By: B. K. Vijay
In India very few people opt for dentistry, but if you really see, there are lot of opportunities in this field and there is huge demand for dentists. According to a survey by the World Health Organization, there is only one dentist for 10,000 people in India. The situation in the village is even more worst as one dentist is serving 2,50,000 people. This clearly shows that the supply of dentists to the demand is not sufficient.
We need more people taking up the profession of a dentist. First you need to take admission in Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), for that you complete intermediate with chemistry, physics and biology as main subjects and pass with a minimum 50% marks. You also need to clear EAMCET entrance exam.
An overview of dentistry
Dentistry is a branch of medical science that is devoted to maintain oral health. This involves diagnosis, treatment and prevention of gum disease. Dental professionals provide oral care from cleaning of teeth to more advanced and specialized procedures. Moreover dentistry is a career that gives you a chance of being your own boss and also owning a dental practice.
Specialities in dental field
For specializing in the field of dentistry, there is a need of additional 1-4 years of training after BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery).
- General dentist : A general dentist provides treatment and prevention of general oral health like teeth cleaning, filling of cavities and RCT (Root Canal Treatment).
- Endodontist : An endodontist specializes in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of teeth and gum problems.
- Periodontist : Periodontics is involved in treatment of gum and tissues that surrounds teeth.
- Prosthodontist : The dentist is involved in replacing the missing teeth either in a fixed way or removable way.
- Orthodontist : The dentist is involved in aligning and positioning of teeth. An orthodontist makes use of various methods and oral appliances that helps in realigning and straightening misaligned or crooked teeth.
- Oral surgeon : This field specializes in surgical care of jaws, teeth and facial bones.
- Pediatric dentistry : The dentist is involved in dealing oral problems of children, adolescents and young adults.
- Oral pathology : This field is associated with treatment of diseases that affect oral mucous membranes, as well as gum tissues that surrounds teeth.
Benefits of choosing career as a dentist
Dentistry as a profession is rewarding. There are many benefits and opportunities if you choose dentistry as a career:
- Financial security : Now a days, many people are conscious about their oral health, so there is a demand for restorative and preventive dental procedures.
- Flexibility : Dentists who are practising privately can work either part time or full time, they have the freedom in choosing their own working hours. Thus personal and professional lives of the dentist’s can be easily structured according to their needs.
- Personal satisfaction : Dentist’s performs various surgical and non surgical procedures that produces lasting results which help people to feel and look healthy. These results make people happy and dentist satisfied.
Life of a dentist
Dentistry involves understanding, manual dexterity and interpersonal skills. Dentists work 8-10 hours a day, except when emergencies arise which occasionally come it can lengthen the day work. Typically dentists are involved in:
- Educating people: Dentists educate people by teaching them good habits of oral care and how to prevent oral problems.
- Dealing with challenging patients: Dentist might have to deal with annoyed and disrespectful patients. If a challenging patient makes difficult for a dentist to do his work, the results might not be up to the dentist’s expectations.
- Aesthetic improvements: By cosmetic surgeries, dentist improve patients smile that help them look and feel good. Since the patients are happy, it gives dentist personal satisfaction.
- Treating patients with unpleasant conditions: Dentist might have to deal with bad breath and sometimes a really gross mouth. Dentist will see plenty of uncleaned, decaying teeth, bleeding and swollen gums. When you get used to practising, the gross-out factor becomes rare.
Choosing career is one of the biggest decision to be taken in your life. Before taking the final decision, make sure that you are confident about the path you choose. If you want to know more about dentistry, talk to the dentists in your community. The more you know about dentistry, the better you feel about your decision.