Does dentistry get... boring?

[idunnowhattonamemyself]

Hello!

I'm pre-dental and I plan on applying this upcoming cycle! I've been super excited about dentistry when I first decided to pursue this path! When I shadowed for the first time this past summer, I realized many of the procedures were really, really repetitive. The dentist would do fillings after fillings, then maybe a root canal or extraction after, but overall, I felt like there wasn't a variety of things that were being done. It got me to think that yes, maybe within my first few years of being a dentist, I'll enjoy the procedures and learning the different things. However, 10 years, or even 5 years down the road, I feel like it'll become really repetitive, monotonous, and boring?

I don't know if I'm feeling this way because I simply watched these procedures happen, not actually partake in them. So, as a bystander, it seems this way. Or, is there validity to what I'm feeling?

What are everyone's opinions on this? How do dentists find enjoyment and opportunities in this field many years down the road? I want to be able to always enjoy my career, so I'm getting nervous to actually apply to dental school in a few months!

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[doc toothache]

It is hard to imagine anyone choosing a profession he/she finds “boring”.

 

[TanMan]

Dentistry gets boring, making money does not.

 

[ASPEN'S NIGHTMARE]

Hello!

I'm pre-dental and I plan on applying this upcoming cycle! I've been super excited about dentistry when I first decided to pursue this path! When I shadowed for the first time this past summer, I realized many of the procedures were really, really repetitive. The dentist would do fillings after fillings, then maybe a root canal or extraction after, but overall, I felt like there wasn't a variety of things that were being done. It got me to think that yes, maybe within my first few years of being a dentist, I'll enjoy the procedures and learning the different things. However, 10 years, or even 5 years down the road, I feel like it'll become really repetitive, monotonous, and boring?

I don't know if I'm feeling this way because I simply watched these procedures happen, not actually partake in them. So, as a bystander, it seems this way. Or, is there validity to what I'm feeling?

What are everyone's opinions on this? How do dentists find enjoyment and opportunities in this field many years down the road? I want to be able to always enjoy my career, so I'm getting nervous to actually apply to dental school in a few months!

When most people go into dentistry, they essentially just buy themselves a job. Any job you decide to pick will get boring at some point because of repetition. Even if you own the clinic/business, the tasks will at some point become repetitive and...boring.

You have to look at things differently to not get bored. Instead of just doing tasks over and over again, pay attention to things you don't like or take too much time. Then, try new methods to fix these problems.

Trying to actively solve problems will keep you from getting bored, make you a better dentist, and if you're really lucky, you might even think of something no one has thought of before like the invisalign guy and strike it rich (he's a billionaire now).

If not, being a dentist gives you the income and ability to get 3-4 days off per week to pursue other ventures, businesses, or hobbies to keep you busy.

Overall, dentistry is pretty solid. It's all about your angle/ how you look at the situation.

 

[2TH MVR]

If it's just about the procedures ..... then yes dentistry can get boring eventually. Just like any other job. I know this sounds cliche, but for myself .... it's all about the relationship of treating a patient and improving their lives in some small way. Yes ... of course I expect to be paid for my services, but at some point .... if it's just about the MONEY .... dentistry will get repetitive and boring.

The other thing that I personally do is ...... once I'm out of the office .... I do not like to think ANYTHING about dentistry. I leave dentistry at work. My life does not center around dentistry. I have my hobbies. Big fan of sportscar racing, golf, walking my dog, etc. etc. My point is ..... if your ENTIRE life is about dentistry .... then dentistry will get boring.

 

[Saddleshoes]

The dentistry does indeed get boring in time. HOWEVER the people you work on are an ever changing challenge. Dealing with the people is the real fun in this racket.

 

[TanMan]

I wish I could have fun dealing with challenging people. Give me boring all day any day over patients who are difficult or have a million questions. The difficulty is rarely the procedure, it's the patients most of the time.

Dentistry is not boring when you have a ton of patients to see all at once and you have a queue starting to form, the next batch is gearing up, and you need to start clearing rooms! Now that's what I call fun in dentistry. It's not just fun, but it makes the day go by really fast. Seeing 1-2 patients an hour and carrying on half hour conversations or doing a 30 minute interproximal - that's what's boring in dentistry (to me at least). I can say that there's a little rush / intense feeling when you are numbing 6 ops patients simultaneously and going over in your mind who goes in what sequence and finishing as many as you can before the next set of hygiene comes in.

So, the procedures may get repetitive and boring, but it's better to have repetitive and boring individual procedure(s) and compensating with the thrill of seeing a bunch of them all at once. 1-2 min extractions, 3-5 min interproximals, knowing when you numbed them and knowing how much longer until you need to start working on them, etc... All that makes you a more aware dentist in terms of workflow and situational awareness.

Benchmarking procedural efficiency can also make dentistry less boring. I noticed that if you have a lot of energy, so will your assistants. I timed myself 2 days ago with #13 endo/buildup + #14 surgical extraction + graft and it took 24 minutes from anesthetic to dismissal (last patient of the day, so I started pretty quickly). I found it interesting to replay that procedure and figure out how I could be more efficient

I'm a little tired, but the TL;DR version:

1. Dentistry is boring, money isn't.
2. Dentistry can be less boring if you introduce efficiency challenges
2a. Try to be more efficient procedurally
2b. Try to see more patients than you normally can and push the envelope more and more
2c. 2a/2b can induce adrenaline rushes probably like when people get a runner's high (endorphins) - I said probably because I don't run.
3. Dentistry can be less boring if you study how you did your procedure(s) and how you can improve upon it for better results and speed.