Many reasons. Flexibility in job location and hours. It is possible to travel to almost anywhere in the country and establish a career in dentistry; obviously some areas are more saturated than others.
Pay. Dentistry still offers the ability to make a stable income through a variety of work environments whether it be military service, public health, hospital settings, and even academia. I think it is very hard to become wealthy from dentistry, but it will always provide a mostly comfortable lifestyle.
Doctor. If you believe in the idea of helping others and providing a necessary service, dentistry can offer both. Although this may not be the primary motivation for all it will come with the dental profession.
Diversity in the Profession. Dentistry has a variety of specialties one can branch into following completion of dental school. If you like surgery you can specialize in OMFS and take hospital cases or perform outpatient procedures in the private practice setting. If you like esthetics you can do full mouth rehabilitation and/or other forms of such cases. Additionally there are various other specialties ranging from endodontics, periodontics, pedodontics, orthodontics, or a few others should you find your ideal niche.
Hours. Although it is possible to work weekends and late night should you choose as is the case for on call dentist, you can set almost any schedule for yourself (assuming your financial situation allows.) I've known dentists and orthodontists who work various hours depending on the patient load and often coordinate work weeks of 3-4 days.
I'm sure I can think of many other reasons for becoming a dentist, but if you don't have a lot of work ethic and desire to pursue the field it may be hard to follow through. I'm currently a dental student and have seen many students change there mind or fail out of the program. I would definitely shadow some dentists, maybe even specialists, and get a better feel for the profession. I entered the field with very little experience and not much knowledge of the field. I still thank you blessings for being able to become a part of a very rewarding and promising profession. I'm sure there are many things that are not perfect about dentistry but I am sure the same could be said for any other career.
If you have any specific questions please feel free to ask or PM me.
