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Working in Dentristry

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Last Updated on October 9, 2024

Finding your dream job isn’t always easy, especially if you’re skilled in and passionate about a number of things. You may be tempted to chase the money and go into whatever field pays best… but while this might allow you to own a nice house, nice clothes, and a nice car, nice things are never adequate compensation for hating your job and waking up every morning dreading going to work. And if you’re a naturally caring and empathetic person, that’s exactly what can happen when you make career decisions based solely on where the money is. Instead, choose the path that will be the most rewarding to you. 

While you may have seen the medical field as a rewarding path if you love helping people, you may not have considered the niche of dental care. However, this can be an extremely rewarding, fascinating and lucrative field. Here are some reasons why it might be worth considering for you…

You may be tempted to chase the money and go into whatever field pays best… but while this might allow you to own a nice house, nice clothes, and a nice car, nice things are never adequate compensation for hating your job and waking up every morning dreading going to work.

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There’s a clear and well-established career path

Dental care is a surprisingly diverse field with a wide range of positions to suit all kinds of skill levels. Whether you want to become a dentist, an orthodontist, a hygienist, or even an administrator there are all kinds of opportunities and a well-established career path to help you to learn and grow in your practice. Websites like Careers Wiki are great resources for helping you to chart a career path so that you know what courses to take and which skills to build to achieve your goals. 

You can be autonomous and flexible

When you work in dental care, there’s tremendous scope to hone your craft for a while then branch out into running your own practice. This allows you to be as selective as you like about how many patients you take on, what kind of procedures you specialize in, and which days of the year you stay open.

Flexibility doesn’t just ensure that you’re able to take time off when you need it without needing to plead with a line manager, it also helps you to maintain a healthy work/life balance so your patients always get you at your best and brightest. 

“The reasons why you should be a dental hygienist will certainly outweigh the reasons why you should not be. Focusing on preventive oral care, dental hygienists are preventive care professionals who have completed a recognized dental hygiene course. These professionals are licensed for dental hygiene and their main responsibility includes promoting good oral health through clinical, administrative, educational, therapeutic, and research services. With a special focus on preventive oral health care, dental hygienists work with on specific skills under general dentists.” – A Career as a Dental Hygienist

You get to learn about the whole body

Dental care professionals don’t just learn about teeth and gums. They need to know a great deal about the whole body. Many diseases, infections, and medical conditions show symptoms in the mouth before they manifest elsewhere, which is why dental professionals need to learn about the mouth’s relationship with the rest of the body. It really is fascinating stuff!

You get to give people the gift of confidence and help them smile again

While dental professionals specialize in providing all manner of oral care, the ability to mend cosmetic issues and help people feel confident in their smiles again should not be overlooked. When you work in dental care, you can help people rebuild their confidence and rediscover their self-esteem while helping them to develop better dental care habits.

And that’s pretty darned rewarding!

The Complete Pre-Dental Guide to Modern Dentistry
$22.99

The Complete Pre-Dental Guide to Modern Dentistry provides practical information for students interested in dentistry and prospective dental students.

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12/20/2024 03:48 pm GMT

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