Dentistry?

[OneDay81]

I know threads about "med v vet" pop up on here alot, but how about vet v dentistry? Have any of you considered dentistry either as an alternative to veterinary medicine? If so, what about it appeals to you and doesn't appeal to you? I went to the dentist today and he was a great salesman lol. He really sparked my interest in the profession...

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[scb44f]

I have not experienced it personally, however, my orthodontist overheard that I want to be a vet. He chimed in and told me that he was an animal science major in undergrad, became more interested in being a dentist, and applied to dental school instead of vet school like he had planned. Clearly he got in and enjoyed it.

I'm just saying that it's definitely not unheard of.

 

[New Foundland]

If I was in it for the money, maybe I'd consider dentistry

otherwise, it doesn't strike me as the most pleasant environment or job..
maybe i got too many fillings/extractions as a child
but that's just how i feel, without going into detail..

 

[LoveMyDobies]

I don't know about human dentistry, but I work with a board certified veterinary dental surgeon and it is very interesting. I actually became so interested that I took courses and became a certified veterinary dental tech. It's cool because I clean teeth and since I work under a surgeon we get to do extractions, root canals, etc, which would normally be done by a DVM only.

 

[dyachei]

If you like the idea of working on human mouths, go for it. Also don't forget that vet dentistry is a growing field.

 

[OneDay81]

Either way I would be interested in pathology... He just had a lot of good things to say about the field, so it was hard not to take some interest. I might shadow a dentist for a few hours just so I can wholeheartedly pass on it

 

[DVMDream]

For some reason rotting teeth just does not appeal to me. It is one thing to see it in a dog that has no control over its own dental care but to see it in a human who can prevent it from happening barf. Also, people just generally hate going to the dentist and why would I want a career in which people hate coming to see me?

 

[twelvetigers]

Dogs don't smoke or dip... yuck. That alone is enough for me.

 

[princesspeaches]

My partner's dad is a dentist and has spent a lot of time trying to convince me to apply to dental school--he owns his own practice and none of his kids are interested in taking it over when he retires.

Still not interested! I've enjoyed what dentals I've done on animals...but only because they were under sedation

 

[sooprnova]

Don't dentists have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession?

 

[Whyevernot55]

Don't dentists have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession?

You do know that veterinarians have one of the highest suicide rates as well? According to one study, 4 times as likely as most people, and twice as likely as other medical professions.

 

[alliecat44]

In general (from talking to dentists), it seems that dentists tend to be drawn to their profession based on lifestyle, income, quality of life outside of work--whereas people in veterinary medicine are drawn to their profession based on quality of life while they're at work and aren't nearly as business-minded.

Good arguments can be made either way, but I've never heard a dentist exclaim, "oh, I just LOVE teeth!"

 

[that redhead]

I know threads about "med v vet" pop up on here alot, but how about vet v dentistry? Have any of you considered dentistry either as an alternative to veterinary medicine? If so, what about it appeals to you and doesn't appeal to you? I went to the dentist today and he was a great salesman lol. He really sparked my interest in the profession...

Isn't it the same argument, though? I think people consider many careers, even if one has their heart, for practicality's sake. There's no one saying you can't decide to pursue something else. We could make threads asking "Have any of you considered engineering/art/miliarty/pharmacy/pastor/etcetcetc either as an alternative to veterinary medicine? If so, what about it appeals to you and doesn't appeal to you?" until our faces turned blue, but in the end, its all about the person and their preferences.

 

[New Foundland]

You do know that veterinarians have one of the highest suicide rates as well? According to one study, 4 times as likely as most people, and twice as likely as other medical professions.

I've also heard numbers cited as low as twice the general population, though I did hear of the 4x numbers (primarily from the uk and aus).

Regardless.. you can't really look at suicide rates and conclude that the job itself must be awful in some ways because the suicide rate is X.

just as you can't conclude that a profession is "better" or more pleasant than another because of differences in suicide rate..

there's things like average debt, average age, income, access to drugs, family situation, close relationships, homosexuality rate, etc., that also matter greatly...
find me a good study that controls for many of these factors while then looking at suicide rates by profession..


Vets have a lower average income so presumably much greater debt than do dentists..
so is being a vet the part that is making ppl commit suicide? or is it being greatly in debt that is making ppl commit suicide..

I have no doubt that the stress of being a vet factors in to the increase in suicide rate.. but by how much is really hard to say without controlling for MANY other factors

easy access to drugs on site (much 'better' drugs than a dentist would have on hand) also obviously plays a role..


All i'm trying to say is don't use suicide numbers by profession to conclude that it means anything about how pleasant or unpleasant the profession itself might be

 

[Whyevernot55]

*shrug* Someone else brought it up in relation to high suicide rates in dentists. I just wanted to point out that vets have a high rate too. Speculation and studies about actual rates and WHY our rate is higher than the average person is a whooooole other kettle of fish.

Personally I hate going to the dentist. Two dentists ago, he didn't believe me that it takes extra time and local to numb me enough to drill. Last dentist, I told her flat out that I would bite her fingers off if she didn't listen. We get along great now. Really though, to the OP, if you think you'd be happy in dentistry then why not explore the options? It's all about what makes you happy.

 

[New Foundland]

*shrug* Someone else brought it up in relation to high suicide rates in dentists. I just wanted to point out that vets have a high rate too. Speculation and studies about actual rates and WHY our rate is higher than the average person is a whooooole other kettle of fish.
.

Mhm, my post was meant to be directed more to sooprnova rather than you, even though I quoted your post.

 

[168135]

When my brother was undecided about what he wanted to do after highschool, our dentist said that we can shadow him. According to him, it's quite easy to get into dentistry here and they're screaming for people. If the vet school thing doesn't work out, I'm half-tempted to shadow and see what it's like.

 

[Coquette22]

According to him, it's quite easy to get into dentistry here and they're screaming for people. If the vet school thing doesn't work out, I'm half-tempted to shadow and see what it's like.

Really? I've looked at the requirements for dentistry school here and if anything, it looks more competitive than vet school. I was talking to my dentist about my AVC interview this past May, and she was saying how hard it is to get into dentistry school.

(The tuition also made me run away screaming.)

 

[168135]

My dentist was trying to force my brother to shadow him and he knows my brother is a SLACKER. My brother graduated and is "upgrading" his courses because his marks are so poor.

Either my dentist or yours has been sneaking into the laughing gas...

 

[Doc Payne]

I'm mainly interested in doing pre-dental once I get to college, but I'm also considering doing pre-vet. I'm not sure how I initially gained interest in dentistry, but after I did, I shadowed my dentist one day for 4 hours, as seeing the real deal is the best way to see if you like the profession. I thought I would, and I did. What I liked most about shadowing my dentist were the patient interactions, the lax work environment, and the work itself (it can become very creative and more interesting than one might think).

I also think it's false that people hate going to the dentist. Of course there are those who despise it. Usually, those people don't pay enough attention to their oral health, or they have a bad dentist. I feel much more comfortable going to a dentist's appointment than going to a physician's appointment.

Now, to veterinary. The main thing that steers me away from vet is the income, because they generally seem severely underpaid. Is there any hope for a better income someday?

 

[Bearby]

I agree that not everyone hates the dentist. I, until my normal hygienist left, looked forward to my 6 month check-ups. The girl who cleans my teeth now is just too rough...but that's not the point. I was very interested in dentistry at a point during high school when I was trying to figure out what path to take in college. I even traveled 6 hours to UF to go to a pre-dental orientation kind of thing. I remember thinking after seeing all the classes they had to take that it was going to be too difficult. I ended up in pre-vet, whose class load is actually more challenging, but I love it. I don't think that dental school is completely out of the picture if vet school doesn't work out, but I love teeth and it's the first thing I notice about people usually. I was so afraid of having to look at horrible teeth all day. Anyway, I was considering doing orthodonture back in the day - making people with ugly teeth have pretty teeth.

ETA: I don't think that veterinary medicine will ever be a career that people go into because it's good money. Unfortunately, human health care is deemed more important and therefore the cost can be inflated much more than animal health care. Unless most animal owners take out pet insurance on their animals (like most of the human population has insurance), I don't see veterinarians ever being paid what they're worth.

 

[DVMDream]

I also think it's false that people hate going to the dentist. Of course there are those who despise it. Usually, those people don't pay enough attention to their oral health, or they have a bad dentist. I feel much more comfortable going to a dentist's appointment than going to a physician's appointment.

So not everyone hates going to the dentist (maybe too strong a word) but a good majority of the general public do not enjoy going to the dentist and some people actually have a fear of the dentist. I personally greatly dislike going to the dentist and not because it might hurt but I just don't like somebody else poking around in my mouth. And I pay plenty of attention to my oral health (haven't had a cavity since I was 9 (that was also my first and only cavity)); I floss 2x a day and brush 2x a day. So just because somebody does not like going doesn't mean they don't pay attention to their oral health. Maybe I don't like people poking around in my mouth because of the extensive orthodontic work I had done to make space for all of my teeth because I have such a small mouth. Who knows...

 

[sooprnova]

I was mostly saying the suicide thing because that's the cliche that's supposed to come after someone says they want to be a dentist. Sort of a "you'll shoot your eye out" thing. If I had to become a dentist, I would end up a suicide statistic. Mouths are foul.

 

[Doc Payne]

Mouths are foul.

The same can be said about the allergies and odor of an animal clinic, and the occasional biting from patients in veterinary.

I just can't see myself doing a job that pays $50k-$80k after 8 or more years of education, including ultra-competitive vet school. Someday I might change my mind completely, but the prospect of it doesn't sound enticing.

 

[Coquette22]

and the occasional biting from patients in veterinary.

If you're a dentist working on young kids, I'm sure this is still a risk.

 

[sooprnova]

The same can be said about the allergies and odor of an animal clinic, and the occasional biting from patients in veterinary.

I just can't see myself doing a job that pays $50k-$80k after 8 or more years of education, including ultra-competitive vet school. Someday I might change my mind completely, but the prospect of it doesn't sound enticing.

Instead of looking at it as though you've wasted 8 years in school and have nothing to show for it salary-wise, think of it as though it's a game show! How can I possibly survive on this meager income AND pay my student loans back AND have a happy, functioning social life/family?

 

[Bill59]

Now, to veterinary. The main thing that steers me away from vet is the income, because they generally seem severely underpaid. Is there any hope for a better income someday?

Not really. If income is a major consideration, go with dentistry.

 

[OneDay81]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I personally have never had a fear or dislike of the dentist, but I've also never had a cavity so maybe that's why. In fact, I look forward to going to the dentist- I consider it a privilege and I take advantage of my military health benefits as much as I can. Growing up, I never got to go to the dentist (in fact, I would unsuccessfully beg my mother to let me go get my teeth cleaned), although she was "nice" enough to pay to get my impacted wisdom teeth out when I was 17.

I think the quality of the teeth you will see (genetic factors and disease aside) will depend a lot on where you work. Since I plan on going into pathology with either career, I will see a lot of gross stuff either way, I assume.

I'm very much in love with veterinary medicine (outside of small animal practice) and the career potentials. But after I made that post I looked around some websites and it seems dentistry can be a very rewarding job. The downside is that I would like my future career to benefit both people and animals, and I can't see any way of doing that in dentistry. However, the work hours, pay, and lifestyle are appealing. I've shadowed physical therapists and a physician assistant already, so if I can find a dentist (and maybe a pathologists assistant) to shadow then I definitely will. Even if it doesn't change my mind, I like finding out about various healthcare professions, and reinforcing my decision to go into veterinary medicine.

 

[StartingoverVet]

I also think it's false that people hate going to the dentist. Of course there are those who despise it. Usually, those people don't pay enough attention to their oral health, or they have a bad dentist. I feel much more comfortable going to a dentist's appointment than going to a physician's appointment.
?

Now that is a great unsupported statement AND it is garbage.

A lot of it is genetic, a lot of it is environment, and a lot of it is what you do.

I personally have lots of trouble with my teeth yet have been flossing, brushing 2x day, and using oral rinse for decades and still have issues.

My dog, who had perfectly clean teeth (we brush them all the time) and has NEVER needed a dental had an abscess and had to have a tooth removed.

I am sure all the people who need doctors because they get sick should have taken better care of themselves, and the people who need psychiatrists should just snap out of it, and people who need glasses should stop straining all the time, and....

You don't belong in a health professional field with that attitude.

People hate going to the dentist because it is uncomfortable, often painful, the smell is dizzying, and they have to deal with people like you.

 

[Coquette22]

People hate going to the dentist because it is uncomfortable, often painful, the smell is dizzying,

I will agree with this. I have good teeth, I love my dentist, and the cost isn't usually too bad because I have reasonable coverage. I still hate going to the dentist. Even for a routine cleaning, it will hurt because having a sharp object scraped along your gum line sucks. I do hate the smell. At the very least, I will have to spend a half hour with my mouth opened uncomfortably wide and that stupid spit-vacuum digging into my cheek.