How did you decide you wanted to become a dentist?

[Wakaaa]

I am currently unsure about what I want to do in life, but I like generally working with people and using my hands. I can't really decide if I'll enjoy what I'll be studying or whether or not I'll be happy with my job. I understand that it's a good job for a nice lifestyle, but money isn't everything to me. I would prefer a great lifestyle over a bad one obviously, but I'm not going to pick a job based off money. I want to be happy and enjoy what I do for a living.

I am asking this question because i dont know if I should declare or focus on what major. If I get advice or reasons on why to become a dentist and how it's like I will declare a major in health science with concentration on dentistry which means I can only become a dentist if I take this major with this concentration or biology which Is a bit more open to other careers. If dentistry is what I end up really wanting, then there's no point in taking a bio major if health science is focused on pre dental classes, but I must be sure about my decision on becoming a dentist. I am currently at a community college for my freshmen year and will be transferring out for my sophomore year.

So what made you decide to become a dentist?

Any tips?

All answers will be taken into consideration and will be helpful!

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[dentalWorks]

I am currently unsure about what I want to do in life, but I like generally working with people and using my hands. I can't really decide if I'll enjoy what I'll be studying or whether or not I'll be happy with my job. I understand that it's a good job for a nice lifestyle, but money isn't everything to me. I would prefer a great lifestyle over a bad one obviously, but I'm not going to pick a job based off money. I want to be happy and enjoy what I do for a living.

I am asking this question because i dont know if I should declare or focus on what major. If I get advice or reasons on why to become a dentist and how it's like I will declare a major in health science with concentration on dentistry which means I can only become a dentist if I take this major with this concentration or biology which Is a bit more open to other careers. If dentistry is what I end up really wanting, then there's no point in taking a bio major if health science is focused on pre dental classes, but I must be sure about my decision on becoming a dentist. I am currently at a community college for my freshmen year and will be transferring out for my sophomore year.

So what made you decide to become a dentist?

Any tips?

All answers will be taken into consideration and will be helpful!

Thanks!

The decision was easy for me:
I am a social person, I have to interact with people, I couldn't do the office gig thing for too long, so I had to switch over to a more interactive career (This was initial drive to healthcare)

Money + life style + 40 hours per week (and maybe less) are also VERY important factors. Also add on top, I am a mechanical person.

Finally, I love, absolutely love the business aspect. I'd love to someday own a practice, and deal with the typical day-to-day challenges (hire/train/lay off, business decisions, advertisement decisions, lowering overhead, customer service, etc). These are usually headaches, but I like to think of them as business puzzles, and the best balance lies where you work the least put produce the most $$$.

There aren't many careers out there that combine all those into one.

 

[mc719]

I am currently unsure about what I want to do in life, but I like generally working with people and using my hands. I can't really decide if I'll enjoy what I'll be studying or whether or not I'll be happy with my job. I understand that it's a good job for a nice lifestyle, but money isn't everything to me. I would prefer a great lifestyle over a bad one obviously, but I'm not going to pick a job based off money. I want to be happy and enjoy what I do for a living.

I am asking this question because i dont know if I should declare or focus on what major. If I get advice or reasons on why to become a dentist and how it's like I will declare a major in health science with concentration on dentistry which means I can only become a dentist if I take this major with this concentration or biology which Is a bit more open to other careers. If dentistry is what I end up really wanting, then there's no point in taking a bio major if health science is focused on pre dental classes, but I must be sure about my decision on becoming a dentist. I am currently at a community college for my freshmen year and will be transferring out for my sophomore year.

So what made you decide to become a dentist?

Any tips?

All answers will be taken into consideration and will be helpful!

Thanks!

1 tip is to wait until you go to your 4 year school before you take the pre-requisites.

Also, I've put A LOT of thought into my decision to go to dental school. I considered medical school, optometry school, pharmacy school, and pretty much every other professional school out there. Dentistry seems like the best to me.

Yeah, you're limited to the mouth, but most other doctors are limited to some body part or another. Most people don't have a strange attachment to a specific part of the body that drives them to that area. It is just important that you pick one and focus on it. I'm picking the mouth. Others might pick the eyes or skin and go to medical school. But honestly, some gross stuff can grow on skin, and it makes me weezy thinking about sticking a needle in someone's eye. Also, I don't like the idea of holding someone's life in my hands every day.

You don't have to do a residency if you don't want to. But if you do want to, the sky's the limit as far as earning potential.

The field of dentistry has a great outlook.

You get to be your own boss, i.e. choose who you work with, where you work, when you work and never worry about getting fired.

Sorry for the long reply, but like I said, I've put a lot of thought into my decision.

 

[Barking Lamb]

The decision was easy for me:
I am a social person, I have to interact with people, I couldn't do the office gig thing for too long, so I had to switch over to a more interactive career (This was initial drive to healthcare)

Money + life style + 40 hours per week (and maybe less) are also VERY important factors. Also add on top, I am a mechanical person.

Finally, I love, absolutely love the business aspect. I'd love to someday own a practice, and deal with the typical day-to-day challenges (hire/train/lay off, business decisions, advertisement decisions, lowering overhead, customer service, etc). These are usually headaches, but I like to think of them as business puzzles, and the best balance lies where you work the least put produce the most $$$.

There aren't many careers out there that combine all those into one.

/agree

My Uncle suggested I look into it. I shadowed some friends and loved it.

 

[Dgeorg6]

At first I had planned on being an anesthesiologist and was pretty set on it for a year or two.. Then I finally realized.. HEY Dentist make pretty good money, they are their own boss most of the time, they don't have to do a dreadful 4 year residency working 80 hours a week!! and they can work 35 hours a week and not be on call instead of workin 55+ hours a week and being on call 2 weekends of the month.

So here I am

 

[Wakaaa]

The decision was easy for me:
I am a social person, I have to interact with people, I couldn't do the office gig thing for too long, so I had to switch over to a more interactive career (This was initial drive to healthcare)

Money + life style + 40 hours per week (and maybe less) are also VERY important factors. Also add on top, I am a mechanical person.

Finally, I love, absolutely love the business aspect. I'd love to someday own a practice, and deal with the typical day-to-day challenges (hire/train/lay off, business decisions, advertisement decisions, lowering overhead, customer service, etc). These are usually headaches, but I like to think of them as business puzzles, and the best balance lies where you work the least put produce the most $$$.

There aren't many careers out there that combine all those into one.

Wow.. that's exactly how I am. I really would like to have a social job, working with people and seeing new people, being my own boss, and managing a business. I really like businesses and business management. My fathers a businessman and i'm always trying to figure out ways for him to improve and manage his business, but obviously his experience beats me, but i've been told i'd be a great businessman.

 

[journeybegins]

Wow.. that's exactly how I am. I really would like to have a social job, working with people and seeing new people, being my own boss, and managing a business. I really like businesses and business management. My fathers a businessman and i'm always trying to figure out ways for him to improve and manage his business, but obviously his experience beats me, but i've been told i'd be a great businessman.

You just need to shadow dentists and see if that's what you'd like do. Shadow different people because different offices have different personalities/diff dentists.

Well, everybody has their own reasons for going into dentistry. I have my reasons, of course, but how I started learning about dentistry was a surprise.

I never wanted to be a dentist in my life. I had a lot of misconceptions of dentists actually. Then I went on a spree of finding opportunities to travel abroad, which led me to the Pre-Dental Society because they were hosting some of them. I had to sit in their meetings to learn more about the traveling opportunities and ended up learning about dentistry. It was like, I never went searching to find info on dentistry. I just stumbled upon it.

Lots of things about dentistry surprised me. For example, as a patient, I never knew what dentists were doing in my mouth, but it's a whole different world to see what's going on in someone's mouth during shadowing.


After I shadowed, volunteered, and interned at a dental office, I knew that dentistry was my "one and only." =) I also based it off on activities and interests that I did in the past. Those interests/sets of skills aligned with dentistry as well.

 

[Msmouth]

I fell into dentistry. After my first year of college I got hired as a dental assistant. He trained me and I ended up really liking it. I quit college and then about a year later I decided hygiene school was right for me. I have loved hygiene for years but I always knew I was capable of more. I really love the diagnostic part, along with the whole ritual of a procedure and just plain helping people.
The only part of dentistry I would hate to do is the front desk, (answering phones, submitting insurance, staring at a computer screen all day.......ewwww!).
I'm a mover and I like variety. The oral cavity is very interesting and the patients can make your day very interesting. If you become a hygienist or GP you really get to know your patients over the years.
Even if I hit the lottery I would still want to be involved with dentistry.....that's how I know it's for me ( :

 

[happy0121]

You just need to shadow dentists and see if that's what you'd like do. Shadow different people because different offices have different personalities/diff dentists.

This is probably the best thing to do. It will provide you with alot of insight and information to further answer your own question as to why dentistry and if its right for you. You should also expose yourself to other careers too! such as doctors, pharmacists, etc etc. I read alot about dentistry in my freshman and sophomore years but when i started shadowing in junior year to present, my opinions and outlook on it has changed drastically, but not in a bad way necessarily.

 

[Wakaaa]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate your input.

I was planning on becoming an engineer, but really? I can't sit on my butt for more then 10 minutes lol. I'm too hyper, gotta move something. I really can't imagine myself doing anything in the future. If anything I would enjoy owning my own business, but that really requires no degree. I guess I just want to help people and own my own business.
Thanks

 

[mc719]

I think engineering is a pretty good field as well, you probably wouldn't go wrong in either field. So it probably just depends on which one you think you'll enjoy the most. Remember, you'll be doing it for 30+ years.