What qualities do I need to become a good dentist??

[skatertudoroga]

My parents tell me if I go to dental school, I will find out after I finish that I am not fit to be a dentist. That every dentist needs to learn to make crowns. If you put a crown on anterior teeth that does not look natural your career is finished. They say it takes many years after dental school before you become good at anything and that I am not the type of person who could pick up the right skills. That I would go work for someone and get fired. Or I would try to open my office and go bankrupt. How difficult is it to learn to make crowns or root canals or other advanced procedures that most general dentists do? To what level are you trained to do this in dental school?
I must say that I am also considering medical school. But if I were a M3 medical student it is likely that I would stay away from surgical specialties and lean towards IM or EM just to avoid anatomy and creative work.

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[SuperTank]

My parents tell me if I go to dental school, I will find out after I finish that I am not fit to be a dentist. That every dentist needs to learn to make crowns. If you put a crown on anterior teeth that does not look natural your career is finished. They say it takes many years after dental school before you become good at anything and that I am not the type of person who could pick up the right skills. That I would go work for someone and get fired. Or I would try to open my office and go bankrupt. How difficult is it to learn to make crowns or root canals or other advanced procedures that most general dentists do? To what level are you trained to do this in dental school?
I must say that I am also considering medical school. But if I were a M3 medical student it is likely that I would stay away from surgical specialties and lean towards IM or EM just to avoid anatomy and creative work.

Wow, your parents are either really really really honest with you, or really really really mean. Nobody knows you better than you. Dental schools will prepare you for all aspects of dentistry. If there is something that you don't like doing, or that you feel will never really master (like root canals) you can refer your patients to a specialist. You will be given the tools to succeed; it's up to you to put in the hard work.

 

[Bman1047]

But if I were a M3 medical student it is likely that I would stay away from surgical specialties and lean towards IM or EM just to avoid anatomy and creative work.

To avoid Anatomy and Creative work....ummmm...dont think it works like that...sounds like you still have A LOT of research to do. A LOT!

 

[skatertudoroga]

To avoid Anatomy and Creative work....ummmm...dont think it works like that...sounds like you still have A LOT of research to do. A LOT!

I've taken first year medical classes, including anatomy. There is a different set of skills that you need for making a diagnosis based on pathophysiological symptoms versus treating someone (i.e. a nose job) based on your knowledge of anatomy and your "vision".

 

[skatertudoroga]

Wow, your parents are either really really really honest with you, or really really really mean. Nobody knows you better than you. Dental schools will prepare you for all aspects of dentistry. If there is something that you don't like doing, or that you feel will never really master (like root canals) you can refer your patients to a specialist. You will be given the tools to succeed; it's up to you to put in the hard work.

I don't know the intricacies of root canals. But supposedly it is much more learnable than making a "bridge" or some other artwork. So how does it work in dental school?
Lets say you are in D1: do you start by drilling fake teeth on some manequin? Do you do a bunch of other skills such as shaping a tooth to match a crown? Do you start treating cavities in real people in D3? Do you get to do root canals? How many? I know the tutor would first have to show you how to do it on a live person. But how do you transition to doing it on your own?

What exactly are you doing in those "dental labs" in D1 and D2 before you get to placing cavities in real people?

 

[Bman1047]

I've taken first year medical classes, including anatomy. There is a different set of skills that you need for making a diagnosis based on pathophysiological symptoms versus treating someone (i.e. a nose job) based on your knowledge of anatomy and your "vision".

I have to disagree...since you have taken 1st year medical classes, one thing you should have noticed is how they are all connected. Thats why they teach these basics to ALL doctors, because they are imperative. Grant it, one specialty may use one aspect of medicine more often than another (i.e Cardiac surgeon vs. Dermatologist), but I'm quite sure a dermatologist still knows where the left brachiocephalic artery is...get my drift. I don't think there is going to be complete avoidance (especially in Emergency medicine), perhaps just less reference depending on the field.

Don't think nose jobs are a form of treatment btw...

Best of luck in your endeavors.

 

[DatRat86]

I dont know if you know this but in your first couple years of dental school you have to learn how to wax up and shape teeth. You also have to experience making dentures, crowns, and all of that fun stuff. But once you get to your 4th year, all you have to do is send it to the lab and they make everything for you! It will be the same thing when you get out of D school, most all dentists pay a lab to make crowns, dentures and pretty much everything else. The dentist is there to drill and prep the teeth. Anyeay I could go on and on but yeah like someone said before it sounds like you need to do a lot more research on what dentist actually do and dont do!

 

[Stephie3]

ok first of all, your parents cant predict the future. saying stupid stuff like "you'll go bankrupt"..that's ridiculous.

even IF you get out of dental school and still dont feel confident about your dentistry skills, you can apply for GPRs. During GPRs, you are still monitored by dentists and you aren't responsible for any screw-ups, so doing one would help you to become more competent and faster.

also, saying stuff like "you wouldnt be good at crowns"..how do they know?

ok i am going to be a second year and there were people in my class that sucked at lab classes at first. but they just had to practice a little harder than everyone else and most everyone in my class except for a few people passed the lab stuff this year.

you dont really see a lot of people flunking out of dental school. if you suck at lab classes, the school is willing to help you and give you multiple opportunities to pass stuff.

i had a lot of animosity towards me when i was doing my interviews for dental school. people told me i was too soft and quiet that i wouldnt make a good dentist. stupid stuff like that. but people REALLY harassed me. i even had a psycho roommate that said she didnt think i should be a dentist because i was "disrespectful" (even though i wasnt and she was fat and lazy and stupid and doing bad in classes when i was doing good in them)

ok so what one person tells you are isnt what you have to be. you decide your own future by how hard you want to work and how determined you are to persevere in spite of what other people say. dont let people's mere words stop you from something you might be really good at with just a bit of practice.

how do olympic athletes get good at stuff? they arent sitting around counting on their natural talent, they are working out and practicing like 10 hours a day to get better. just start thinking like that.

 

[Stephie3]

might i add that the reason i've seen most people struggle in dental school (not including people with a family to take care of and stuff like that) is MAINLY because of their laziness. my roommate was the perfect example of that. like you dont know lazy til youve seen how she does nothing all the time lol and that is probably why she failed an anatomy test.


sometimes you just have to be like "screw what everyone else thinks!!! i'm going to be a dentist!! grrrr"- show them what youre made of

 

[Stephie3]

also, i havent really heard of many dental practices going bankrupt unless there's something really wrong. if you ever go to a dental conference, you'll notice that you'll have people from companies ALL OVER YOU that want to get a bite of your practice. one guy from a company told me that dental practices were the ONLY thing his company invested in because they are a "sure" deal.

even if by some freak happening you did go bankrupt, then you would just have to go work for someone else instead. which that might not be as ideal, but you still wouldnt be out on the streets begging.

if you want to eat dinner, go to dental school.

 

[skatertudoroga]

Thank you for your answers. I did more reading. So this is what is bothering:
I am interested in schools in Australia. Same 4yr program as here. And in Australia it is very easy to get a job as an associate when you graduate. But what if you did not learn enough in dental school to become an expert at anything? I.e. you would not be good at placing dentures, root canals, crowns, or obviously implants. So some people do residencies, as you suggested there are GPRs in USA. But in Australia there are only very competitive endo,perio,ortho,etc residencies. So if you want to beome an expert at doing root canals but can't get into the residency are you stuck as an associate? I think it would not be a good idea to open your own office unless you are very good at some things(not necessarily had a residency, i understand most dentists are GPs but you should still be good). So how would you improve yourself if you were average as a dental student and obviously didn't get into residency? I mean most of those CE courses are 1-2days, so I doubt you would learn much from them.