Not detail-oriented: can I still become a dentist?

[theinternal]

I'm getting ready to begin study for the DAT and work on shadowing. I want to apply for 2020. I graduated college a couple of years ago but have spent the time since working.

My latest job is in the corporate arena and have discovered I am really, really bad with details. My supervisor has mentioned things that I have overlooked or missed. The vast majority of these I thought I had double or even triple checked. In my previous job as a receptionist I had similar issues. It has been really alarming for me to come to the realization that I am simply no good with detail-oriented work.

I did well in my science courses but if I can't become a dentist because of this I'd prefer to know now so I can work on my alternative careers.

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[zToothinator]

Absolutely. However, details are very important in dentistry. Throughout your day-to-day, slow down and really think about what you're doing to make sure you get everything. If you do a similar task over and over again, make a step-by-step checklist to make sure that you don't miss anything. If you consistently overlook/miss the same thing over and over, write it down somewhere and make it your phone's background to always remind yourself to do it and not miss it again.

 

[956139]

Hey man, dental school exists for reason. It's there to train us. We're not expected to be dentists from day 1. Go for it bro

 

[theinternal]

Wow, that's a relief. Dentistry has been my goal for years and it was bothering me to think that I wasn't cut out for it. I think my mind just wanders when there are too many details and steps.

 

[artist2022]

Wow, that's a relief. Dentistry has been my goal for years and it was bothering me to think that I wasn't cut out for it. I think my mind just wanders when there are too many details and steps.

If that's the case, dental school may turn out to be hard for you because it truly is really difficult. I know you said you did well in your science courses, but dental school is so different- there are tons of things to learn and memorize and know 24/7, and in so much more detail than in undergrad courses. And when you've gotten past the science courses, you can't afford to make mistakes when you're doing a procedure on a patient in clinic and your mind wanders and you expose the pulp of the tooth or something else happens and now something that was really small to begin with has become a root canal or an extraction -> very bad.

I'm going to move this thread to the Dental Forum to see what practicing dentists have to say about the day-to-day in the office.

 

[theinternal]

If that's the case, dental school may turn out to be hard for you because it truly is really difficult. I know you said you did well in your science courses, but dental school is so different- there are tons of things to learn and memorize and know 24/7, and in so much more detail than in undergrad courses.

I should clarify: I can handle lots of details when it comes to information.

It's the routine, step-by-step application that trip me up, I've noticed. Having multiple steps to do, over and over. It could be boredom that causes my mind to wander and miss things. If I don't feel challenged by the task then my mind doesn't focus as readily.

And when you've gotten past the science courses, you can't afford to make mistakes when you're doing a procedure on a patient in clinic and your mind wanders and you expose the pulp of the tooth or something else happens and now something that was really small to begin with has become a root canal or an extraction -> very bad.,

This is like the scenario I imagined.

What would be a good activity I could do that simulates common procedures in a dental practice? I'd like to test myself.

 

[2TH MVR]

As others have mentioned. You are thinking too much about this. Dentistry hand skills are an acquired skill set. Proper diagnosing and treatment comes with adequate knowledge beforehand and considerable experience. Graduating DS will give you the tools to improve your hand skills over time. It took me a few years to become the excellent orthodontist that I am 😀.

That said. Some students will be better at lab procedures than others. In the end ... that's what will separate the better clinicians from the just adequate.

 

[956139]

Practicing will be your friend. Spend more time practicing than others and you will just as good if not better, it's that simple at the end of the day .

 

[Saddleshoes]

i am knot a deetail orentied perason. but I do good in my dentist job. i bee thinkin that attention to detail is oover rated.

 

[lemoncurry]

It's possible you may be the type of person whose thought processes don't follow a linear pattern of steps and that's ok. As you learn procedures, you will be given checklists and steps to take, etc. Ultimately, practice is going to be what gets you to the point when you notice all the things you're supposed to look for. For example, messing up on a crown prep in school is one thing, even on a patient, but when you do it on a live patient when you're out of school and get a call back from the lab that you need to modify the prep or something, it really makes you learn quickly to check these things in the future.

Unfortunately you may be in for some long nights in the dental labs if you are consistently missing steps, but I don't think that this will disqualify you from practicing dentistry.

 

[TanMan]

I'm getting ready to begin study for the DAT and work on shadowing. I want to apply for 2020. I graduated college a couple of years ago but have spent the time since working.

My latest job is in the corporate arena and have discovered I am really, really bad with details. My supervisor has mentioned things that I have overlooked or missed. The vast majority of these I thought I had double or even triple checked. In my previous job as a receptionist I had similar issues. It has been really alarming for me to come to the realization that I am simply no good with detail-oriented work.

I did well in my science courses but if I can't become a dentist because of this I'd prefer to know now so I can work on my alternative careers.

Flat out answer: No. You don't need to be detail oriented. It's nice, but it's not needed. What's more important to becoming a profitable dentist is the ability to manage multiple patients and information feeds simultaneously. Being excessively detail oriented will bog you down. I tend to be non-linear when it comes to thought processes. I like to know what I need to accomplish and work in reverse for non-straightforward procedures. People who cannot get past a step because their mind obsesses over a specific step with a specific detail tend to be less productive dentists. Now, if you can think on the fly and get around that troubleshooting step, that's a totally different story. KISS principle applies in dentistry. Less steps, less introduction of errors, faster procedural times. The good thing about dentistry is that it is outcome based. It doesn't matter how you get to the desired outcome, just get to it. There's more than one way to do things. Find what works best for you.

Be like this guy:

I think he has good work principles and procedural efficiency. I wish I could be as fast as him, but I want to disinfect the canals longer. Eventually, I am going to gradually increase the temperature of the bleach (more), find higher concentration bleach for increased efficiency and blend in a surfactant that doesn't react with the naocl.