why do pre-dents get so excited about teeth?

[Tony.]

Im just curious, what do you all find so amazing about dentistry for you to become pre-dents?. Dont get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with looking at teeth for the rest of your life....I just dont find it very interesting. Im actually always on the Optometry forum posting questions and getting answers from optometrists or even ophthalmologists.....
I wont lie, my influence to become an optometrist stems for the fact that my dad is blind.....but......hmmm Dentristry? how did you all get inspired to get into THAT?

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[PERFECT3435]

i don't think anyone has this much patience to answer your question.

why don't you do a search on here and find out what most people think. this question has been answered here several times.

frankly, i just have a feeling that you are another troll.

 

[DDSdude]

For me, believe it or not, dentistry and "teeth" can be very complicated and intricate with many layers/aspects to address. Good oral health and healthy teeth are a very important part of life. I have seen patients from all walks of life and from different "schools" of oral education. I have seen a "tough guy" come in and beg for the pain to go away and shake a dentists hand after they relieve the intense pain.

I have also seen a patient come in who was embarassed to smile and you could see how it has had a tremendous negative impact on their life and throughout their life. I have seen the same person a month later with a whole reconstruction performed. They sobbed like a child in gratitude. Her life was impacted and changed for the better and it was all due to her "teeth".

Reconstruction, cosmetic, surgery, ortho, perio, etc can be very challenging and rewarding. Solving problems and impacting other's lives for the better will be very exciting and motivating for me. Not to mention the ability to control my time and the lifestyle I can provide for my family is an added bonus and one that went into my decision to pursue dentistry.

Those above, and many others have led to my desire and "excitement of looking at teeth all day."

 

[KDBuff]

I think I initially became interested in dentistry for the same reasons everyone always says... impacting patients, control over lifestyle, etc, etc... but now that I've been working as an assistant, I can say that I absolutely LOVE IT! I really don't even know how to explain it, or what specifically it is, but I have a feeling others having experienced this same situation.

 

[UBTom]

This afternoon I was on emergency rotation.

The senior DA in my clinic group hands me a chart. Patient in pain.

I walk out to the reception area and there she is. A young woman in her 20s who just moved to Buffalo and didn't know who to go to for dental care. She couldn't sleep for the past three days, constant dull pain. Took 1 PA x-ray, did endo screening. Dx: Hyperemic tooth #31, irreversible pulpitis.

Normally I couldn't get a pretty girl to give me the time of day. You should see the gratitude in her eyes the moment I administered the mandibular block with one carp of Lido/epi-- instant relief from the pain!

Talk about job satisfaction!

 

[Jack Worthing]

I guess we're the kids who never stopped believing in the tooth fairy.

It can be a beautiful thing to see a dentist get a tooth made/modified just right. It's tough to remember sometimes, but everyone's teeth are unique. That's why coroners are able to identify remains by dental records. So it's a challenge in dentistry, a real art-form, to make functional, pain-relieving, and aesthetically pleasing dental appliances/modifications in people's mouths... and, as the above posters have noted, many patients appreciate it at least just as much. Dentistry has come a long way since the "barber-surgeons" of colonial America .. and its possibilities are continually expanding at a very fast rate..

Try "The Excruciating History of Dentistry" by James Wyndbrandt for more on humans' fixation with teeth

 

[boboli_chef]

Im just curious, what do you all find so amazing about dentistry for you to become pre-dents?. Dont get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with looking at teeth for the rest of your life....I just dont find it very interesting. Im actually always on the Optometry forum posting questions and getting answers from optometrists or even ophthalmologists.....
I wont lie, my influence to become an optometrist stems for the fact that my dad is blind.....but......hmmm Dentristry? how did you all get inspired to get into THAT?

Asking about why someone is interested in a particular field is like wondering why two dissimilar people are in a romantic relationship. Those hypothetical two are the only ones who truly understand, while those on the outside must suffice with trying to make the explanation fit their schema of the world.

 

[RaiderNation]

Agreed. Stupid question. Why do engineers become engineers? Why do MD's become MD's? Why do ooptometrists become optometrists? Fact is...who the freak cares!? If you don't like it, don't go into it. If you do, then do it. C'mon fellaz! Another stupid thread!!!

 

[freedyx3]

TEETH just get me so incredibly excited. Sometimes I just sit around and thing bout teeth and it gets me sooo happy. And last night I had a dream where I married a tooth named Juanita. Oh what a grand dream it was.

 

[RaiderNation]

So now the OP is a pre-optometry student that has transformed himself/herself into a member of the adcom? Great post dprice!!!

 

[3rdMolarRoller]

Not to many other professions out there in which you hold a 430,000 rpm drill and try to make a .8mm hole

I love this field for the challenge. I would hate a dull job. Plus your co-workers are usually hot as hell (don't tell my fiance )

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by Brocnizer2007
Not to many other professions out there in which you hold a 430,000 rpm drill and try to make a .8mm hole

I love this field for the challenge. I would hate a dull job. Plus your co-workers are usually hot as hell (don't tell my fiance )

I'm glad someone else had the cajones to say this first. The least I can do is concur...and don't tell my fiancée either.

 

[Jack Worthing]

true.

 

[Tony.]

thank you all for posting reply's....I was curious as to what gave you the influence to want to become dentists and most of you either chose to 1. whine 2. belittle my question or 3. change the topic altogether.

everyone----except for UB Tom. thank you man......you're the only one that hit the nail on the head.....

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by anothertony
thank you all for posting reply's....I was curious as to what gave you the influence to want to become dentists and most of you either chose to 1. whine 2. belittle my question or 3. change the topic altogether.

everyone----except for UB Tom. thank you man......you're the only one that hit the nail on the head.....

Several of us, myself included, found your original question condescending and offensive. It's extremely narrow-minded and ignores a very significant portion of our profession, much as if any of us had posted in the opto forums, aghast at how you people can stand the idea of spending four years of doctoral education so you can be glorified opticians. Get the point?

 

[UBTom]

Originally posted by anothertony
thank you all for posting reply's....I was curious as to what gave you the influence to want to become dentists and most of you either chose to 1. whine 2. belittle my question or 3. change the topic altogether.

The reason why you have been looked down upon by the other posters is because your original post was rather prejudicial-- You stated right then and there "I don't find dentistry interesting" and thus the predents would only think you are out to ridicule them.

I'm sure anyone who goes into the optometry forums and posts right off the bat "I don't find optometry interesting" is going to get flamed too.

Just be mindful of the faux pas in the future.

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by UBTom
The reason why you have been looked down upon by the other posters is because your original post was rather prejudicial-- You stated right then and there "I don't find dentistry interesting" and thus the predents would only think you are out to ridicule them.

I'm sure anyone who goes into the optometry forums and posts right off the bat "I don't find optometry interesting" is going to get flamed too.

Just be mindful of the faux pas in the future.

You're so much more diplomatic than I am, Tom.

 

[Tony.]

I'll still stick to my guns and say that I dont find dentistry interesting. HOWEVER ...I bet some people dont find Optometry interesting......I know that.....
this is why different people have different professions...we need to celebrate and understand our differences......

uuuh.....

 

[trypmo]

Originally posted by anothertony
I'll still stick to my guns and say that I dont find dentistry interesting. HOWEVER ...I bet some people dont find Optometry interesting......I know that.....
this is why different people have different professions...we need to celebrate and understand our differences......

I'm sorry you've gotten a little flamed for asking an honest question. Not all of us in this forum are like that. At least some of us are still willing to give people the benefit of the doubt when the phrasing/tone of a post is ambiguous.

Sheeesh.




P.S. Go Texas!!

 

[UBTom]

Originally posted by anothertony
I'll still stick to my guns and say that I dont find dentistry interesting. HOWEVER ...I bet some people dont find Optometry interesting......I know that.....
this is why different people have different professions...we need to celebrate and understand our differences......

Well, a self-centered statement like "I'm not interested in dentistry and I wonder how could anyone possibly be interested in it!" doesn't really jive with "celebrating and understanding differences."

Anyway, I'm sure your statement is an unintentional faux pas. Just keep in mind that a little tact goes a long way, and not just with pre-dents-- This is true with with pre-meds, pre-laws and any other pre's you can think of.

We don't "love looking at teeth" per se. There is also the intellectual challenge, the artistry, the neat technology, the lifetime of learning, and most importantly, THE PEOPLE-- patients, fellow practitioners, educators and students. That's what the dental profession is to me.

Hell, I do lots more than "look at teeth all day," as evident in my previous post about my emergency rotation.

 

[anamod]

Originally posted by UBTom
This afternoon I was on emergency rotation.

Normally I couldn't get a pretty girl to give me the time of day. You should see the gratitude in her eyes the moment I administered the mandibular block with one carp of Lido/epi-- instant relief from the pain!

Talk about job satisfaction!

I see the real reason that you are becoming a dentist now.

I agree with anothertony I find dentistry interesting but i find optometry boring. I really could care less what anyone else thinks about my profession and no one sould care what I say about their profession. People who try to defend their profession in my mind have some insecurities about their chosen profession.

 

[UBTom]

If you got something against job satisfaction, that's your problem. *shrug*

 

[RaiderNation]

Originally posted by UBTom
Well, a self-centered statement like "I'm not interested in dentistry and I wonder how could anyone possibly be interested in it!" doesn't really jive with "celebrating and understanding differences."

I agree. LET'S FLAME THIS PUNK!!!! DEATH TO THE OP!!!

 

[gryffindor]

I'll try and not flame you and answer the question instead.

To use your words, why do I find dentistry "amazing" and "interesting?"

Because I found learning about eyes, livers, hearts, kidneys, cells, genes, evolution, bacteria, fungi, and almost every other topic always covered in Bio courses very uninteresting. Bio plain sucked for me. I think it was unfair that I had to learn about the physiology of every system in the body (lungs? brain? muscles? WHY?????) and the teeth always got ignored in high school & college science courses. To learn more about teeth, I went to dental school.

Now I learn about teeth and everything related to them 24/7. And I love it! Do your optometry thing, and check my eyes for me once a year, but I don't find it interesting at all. Problems with your teeth? Cool, bring it on, I'd love to help you take care of it.

 

[hafido]

It's obvious you mentioned your father's condition because you want to validate your reason for becoming an optometrist, but people don't have to have an inherent calling to do something/anything. We all choose dentistry for many reasons, namely: prestige, alternative to MD, money, hours, genuine intrest in teeth, artistry etc. If I were to tell you that my father never had teeth, would that validate me? Believe me, that is not a wise crack, and in no way am I trying to flame you, but your OP is sort of short sighted when you reason it through. That you dislike dentistry... great! It's a big world out there with lot's of likes and dislikes.

 

[Supernumerary]

Because I found learning about eyes, livers, hearts, kidneys, cells, genes, evolution, bacteria, fungi, and almost every other topic always covered in Bio courses very uninteresting. Bio plain sucked for me. I think it was unfair that I had to learn about the physiology of every system in the body (lungs? brain? muscles? WHY?????) and the teeth always got ignored in high school & college science courses. To learn more about teeth, I went to dental school.

Where do you go to school again, Griffin? It sounds like I should have gone there, cause dental school so far has been pretty much learning about "eyes, livers, hearts, kidneys, cells, genes, evolution, bacteria, fungi, and almost every other topic always covered in Bio courses." It would be nice to learn someting else, like, oh, I don't know... dentistry.

 

[Tony.]

freedyx3,

you're funny! but dont make fun of me....I just wanted to know thats all. I'll stick to studying about the eyes, and you keep learning about teeth. cool?

 

[anamod]

Originally posted by UBTom
If you got something against job satisfaction, that's your problem. *shrug*

No its not that it's the that girl woulld not give me the time of daything. Your really just using this career to meet the ladies

 

[UBTom]

Originally posted by anamod
No its not that it's the that girl woulld not give me the time of daything. Your really just using this career to meet the ladies

Oh stop blubbering. What do you care if others enjoy job satisfaction? There isn't a law that requires everyone to be as miserable as you, FYI.

And for the record, if a dental student's primary goal is to meet the ladies, he would have gone to Nova at Fort Lauderdale. Yah-E can testify to all the bikini beauties near his school.

 

[ShawnOne]

I was in Ft. Lauderdale for only 2 days and even I can testify to that!

Nova

 

[anamod]

Originally posted by UBTom
Oh stop blubbering. What do you care if others enjoy job satisfaction? There isn't a law that requires everyone to be as miserable as you, FYI.

When did I say I was miserable. It's just like a "type a" dental student like your self to say something like this

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by anamod
When did I say I was miserable. It's just like a "type a" dental student like your self to say something like this

Give it up, man. You're here, apparently trying to instigate some sort of flame war with Tom, and you still can't muster anything that sounds like conviction. Go big or go home!

 

[anamod]

I never tryed to start some flame war I simply thought it was a amusing that he stated I got to help a girl that normally would not give me the time of day. Personally I love dentistry but hate dental school with a passion, I guess you could say I'm miserable, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I never tried to cut Tom down, he thought I was bad mouthing the idea of being able to help people and enjoy it. I just cut and pasted to much in his orginal post. I'm sorry if you took this the wrong way but if that is the way you see it than oh well.

 

[gryffindor]

Hey anamod, I think Tom was being sarcastic (in a humorous way) in his "job satisfaction" response to you. Obviously, sarcasm can easily be lost in an online forum.

 

[anamod]

I thought that also but Bill thought that we I was lighting a match to start a flame war

 

[RaiderNation]

It's all right anamod. I too have had "unexpected" run ins with the notorious Baldy Bill Johnson (no offense Bill). I think he likes fire.

 

[Tony.]

I'd rather get with a lady that has beautiful eyes than hygenic teeth.....take it from me, your future optometrist.

 

[Tony.]

OK SORRY!! I JUST REALIZED WHAT I SAID!
I wouldnt be able to kiss a woman with bad teeth.........
and no kissing = no job satisfaction !

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by RaiderNation
It's all right anamod. I too have had "unexpected" run ins with the notorious Baldy Bill Johnson (no offense Bill). I think he likes fire.

Nah. I'm just not afraid of expressing disagreement with others. I keep hoping some people around here will learn to take things less personally (like it seems you have, actually), but I wouldn't put down money on it ever happening.

 

[3rdMolarRoller]

Hi!

So how are things?

 

[ItsGavinC]

Glad to see that the meaness that has become SDN can still exist without my being around. My baby's getting big now. :: sniff ::

 

[preludexl]

Originally posted by Brocnizer2007
Not to many other professions out there in which you hold a 430,000 rpm drill and try to make a .8mm hole

I love this field for the challenge. I would hate a dull job. Plus your co-workers are usually hot as hell (don't tell my fiance )

So you are implying your fiancee isn't "hot as hell"???