Why Dentistry(no bs)?

Started by raptor93
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raptor93

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I am curious to know why do you want to go into dentistry. I don't care about the answer you will give the person who takes your interview, but what exactly do you like about this career?

The reason I ask is that everyone says money/good lifestyle isn't a good motivator, and honestly you dont have to spend 8 years in school to learn how to help people.

I would think mostly due to family pressure or money...
 
I'm interested in many different fields, and dentistry just happened to integrate most of them together. (Small business ownership, materials science, health, etc)..

Another legit reason is so that I can obtain a skill that will allow me to help others abroad, especially in my parents home country.
 
Autonomy, great blend of science/art, giving back to a community, working with hands, involvement in the latest dental technolgies, and the lifestyle it provides
 
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Same with customx, especially on the science/art thing. And working intricately with my hands.
 
Honestly, the work hours attracted me to it at first. Also, I noticed that my dentist sibling was happier than my medicine sibling. Well, my pharmacy sibling was happy too, but I didn't want to sit and count pills all day.
 
it was work hours for me from elementary school to high school then it became omfs from college onward
 
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I haven't decided if I will take the DAT or MCAT yet. I need to do a bunch of shadowing before I can be sure, but here's why I'm currently leaning towards Dentistry:

1. Working 30-40 hours a week! I have hobbies, and I would like time to do them!
2. Salary. 150-200K sounds pretty darn good to me. Will I be driving a Lambo? No. But I'll be fine with an Audi Allroad until I retire.
3. I know what I will be doing after I graduate, unlike Medicine where the Residency you match into depends on a single test(USMLE Step 1)
4. And speaking of Residency, it's only OPTIONAL if you go Dental.
5. The only Residencies I'm interested in in Medical are Ophthalmology, Radiology, or Orthopedic Surgery. All three of which are highly competitive, so I don't know if I would actually get to do any of them.
6. I think owning your own practice would be cool. I'm a photographer, so I would love to put up my own photos to decorate my office.

That about sums it up from my perspective. If residency wasn't so arbitrary, I would totally become an Ophthalmologist. However, it seems like I would have to be the cream of the crop in order to be competitive.
 
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Have you ever been in the situation where your dentist just put on new crowns, bridges, or other restorative work on a geriatric patient? Some of those patients have not been able to smile confidently for decades! It's amazing how much impact you can have on a patient's physical and mental well-being.

That's some powerful stuff my friend..
 
ktran17 said:
Have you ever been in the situation where your dentist just put on new crowns, bridges, or other restorative work on a geriatric patient? Some of those patients have not been able to smile confidently for decades! It's amazing how much impact you can have on a patient's physical and mental well-being.

That's some powerful stuff my friend..
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People are always like "Oh, the Dentist is just painful and I HATE IT." I agree.......getting a filling or something like that isn't too fun. However, like you pointed out, there's the whole cosmetic aspect of dentistry where you are literally changing people's perspective of themselves and boosting their self-confidence. Those are the people who can't wait to see the Dentist! And then there's the people who go because they have tooth pain and sensitivity. They are happy to see you too just like a sick person is happy to see the Doctor.
 
lifelong patient relationships, creating your own "masterpiece" with your own hands with each new case, lifestyle ($$$ + being involved with my family more instead of swamped with work)
 
gn4 said:
Honestly, the work hours attracted me to it at first. Also, I noticed that my dentist sibling was happier than my medicine sibling. Well, my pharmacy sibling was happy too, but I didn't want to sit and count pills all day.
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Get a lawyer in the family and you are set for life! 😛
 
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Mad Jack said:
The last one of these threads that I saw on predent, 7 out of 10 answers were "money." The honesty was refreshing and awesome.
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Money is nice, but I think my primary reason would just be for the hours. What good is it to be making 200k a year if you don't have the time to spend it with your family? Maybe those surgeons are pulling in 400-500k, but they are working 70 hours a week. Not my cup of tea.
 
Gregor Wiesmann said:
Money is nice, but I think my primary reason would just be for the hours. What good is it to be making 200k a year if you don't have the time to spend it with your family? Maybe those surgeons are pulling in 400-500k, but they are working 70 hours a week. Not my cup of tea.
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If I had the manual dexterity for it I'd have gone for dentistry in a heartbeat. It is a great field, with high autonomy, nice hours, and great pay.
 
Mad Jack said:
If I had the manual dexterity for it I'd have gone for dentistry in a heartbeat. It is a great field, with high autonomy, nice hours, and great pay.
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Unless you're a potato without hands, I doubt you would have struggled.

And as for the previous thread, perhaps some semi-troll answers?
 
Why dentistry? "Why do men build bridges? Why are there jets? I was hoping to have sex tonight."
 
Mad Jack said:
If I had the manual dexterity for it I'd have gone for dentistry in a heartbeat. It is a great field, with high autonomy, nice hours, and great pay.
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it is my understanding they teach such things in dental school. much like they teach the surgical techniques in (real) doctor school.

if you haven't applied med, it's not too late. we have cookies.
 
Ferneezy said:
it is my understanding they teach such things in dental school. much like they teach the surgical techniques in (real) doctor school.

if you haven't applied med, it's not too late. we have cookies.
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y3nd0 said:
Unless you're a potato without hands, I doubt you would have struggled.

And as for the previous thread, perhaps some semi-troll answers?
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I've got hands that are just shaky as hell and very poor spatial perception. While I'm sure I could overcome it with work, I'd rather do something I have a greater natural aptitude for, hence my going to medical school instead of dental school.
 
Mad Jack said:
I've got hands that are just shaky as hell and very poor spatial perception. While I'm sure I could overcome it with work, I'd rather do something I have a greater natural aptitude for, hence my going to medical school instead of dental school.
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no worries. at least you know where your strengths are and have the stones to follow a path that maximizes them.
 
Hours, being able to work with my hands, and being able to choose where I want to work are probably the biggest three for me. I also really enjoy art (drawing, sculpting, 3D modelling, etc.) and dentistry provides me the option of doing some freelance work outside of my practice. Oh, and the money is a perk too. Can't forget the money 😛
 
tendram said:
Hours, being able to work with my hands, and being able to choose where I want to work are probably the biggest three for me. I also really enjoy art (drawing, sculpting, 3D modelling, etc.) and dentistry provides me the option of doing some freelance work outside of my practice. Oh, and the money is a perk too. Can't forget the money 😛
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Yeah, I want to do freelance work too! I'm a photographer, and I really want to sell landscape/wildlife photos printed on canvas part-time. Also, I want to get my real estate license and sell houses and buy rental properties. I don't think I will have time to do all the things I want to do if I go Medical.
 
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- getting to eventually own your own business,
- being highly technical and being able to perform your craft,
- respect,
- being in a profession that will likely never be replaced or be outdated,
- being able to use these skills pretty much anywhere in the world as dentistry and good hygiene goes further than just first world problems which is good if i ever plan to leave the country or want to live elsewhere
- go into teaching at graduate level where students are actually motivated

i dont really have to worry about making money, I just need to pay back my loans
maybe I'm too narrowminded or haven't lived long enough, but other than a house, being able to provide a good education for my kids in the future, and setting a good example I've never liked going on vacation or travelling somewhere just to relax and veg out. I'm not into cars or brand labels either.
 
gn4 said:
haha. funny you mention that, but my brother's wife is a malpractice lawyer. haha. She's the kind of lawyer we don't like though.
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+1.

Medical malpractice is a great part of law to belong to. Getting easier and easier to sue docs each day it seems. Lots of states that previously had malpractice caps, are now getting rid of them, which sucks for us but is great for the lawyers.

I picked dentistry because you are in a business with demand, autonomy (unlike medicine), a less hectic lifestyle (more free time for other business pursuits), and being able to help people. The days where dentistry made ppl rich are long gone, but I still believe there is room for potential and I also think I can earn enough money (and retain free time) to pump capital into a variety of businesses outside of dentistry that I'm hoping of pursuing and am hoping will get me to 'rich'.
 
Also, another thing to think about is making your patients feel safe. Not to brag or anything, but I'm a pretty good looking guy. Okay, I'm not Abercrombie and Fitch model status, but I do have a very calming and relaxing way of talking. I think taking my slightly introverted and relaxed personality into dental would be very good, because I think my patients would be a little bit less freaked out when they have to make an appointment.
 
authority.. prestige.. opportunity to earn the funds needed to invest my money to make money .. those are a few of my reasons. 4 day work weeks doesn't hurt either.
 
I applaud your ambition and compassion. However, the Communist regime in Viet Nam is very oppressive. You will need to jump through bureaucratic BS in order to be able to offer your service for the needy (for free I might add). The people appreciate you greatly, it's just the gov't officials who are always looking for bribe $. Argh!
Good luck to you.

ktran17 said:
I'm interested in many different fields, and dentistry just happened to integrate most of them together. (Small business ownership, materials science, health, etc)..

Another legit reason is so that I can obtain a skill that will allow me to help others abroad, especially in my parents home country.
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Ne Ge said:
I applaud your ambition and compassion. However, the Communist regime in Viet Nam is very oppressive. You will need to jump through bureaucratic BS in order to be able to offer your service for the needy (for free I might add). The people appreciate you greatly, it's just the gov't officials who are always looking for bribe $. Argh!
Good luck to you.
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I am actually interested in hearing more about this. When you mean oppressive, do you mean like on the scale of North Korea (i.e rapid imprisonment, total crushing of freedom of speech, etc)? I've always wanted to visit Vietnam.
 
Miley Cyrus. said:
I am actually interested in hearing more about this. When you mean oppressive, do you mean like on the scale of North Korea (i.e rapid imprisonment, total crushing of freedom of speech, etc)? I've always wanted to visit Vietnam.
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It's not to the scale of North Korea, but most like countries, it is full of corruption. If you want to participate in missionary trips there, you will have to bribe your way in the country so that you can offer free dental care.

For example, you will have to give money to the health governing board, village/city 's mayor, local police authority and other authorities in control of the general vicinity..
 
ktran17 said:
It's not to the scale of North Korea, but most like countries, it is full of corruption. If you want to participate in missionary trips there, you will have to bribe your way in the country so that you can offer free dental care.

For example, you will have to give money to the health governing board, village/city 's mayor, local police authority and other authorities in control of the general vicinity..
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Oh ok. So I guess the main issue is with corruption, not necessarily government sponsored violence?
 
I think the big thing that persuaded me to choose dentistry over medical was the unique patient ineraction. It seems to me that doctors are in and out of rooms and doing more paper work than patient work these days. Dentists have one of the most, if not, most personable professions out there. On top of this there is the speciality that is involved. Yes, the hours, the paycheck, the notoriety.....sure they are appealing. But, in my eyes dentistry is a unique field, in which, provides care to folks, improving not only their oral health, but their overall health. It's a profession that is rewarding in that you not only help people with their health, but you connect with them on a super personal level.

On a real level. Find a passion for your field. I hate it when I see medical professionals who are obviously unhappy. If you have passion the. You will get there. Don't abuse dentistry because you want respect or money. Do it because you want it. Because you want to help.
 
raptor93 said:
I am curious to know why do you want to go into dentistry. I don't care about the answer you will give the person who takes your interview, but what exactly do you like about this career?

The reason I ask is that everyone says money/good lifestyle isn't a good motivator, and honestly you dont have to spend 8 years in school to learn how to help people.

I would think mostly due to family pressure or money...
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Why would money and a good lifestyle not be good motivators? People act like it's a crime to want to have a nice life/living comfortably.
 
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NMC2010 said:
Why would money and a good lifestyle not be good motivators? People act like it's a crime to want to have a nice life/living comfortably.
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This. Being there for your patients in quite possibly one of the most hated doctor visits. Long term relationships/trust you build with your patients. Ability to operate your own practice. No need for specialization.
 
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NMC2010 said:
Why would money and a good lifestyle not be good motivators? People act like it's a crime to want to have a nice life/living comfortably.
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Money and lifestyle SHOULD be motivators! However, you should also make sure that it will be work you enjoy too! It seems like Dentistry is the sweet spot(pun intended) between years of school, working hours, and salary.
 
NMC2010 said:
Why would money and a good lifestyle not be good motivators? People act like it's a crime to want to have a nice life/living comfortably.
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Beats me, I guess it seems a bit too shallow on our part as future dental professionals. But when I think about it, it makes sense. I'm sure you must've worked with a decent amount of people while shadowing or volunteering or working, and don't you hate being around or working with people that aren't passionate about their jobs or are always complaining.
 
NMC2010 said:
Why would money and a good lifestyle not be good motivators? People act like it's a crime to want to have a nice life/living comfortably.
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The problem is if these are your only motivations, there are plenty of areas to cut corners to reduce chair time (chair time == money), and/or get back to your fishing boat. You may or may not be caught, it's a very ambiguous situation for a patient to be in.

If it's your primary motivation now, it may be your only motivation in the future as the rest of the job wears on you.

Then again, there's the concept of "overjustification," which may get even the best among us, regardless of whether money is a motivator now.
 
techyguy said:
The problem is if these are your only motivations, there are plenty of areas to cut corners to reduce chair time (chair time == money), and/or get back to your fishing boat. You may or may not be caught, it's a very ambiguous situation for a patient to be in.

If it's your primary motivation now, it may be your only motivation in the future as the rest of the job wears on you.

Then again, there's the concept of "overjustification," which may get even the best among us, regardless of whether money is a motivator now.
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I don't think there is anything wrong with doing efficient work, so long as you are providing quality care to your patient. I'm a perfectionist, so I believe I could do quite well in Dentistry or any other type of surgery. I like teeth and eyes, which is why I want to be either a Dentist or an Ophthalmologist. If I did something like Dermatology, it would be solely for the money. I think both Dentistry and Ophthalmology appeal to me so much because both offer precise surgery on a particular part of the body, and you have the ability to dramatically improve your patients life in just one visit!(Cataract surgery or cosmetic dentistry). I know that I would be happy in either of these fields, so the hard part now is deciding whether or not I want to risk not matching once I get into Medical school.
 
techyguy said:
The problem is if these are your only motivations, there are plenty of areas to cut corners to reduce chair time (chair time == money), and/or get back to your fishing boat. You may or may not be caught, it's a very ambiguous situation for a patient to be in.

If it's your primary motivation now, it may be your only motivation in the future as the rest of the job wears on you.

Then again, there's the concept of "overjustification," which may get even the best among us, regardless of whether money is a motivator now.
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If you don't own your own practice, is chair time still the only factor for your income? If a dentist is on a salary, with several other dentist, wouldn't chair time not be a factor?
 
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