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General Description

This is an ideal career for a logical and analytical thinker. Dentists are health care professionals who provide preventive and restorative treatments for problems affecting the mouth and teeth in both adults and children. You work indoors and usually quite long hours but enjoy high rewards both socially and monetarily.

Career Advice - Dentist Career

Most dentists work with a receptionist, dental nurse, dental hygienist, dental therapist and dental technician. A dentist is typically responsible for educating patients on oral health care, examining teeth and diagnosing patients' dental conditions.You also use X-rays, assess treatment options and agree treatment plans with patients.You carry out agreed clinical treatments such as gum disease, restoring teeth affected by decay and more advanced treatments.You maintain patients' dental records, manage budgets and keep abreast of new developments through structured continuing professional development and marketing services to potential clients.

What You do every day

Your day begins reviewing the day sheet of patients as you prepare myself for the first one. It is important to run your practice to time and ask patients to arrive punctually at their appointment times.

Generally you chat with the patients, telling them what you're doing which often reassures them.You generally treat between 10 to 15 patients per day ranging from a general check up to more complex treatments. There are clinical notes to be written after the appointment is over and of course the dreaded administration of the practice.

Personality that best fits this career

Generally self disciplined, socially outward and extrovert people make good dentists. You need to like people and like interacting with them, so your inter-personal skills need to be a strong point of your character.

You also need to be a perfectionist and have excellent manual dexterity. Close enough is not good enough and generally people don’t like it if you fumble around in their mouth. You also need to be able to concentrate on a single task for long periods. You must be a clear communicator and have a sharp eye for detail.

Best thing about this career

The rewards you get from helping people is very satisfying particularly if you have helped them overcome a ‘fear of dentists’.

The flexibility of running your own practice is great, you can make the rules and break them if you choose.

The pay is good too – a good graduate can earn $70,000 to $80,000 but in your own practice generally a surplus of 30% of revenue is usual.

Worst thing about this career

Because you’re leaning over patients all day, you get aching back and neck muscles and if you are in private practice then no matter how tired you are the administration still has to be done.