Primary reason for applying?

[DDSY]

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What is your primary motive for applying to dental school?

Please answer as honestly as possible. This poll is anonymous and you are allowed only 1 choice.

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Edit: If you select other, please post your reason, if you don't mind.

 

[drpduck]

What is your primary motive for applying/having applied to dental school?

Please answer as honestly as possible. This poll is anonymous and you are only allowed 1 choice.

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help other people
money
pre-med drop-out
relatives or friends are in dental-related field
good hand skills or artistic ability
experience with the field
prestige
dentist lifestyle
other

edit: got it to work

I don't think your poll worked, but I will go with #1, to help other people. Despite the lifestyle, money, prestige, when you are studying at 2 am for 5 finals in gross, physio, pharma etc class, you really have to want it. Its going to be 4 years of he** for someone just in it for the $$$$, not that its going to be easy for anyone.

I hated shadowing because I couldn't actually do something to help the person in the chair, all I could do was just stand around and watch. I am grateful that soon it will be my chance to actually make someone feel better!

 

[prez_al]

Dental lifestyle!!!! Its one of the rare jobs where you can help others while earning a decent salary. I combined money and helping others --> dental lifestyle. Setting your own hours isn't too shabby either.

 

[Ething]

i hate it when pple say they go into dentistry to help people. what does that mean? there are so many jobs that help people. if you were going primarily to help people then why not go into medicine? you will help people with their overall health.

 

[pmantz]

My reason is a composite of 4/5 of those options. I have family who are dentists, I admire there lifestyle(spending time with fam), I want to better peoples life do something that matters, money doesn't sour the deal.

 

[prez_al]

i hate it when pple say they go into dentistry to help people. what does that mean? there are so many jobs that help people. if you were going primarily to help people then why not go into medicine? you will help people with their overall health.

Ething,

Keep in mind, many oral diseases could lead to other systemic maladies. Many research schools try to find the link between oral disease and overall health. Promoting good oral hygiene is important in preventing other diseases within the population. Dentistry is a specialized field of medicine IMO and we are doctors.

 

[wizziefiend]

The primary reason I applied was because I wanted to be a dentist.

Applying doesn't make you rich btw...makes you poor

 

[burton117]

A similar poll created a while back that may answer your question...

Poll: What influenced your desire to be a dentist the most?

 

[4thQtrDreams]

I chose Hand Skills/artistic abilities... I mean I definetly want to help people and provide for my family, but if i didn't think i had hand skills and would truly enjoy the physical work of it i don't think i would be interested in dentistry

 

[proline]

Ething,

Keep in mind, many oral diseases could lead to other systemic maladies. Many research schools try to find the link between oral disease and overall health. Promoting good oral hygiene is important in preventing other diseases within the population. Dentistry is a specialized field of medicine IMO and we are doctors.

I shadowed a dentist at a pediatric hospital and he was called up to one of the floors to check on a kid with a swollen face. He identified the source of the problem as an abscess (as the docs suspected) and he dictated the line of treatment. He explained to me that had that abscess not been detected and treated, it could have turned into a systemic infection.

 

[Mainer in Exile]

Not only are you helping people with their total health, but if you're helping people who are low-income, you're making sure that they're not marked for life as being "low-class"... (society's perception, not mine). Just try getting a decent job if your teeth are a mess. I really think that people shouldn't lose college and career opportunities because their parents didn't care enough or didn't have the education or money to take care of their teeth. Sure people do overcome this all the time, and having bad teeth isn't the absolute worst thing that can happen to a human being.... but it can and does cause poor self-esteem and causes people to view you differently. I want to be a dentist to help people and am pleasantly surprised to see that a number of others give this as their primary reason too. Don't get me wrong, a good income and quality of life are great too, but you really can get those things in other careers where you don't have to get so intimate with people... I hear actuaries have it pretty good🙂

 

[DDSY]

All very good points. Even the answers that don't agree (Ething vs. prez_al&proline) are each valid depending on how you see it.

. . .you're helping people who are low-income, you're making sure that they're not marked for life as being "low-class"...

Very good point. An integral component of human communication, and thus appearance, is with the mouth. Bad oral health does lead to low-self esteem, and this is markedly true for many poor individuals.

A similar poll created a while back that may answer your question...

Poll: What influenced your desire to be a dentist the most?

Thank you very much for the reference links

 

[DDSY]

I am suprised that no one has answered "pre-med drop-out" yet. I don't know if this has to do with the fact that no one wants to admit that they were premed and were not successful or if, in fact, dentistry has truly become a profession that many people love.

 

[Revelde]

stable and secure job.

 

[McSexyDDS]

Not only are you helping people with their total health, but if you're helping people who are low-income, you're making sure that they're not marked for life as being "low-class"... (society's perception, not mine). Just try getting a decent job if your teeth are a mess. I really think that people shouldn't lose college and career opportunities because their parents didn't care enough or didn't have the education or money to take care of their teeth. Sure people do overcome this all the time, and having bad teeth isn't the absolute worst thing that can happen to a human being.... but it can and does cause poor self-esteem and causes people to view you differently. I want to be a dentist to help people and am pleasantly surprised to see that a number of others give this as their primary reason too. Don't get me wrong, a good income and quality of life are great too, but you really can get those things in other careers where you don't have to get so intimate with people... I hear actuaries have it pretty good🙂

you are soooo right, i work as a hygienist now at a public health clinic, i have patients who just really really appreciate what we do and provide for them, i have some that cover thier mouths when they laugh, and when there all fixed up it's like they have to learn all over again how to laugh and keep there hand down, may not sound like much for those who had dental care early on and never faced the dental problems as adults, but it makes such a difference in self esteem, it's just...a really good feeling to know your a part of it

 

[johntara04]

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