South Carolina ASDA

Video Source: American Dental Association 

 

Dentistry is a “hands-on” field. Some see dental procedures as art, creating and perfecting an aesthetically pleasing final product. If you enjoy working with your hands (art, construction, woodworking, pottery) then dentistry might be for you.

 

The dental field encompasses a lot of patient interaction. In other words, dentistry requires personality. Although dentistry is procedure-oriented, you are able to foster relationships with your patients as they come back to your office year after year. Additionally, you get to work hand- in-hand with your dental office workers.

 

There are also different paths that you can take in the field of dentistry. If you enjoy working with children, pediatric dentistry is a field you might enjoy. Additionally, surgical avenues can also be explored in dentistry. Oral surgeons receive much of the same training as plastic surgeons and ear-nose-throat physicians, performing many structural surgeries such as orthognathic surgery. In hospitals, oral surgeons often work together with these two other specialties, and in an ER, many oral surgeons can choose to be on call, carrying out many of the same procedures as these two other medical specialties. Dentistry has less government intervention in the field and minimal liability insurance compared to medicine.

 

Another thing to take into consideration is job security, or at least salary security. With a large amount of student debt, this is at least something to take into consideration. Immediately after graduation, dental students can begin practicing general dentistry. Unlike the medical students who are required to do a residency after medical school, dental students become proficient in general dentistry procedures during dental school. Residencies are only required if you want to specialize or receive extra surgical training for general dentistry.