Future in Dentistry
• dentistry • 3 minutes to read
Once you have decided to pick Dentistry, the next big question you face is – What would my future look like?
The answer to that is quite complicated.
Any branch of Science and Technology is forever evolving, the only constant being change itself. What you learn today is the foundation of the structure you build throughout your life. Funnily enough, the foundation remains the same, whether you started 10 years ago or 10 years from today.
At a fundamental level, although the concepts of Dentistry remain the same, technology has allowed us to advance to manic levels of creativity. From use of hand files to rotary, from dentures to implants, from alginate impressions to digital dentistry, life has become so much simpler yet increasingly complex.
Wikipedia lists out the various undergraduate and post-graduate dental degrees all around the world (which is quite overwhelming, so I won’t bore you with it), but the steps are common. You start off with basic Physics, Chemistry, Biology before joining an undergraduate level program (super simple, right! 😉).
Dentists by themselves are considered specialists (we cool 😎) because we focus mainly on the head and neck region. After completing an undergraduate degree, you can either choose to become a General Dentist or further complete a post-graduate degree and become a super specialist. The sky is the limit!
The future also includes another important aspect – How much money am I going to make? (Am I going to become a Bajillionaire?!)
Like any other branch of Medicine, Dentistry too requires a lot of patience. There is no shortcut to success in science.
We tend to think that once we get a degree, we are set for life. Well, let me tell you now, that’s just step one. Money is an unavoidable factor. Join a dental school, buy instruments for pre-clinicals and clinicals, apply for license exams, activating the license. Every step puts quite a significant hole in your pocket.
Another bubble I would like to address (and burst), is that Dentists make a lot of money straight away. Sorry folks! Pay is directly proportional to experience. The more you study and the more you work, the more you start earning. It is a process, one which is necessary. You just end up respecting the profession more and more.
Many dental hospitals and clinics tend to pay on a commission basis rather than a fixed contracted salary. A certain percentage of your charges are paid directly to you and the remaining amount goes to the company. Having your own practice does sound more appealing doesn’t it! But well, that again tends to cost you a bomb, what with the audits, electricity and water, maintenance, the equipment, staff.
It all sounds insanely scary, yet possible. It is important to face the facts so you can set realistic goals. Dentistry is a process and one which requires dedication and patience. My advice to you – don’t lost hope! Patience, patience, patience.
Slow and steady wins the race!