle facetious about specialist training, just make sure you do the math on the cost/benefits, and avoid the supercompetitive chat of all the Type A personalities in your class:cool:

georgieporgy

I'm a 1974 grad. I went straight to the UK for 3 years , as Balsymac says, it's a good experience in some ways, in at the deep end and all that, but I wouldn't recommend it now. I wish i'd gone to someplace like LA instead. I value the UK experience simply because it's the only experience I had. After my 3 yrs gulag I moved to north america and learned to be a proper dentist.

I don't know what the undergrad program in Ireland is like now but our american cousins are well qualified when they turn them loose. They have no difficulty finding the 4th canal in an upper 7 or undertaking a full mouth rehab prep in 1 visit.

I think the day of the specialist practice is over. It's a good idea to get a masters in some area you are interested in, but then open a general practice and build your own business. Tomorrow's new grads won't be sending you anything - they can do it all themselves.

Dentistry for a woman who wants to raise a family is a fine career choice. You can work part time all your life and have it all. Many dentists who work full time find it physically demanding and get fed up.

At the end of the day it's different strokes for different folks.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

georgieporgy wrote: »

I think the day of the specialist practice is over. It's a good idea to get a masters in some area you are interested in, but then open a general practice and build your own business. Tomorrow's new grads won't be sending you anything - they can do it all themselves.

Tomorrows grads wont be sending you anything - they THINK they can do it all themselves;). I have to say these thoughts have crossed my mind also.

ballsymchugh

Maliah Thousands Scotch wrote: »

Tomorrows grads wont be sending you anything - they THINK they can do it all themselves;). I have to say these thoughts have crossed my mind also.

it's far from a demonstrator i am, but when i had to show a new grad how to do a pin amalgam a couple of years ago then i knew times had changed. yep, they THINK they know everything alright.
georgie, what/where did you go in north america?? i've got a coin with prosthodontics on one side and masters in restorative on the other!!

the reason i recommend a stint in the uk is because compared to here, the variety of treatment available on the nhs is so vast. 8 months back in ireland and i've done one cantilever bridge. that's all the labwork i've interested anyone in. that from doing 1 or 2 crowns a day in the uk (and i did them right!!). i think if you want to do a masters, you won't find out what you really like in a general practice in ireland.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

So you have a coin with prosthodontics on both sides. Restorative is for wussies

ballsymchugh

Maliah Thousands Scotch wrote: »

So you have a coin

not any more. feckin budget!

Big_G

I've got a coin with prostho on one side or do nothing on the other. Prostho is tough.

georgieporgy

ballsymchugh wrote: »

it's far from a demonstrator i am, but when i had to show a new grad how to do a pin amalgam a couple of years ago then i knew times had changed. yep, they THINK they know everything alright.
georgie, what/where did you go in north america?? i've got a coin with prosthodontics on one side and masters in restorative on the other!!

the reason i recommend a stint in the uk is because compared to here, the variety of treatment available on the nhs is so vast. 8 months back in ireland and i've done one cantilever bridge. that's all the labwork i've interested anyone in. that from doing 1 or 2 crowns a day in the uk (and i did them right!!). i think if you want to do a masters, you won't find out what you really like in a general practice in ireland.

I spent 22 years in Canada. Continuing ed was compulsory from the beginning. I have mixed feelings about the NHS experience. It's true you are dropped in it and have an opportunity to tackle lots of stuff. But there is a lot of soul destroying beaurocracy (Fitz, help me with spelling please...).
Balsy, You have returned to Ireland at a particularly bad time.

I'm not knocking the idea of acquiring postgrad qualifications. In fact I encourage it after a couple years in general practice if one so desires. I am simply saying that one has to be brave to set up a limited practice and wait for colleagues to refer patients to you. Probably better to open a general practice and advertise your postgrad qualifications to the general public. That's the trend in the States, and I know at least one individual doing it in London.

Anthony16

georgieporgy wrote: »

I spent 22 years in Canada. Continuing ed was compulsory from the beginning. I have mixed feelings about the NHS experience. It's true you are dropped in it and have an opportunity to tackle lots of stuff. But there is a lot of soul destroying beaurocracy (Fitz, help me with spelling please...).
Balsy, You have returned to Ireland at a particularly bad time.

I'm not knocking the idea of acquiring postgrad qualifications. In fact I encourage it after a couple years in general practice if one so desires. I am simply saying that one has to be brave to set up a limited practice and wait for colleagues to refer patients to you. Probably better to open a general practice and advertise your postgrad qualifications to the general public. That's the trend in the States, and I know at least one individual doing it in London.

hey guys,
i was just wondering if ye ever met a dentist with a physical disability like benign essential tremor?its a condition iv diagnosed myself with.Basically its shaky hands wen under pressure(its ok at rest).
I have the points for dentistry but i never really considered doing it,due to this condition......im just hoping you guys can confirm if id be able for it,seein as ye are dents.
cheers:)

day dreamer

Hi Anthony

Everyone has a bit of a tremor in their hands if you look closely enough. I had a classmate in Dental School whose hands shook like a leaf but he is now working away in practice and no bother at all.

If it is a significant shake then get your GP to check it out, dont self diagnose a problem like that! As regards dentistry skills, you will develop these as you go and it wont affect you too much. It is a great job all things considered.

Hope this helps

day dreamer

i'm a smiler wrote: »

Haha:)

So would you not recommend doing specialist training?
And is an honours degree important at all in dentistry?

Thanks fo replying res ispa!

Hello there

I would highly recommend a career in dentistry. For now focus on your studies and enjoying your time in college. Dont worry about what happens after graduation as you will have plenty of time for that. The course is hard enough.

See what kind of work you like doing and I would recommend you work for 3-4 years in practice and maybe 1 year in a hospital or VT if you like. then decide to specialise if you want. You wont get a feel for what you like or dislike until you have tried thigs for a while. That is what I did and have no regrets and am doing fine in practice.


More and more dentists are doing courses in things they like but I feel many try to be a specialist in everything which of course they cannot be. There is plenty of work for specialists but at the moment newly qualified endo and prostho people are suffering. I would find it hard to believe a newly qualified graduate would do a 4 canal endo and full mouth rehab straight out of college but dont worry too much about that. your training here is as good as anywhere. This is related to the economy and wont last forever.

It is a great career and i wish you all the best

Anthony16

day dreamer wrote: »

Hi Anthony

Everyone has a bit of a tremor in their hands if you look closely enough. I had a classmate in Dental School whose hands shook like a leaf but he is now working away in practice and no bother at all.

If it is a significant shake then get your GP to check it out, dont self diagnose a problem like that! As regards dentistry skills, you will develop these as you go and it wont affect you too much. It is a great job all things considered.

Hope this helps

Thanks for that.
Yeah,im pretty shakey wen under stress.Do you mind me asking how your friend got on in his practical exams in college,like did he fail many because of this problem?
Ill definitely speak to my gp about it though.Might give beta blockers a try if needs be

day dreamer

Hi Anthony,

I dont remember him failing too many exams. Remember the skills you need as a dentist are not something that you or anyone else will possess. The point of studying dentistry is to teach and train you in the skills. Some people that are "good with their hands" will pick things up quicker but most just learn bit by git as you go along. Unless there is some neurological condition (i really hope there is not) you will be just fine!

lanyonwhites

tough career

blogger 3000

i'm a dent student and I was just wondering about maxillar facial surgery,
do any of ye know how long it takes after graduating? what kind of courses you do and where you might do them

digzy

learning how to spell it would be a help

ballsymchugh

digzy wrote: »

learning how to spell it would be a help

seriously though blogger, do one thing at a time. undergrads are great for talking about what they'll do in the future and surprise surprise they don't end up doing. to do it, you'll have to go back and do medicine, and from the 15 or so that i know that have gone back to do it, only one has stayed on to do max-fax.

georgieporgy

digzy wrote: »

learning how to spell it would be a help

you know that's not a requirement to be a specialist (in prostho anyway)

chui

I love being a dentist it is a really good balance between art, science and medicine with a good bit of psychology and a little marketing thrown in! Very flexible with hours/ places to work. Only do it if you like people though, some people on my course only interested cos Dad did it or for cash and they were sadly disappointed. Nothing better than getting people out of pain or giving someone a smile they can be proud of.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

georgieporgy wrote: »

you know that's not a requirement to be a specialist (in prostho anyway)

Are you guys picking on me again,

blogger 3000

chui wrote: »

I love being a dentist it is a really good balance between art, science and medicine with a good bit of psychology and a little marketing thrown in! Very flexible with hours/ places to work. Only do it if you like people though, some people on my course only interested cos Dad did it or for cash and they were sadly disappointed. Nothing better than getting people out of pain or giving someone a smile they can be proud of.

the people that did it for cash were sadly disappointed?
are u not happy with what your earning?

day dreamer

I would only do dentistry if you are a people person. It is a rewarding job but you would be foolish to do it for the money. Although every dentist is being affected by the recesion, most dentists will be able to ride out the recession better than other professions.

As has been said focus on your exams and enjoying college. Get a few years experience under your belt and then think about specialising if you want.

You would have to be very committed and almost masochisitc to do max-fac surgery bit if it you feel it is your calling then you wont mind the extra 12-15 years or so