The career of dentistry

[jamesTT]

Hello everyone,


I am new to this forum and really interested in learning a great deal from it. I am currently in my second year and planning on writing the DAT soon. I was first considering medicine when I first started University but I have decided to pursue dentistry.

Some of the reason's I chose dentistry was the autonomy, the fact that I like working with my hands, and genuiely would like to feel that i am doing important work. The only questions I have is Dentistry a secure proffession for the long run ( iam pretty sure it is), and does it get monontous or does it still feel challeging after many years? Thanks

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Zurik5]

I'm not in the profession yet, but I'm guessing that your answers will be:
yes, yes, and yes.

 

[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

I am only a sophomore dental student so I can't really speak from any experience but it seems to me that most any job is going to get a little monotonous after a while. Even the most glamorous jobs I'm sure don't seem quite so exciting after you've done it long enough. Veteran NFL players probably think, "dang it, another football game?!!!" But the scope of dentistry is broad enough that you will never be able to master it all; even the most experienced doctors will tell you that there is always something new to learn. As a private practitioner you have the ability to add new procedures to your repertoire at any time and to simply stop (or at least limit) those procedures that you no longer enjoy.

As for long-term security, there is no doubt in my mind that people in the future will continue to be born with teeth.

 

[spidergirl]

I was wondering what is the retirement age for dentist - if there is one?

 

[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

I have heard that the average age of retirement for dentists is quite a bit higher than many other professions (It seems like I remember seeing 71. Can that be right?) The interesting thing though is that it has nothing to do with financial inability to retire, but rather the fact that so many dentists can't bear the thought of NOT practicing dentistry. Instead they opt to just keep treating the existing patient pool for 1 day a week or so until they simply no longer have the dexterity or the eyesight.

 

[Typo]

As for long-term security, there is no doubt in my mind that people in the future will continue to be born with teeth.

Rumor has it that a secret Al Qaeda plot is aimed at special fluoridation of our water in order to create American children born without teeth, which will lead to the collapse of dentistry as we know it. I'd keep your options open, buddy.

 

[jamesTT]

Typo,


Really, that sucks for you guys as I am Canadian so it most likely won't affect my business as Canada is so irrevelant that they'll leave are teeth alone. However, I am sure if you responded to me with the attitude you did in your last thread, in person, I guarantee I would have removed your two front teeth

 

[larryphrank]

Implants

 

[jamesTT]

You dentist's are always thinking ahead, $$$$$$$ Gotta love it!!