Why you want to be a dentist

[init4damoney]

I haven't been posting long, but I've noticed not only in this forum, but also in the MD/DO forums, people asking if you would go into your chosen/future profession if you didn't make the money you do or can. I seriously wonder what goes through the mind of people who say if they made only 50k a year they would still be a dentist or doctor. Let's get real here. How in the world would you pay back your loans?!?! Here's my top three reasons why I've chosen dentistry. Feel free to post your three reasons also!!

#1- Money, plain and simple. I have a wife, a child, and one on the way. I'm pretty sure there will be a couple more to come. I want to be able to support them financially. If I can make it so my wife doesn't have to work, I will. I can also do the humanitarian things I want to do, like going to 3rd world countries and provide a service that they most likely lack. Dentistry gives me that option.

#2- Time. I can work 3-4 days a week and make more than enough to support me and my family. If I want to take off for a 3 day weekend with my family I can. I don't have to worry about calling in sick or getting the day off and losing money. I'm not gonna work on fridays anyways!

#3- Prestige. I like the fact that I can be called doctor. Dentistry is a respected profession just about anywhere you go. I think it shows that you are someone who is hard working and dedicated.

Other reasons like being my own boss, owning a business, etc. also follow, but these are the top 3 reasons why I chose dentistry.

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[PERFECT3434]

here we go again,

well, take my word for it, i am notinit4damoney

 

[UBTom]

Frankly, I find the stance that "if you don't get paid as much you won't go into dentistry" a bit simplistic.

It all boils down to supply and demand. There IS demand out there for dental care, and if dentists aren't paid as much and less college grads are going into dentistry because they are afraid they can't pay back their loans, this is going to cause a crisis in supply-- A critical shortage of dentists.

If that happens, market forces and political consequences WILL force some sort of compensatory measure to ensure there is an adequate supply of dentists, such as some kind of tuition relief.

Bottom line: There WILL still be dentists even if they are not paid as much, and there WILL still be people willing to become dentists.

 

[Omahahahaha]

Originally posted by init4damoney
Here's my top three reasons why I've chosen dentistry.

#1- Money, plain and simple. I have a wife, a child, and one on the way. I'm pretty sure there will be a couple more to come. I want to be able to support them financially. If I can make it so my wife doesn't have to work, I will. I can also do the humanitarian things I want to do, like going to 3rd world countries and provide a service that they most likely lack. Dentistry gives me that option.

#2- Time. I can work 3-4 days a week and make more than enough to support me and my family. If I want to take off for a 3 day weekend with my family I can. I don't have to worry about calling in sick or getting the day off and losing money. I'm not gonna work on fridays anyways!

#3- Prestige. I like the fact that I can be called doctor. Dentistry is a respected profession just about anywhere you go. I think it shows that you are someone who is hard working and dedicated.

Other reasons like being my own boss, owning a business, etc. also follow, but these are the top 3 reasons why I chose dentistry.

init4damoney,

Though your reasons are not right at the top of my list, I commend you on a well thought-out post! If pre-dents had a Top 10 list of why they wanted to go into dentistry I don't think that anyone can disagree that the reasons you listed would not be on the list.

 

[init4damoney]

Well, at least I got one positive post No one has said yet if they would do it if it only paid 40k a year. I most likely wouldn't. If I picked my first choice of profession I'd be playing basketball. Unfortunately the odds aren't too great that I'll make it to the NBA, so dentistry is my second choice. C'mon, what are your reasons, don't sit here and bash mine! I just wanna know why others are doing it.

 

[RaiderNation]

Of course, the reason most go into dentistry is because of the money. I know if they told me I was going to make 50k a year, even if school wasn't so expensive, it's still alot longer than other professions. So when people say they would do dentistry for free or fr very little money, I just can't believe it. I hate it when people say they are so righteous and the reason they chose dentistry is because they only want to help people. Well, guess what, you can sure help alot of people by being and elementary school teacher, or a counselor...but why don't they, because they are going after the dinero. Which is fine, because with the money and freedom you have as a dentist, the lifestyle is great.

Another thing that a very experienced dentist told me is that even though you are "helping" people, 90% of the people who go to the dentist don't want to be there, so they probably won't appreciate your services. So don't think you are going to be somebody's humanitarian icon because you filled a cavity for them. They leave the office with a numb mouth and a nasty taste in their mouth...if they don't love you now they never will. See my point?

Of course with the time and money that can be obtained through dentistry I do feel that you have the obligation to give something back, whether it be through 3rd world service, local free clinic's, etc. But money is what makes those things possible. It all goes back to the money folks. Admit it or don't, it's still a fact. At least that's the way I see it.

 

[UBTom]

to Raidernation:

Dentistry is changing, with an emphasis on educating the patient. If you have a good chairside manner and make the attempt to educate your patient on how to maintain their oral health after you have completed their treatment plans and restored a nice-looking smile for them, the number of patients in your pool who "don't want to be there" will be nowhere near 90%.

Patients who "don't want to be there" you shouldn't treat anyway-- Why should you work with somebody who doesn't want to work with you? Anotate in the progress notes that the patient is not complying with your instructions and causing a poor prognosis, then terminate the doctor-patient relationship and refer him to someone else.

My dad and my sister are both practicing dentists. Neither of them have many patients who "don't want to be there," and they do not waste their time with patients who are not willing to help themselves and make the effort to work with the dentist. Almost all of their patients appreciate the work they've done to restore their function and appearance, particularly my sister, whose patients after implant surgery/restoration are able to eat steak again (which they couldn't while wearing dentures).

Any wonder why some established dentists have patient pools full of 70- and 80-year-olds who has been seeing the same DDS for 40+ years?

Dentistry is more than just about the money. It's also about maintaining a healthy patient-doctor relationship. If you can do that, the money follows naturally.

 

[ShawnOne]

bravo Tom

 

[RaiderNation]

I'm just going off what a Dentist told me. And quite honestly, I don't think it's too far off. Do I look forward to having someone probe around my mouth? No. Do you? Of course, the long term benefits outweigh the initial uncomfort, but that said, who "wants" to go to the dentist? Of course specialties can differ. If I need a jaw resection I will want to see the OMS. So there are exceptions.

 

[UBTom]

The whole idea of educating your patient is so that they don't see regular dental care as something to be avoided with a "I don't want to be there" attitude.

Most of my sister's patients certainly don't have an "I don't want to be there" attitude. While their feelings aren't quite "I love going to the dentist," at least through educating the patient in the importance of upkeep and showing them the results of your care (before and after photos help), they do happily come back every 6 months without a qualm because they know you can help them look good (and feel good too).

Hell, right now I have patients in my recall pool who happily comes in for their regular cleanings when I ask them to, because they can actually feel a difference after I've given them a prophy.

I don't know about the dentist you heard that spiel from, but at least what I mentioned is how we are taught to practice dentistry today.

 

[RaiderNation]

Well, with all due respect, I don't think the spiel your sister gave you is any more credible than the spiel my dentist told me, so we'll leave it at that.

 

[UBTom]

I'm living my experience right now treating patients here in dental school. And I didn't hear a spiel from my sister-- I've ASSISTED my sister in treating her patients and seen her manage her patient pool. She loves being a dentist and is financially successful doing it. That's how I want to practice.

If you don't find my experience here in dental school in regard to patient management credible, that's OK. I have 91 classmates who do. Don't take my word for it-- PM my classmate Griffin04 and ask her.

How you do in dental school and private practice is entirely up to you-- If you want to be a miserable dentist who sees only patients who don't want to be there, that's your perogative. Heck, maybe I'll refer all the uncooperative patients I come across to you.

 

[ShawnOne]

Raider,

I mean, who WANTS to wake up every morning and go to school? Nobody. But if your professor is interesting and your learning some cool stuff, you wont complain about it and wont miss class..

Tom is suggesting if the dental office experience is positive and the dentist/patient form a good relationship, you shouldnt have a problem with people not showing up, or dread showing up.

But in a sense your right, nobody is popping Dom'P bottles the night before the dentists office.

 

[RaiderNation]

I'm not here to argue Tom. I was just stating my opinion. And if you think everyone is going to walk into your dental office absolutely ecstatic to be there and have Dr. Tom probing their mouth, that's great.

There's alot of things that people don't want to do, but they do them. I go to school, not because it's the most enjoyable thing to me, but because it will better my future. I don't go to the dentist because I love it, I go because by doing so I better my oral health.

I never said people weren't going to show up to your dental office. People show up whether they like it or not. Read the post before you reply please.

And thanks for the spiel.

 

[UBTom]

That's the problem with your opinion, Raidernation.

If you don't put out the effort to develop a good patient-doctor relationship, you will:

1) always be treating patients who don't want to be there and be miserable, who

2) frequently don't show up because they see dental appointments as something to be avoided, and

3) wreak havoc with your bottom line. Every time your chair is empty because somebody didn't show up, you lose money. Your stress level, blood pressure and misery rises, and your income falls.

I'm not making this stuff up. Proper patient management is what they teach us in dental school these days, and I can see it at work when I treat patients here in my school's clinics.

Your opinion is not how dentistry works these days, and I don't fault you for it since you are not even a dental student yet. For your sake I hope whichever dental school accepts you will teach you how to properly manage your patients.

 

[RaiderNation]

Ok, here is what I am saying, and I'll try and make it simple. You can be a great guy and have a great doctor-patient relationship, but will that make me look forward to having you probe around in my mouth...no. Although I won't dread going to the dentist, I won't skip out on appointments either. Do you see what I am saying?

 

[UBTom]

Nope.

As I said before, I have patients who are enthusiastic about the dental care I provide them. As do the 91 other classmates I have.

Not every patient will be enthusiastic, but it benefits the doctor to try to educate their patients and develop good relationships so that more will be. And if 90% of your patients dread coming to you for care, boy are you in the wrong line of work.

 

[RaiderNation]

Are you on crack or what Tom? Let say I am your dentist and I "educate" you very well. Now do have the desire to let me drill your tooth? I can see it now...Derek Jeter, you've just won the World Series. What are you going to do next?!! I'm going to the Dentist!! Get real.

 

[init4damoney]

UBTom,

You said you have people who want to come in to get their teeth cleened. Zipadeedoodah, cleening isn't that bad. It's the filling of cavities, root canals, having needles shoved into you and being numb that people don't like. Do you honestly think that most of your patients will be people who only need a cleening? Maybe your recall people is a bad pool.

As far as educating the patient goes, you educate them so they won't have to come in for cavities. You teach them that brushing, flossing, mouth wash, etc. is important to good oral health. And don't tell me that life would be perfect if all you had to do was cleanings because your patients have finally learned. You will be living in a cardboard box cuz you won't be able to afford living off of $40 a cleaning.

And who is to say what a "positive" experience is in the dental office. If a dentist showed a before and after picture after drilling, I'm not gonna be superhappy that the cavity is gone. I'm glad it's gone, but I can't feel a damn thing and my jaw aches!!

Instead of mouthing off, try posting your reasons for going into dentistry. This is what this thread was intended for, use it properly.

 

[UBTom]

Those in my recall pool are patients for whom I have COMPLETED their treatment plans, amigo.

I've done their fillings, I've done their crowns, I've done their root canals. They've been so relaxed that they fall asleep in my chair while I'm doing their fillings. (without nitrous. ) You should see the emergency patients I've performed pulpectomies on-- INSTANT RELIEF from pain that they've suffered for a few days or weeks. These often become my best patients for subsequent care (completion of cleaning and shaping, obturation, post and core buildup, FCC or PFM crown, and any other necessary work).

Ask any 3rd or 4th-year dental student at my school. They will tell you exactly the same thing I'm saying.

PM Griffin04. She's my classmate.

Being a people person is a good reason to go into dentistry, which is what I've been saying all this time. If you know how to manage your patient pool properly, the money will naturally follow.

I'm not the one who is not even in dental school yet "mouthing off" on something he hasn't even yet learned about.

That is all.

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by RaiderNation
Are you on crack or what Tom? Let say I am your dentist and I "educate" you very well. Now do have the desire to let me drill your tooth? I can see it now...Derek Jeter, you've just won the World Series. What are you going to do next?!! I'm going to the Dentist!! Get real.

You're getting pretty exasperating to listen to, Raider. Just for context, you're an undergraduate with zero exposure to dentistry at the gound level, and you're insisting that Tom, a successful fourth-year DDS student who comes from a family of dentists, is wrong. If you don't see the difference in your credibilities...well, I just hope you do.

 

[RaiderNation]

Oh no, patients "falling asleep" in the dental chair? That's not good...Dentists have been give 25 to life for that Tom. Be careful.

 

[RaiderNation]

All hail UBTom, the Dental Student from a Dental Family. And we'd also like to recognize his court jester, Aphistis.

 

[init4damoney]

Don't try to pull that "my dad's a dentist so I know!" crap. You keep talking about what a dentist should be, trying posting your 3 reasons for choosing dentistry, or get out of this thread!!!!

 

[UBTom]

Originally posted by RaiderNation
Oh no, patients "falling asleep" in the dental chair? That's not good...Dentists have been give 25 to life for that Tom. Be careful.

Ah yes, so by your definition every oral surgeon and pediatric dentist should serve prison time.

What's wrong with having a patient asleep in your chair while you work on them?

I've done bony-impacted third-molar surgical extractions on patients under sedation with Midazolam, propofol, and fentanyl.

I've worked on kids under nitrous.

I've done fillings on patients who fall asleep in my chair with a mouth prop to keep their jaw open.

And so has hundreds of thousands of other dentists and specialists of all kinds. Sheeoot, if you are so afraid of a patient falling asleep in your chair, MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T BECOME A DENTIST!

Dude, for someone looking to go into dentistry you sure don't know much about the profession. And before you go around insulting Bill, let the reader know that he's in dental school and YOU'RE NOT.

to init4damoney: In response to your demand, I don't need to say "my dad is a dentist." I'm doing a dentist's work RIGHT NOW, and in 7 months I will be licensed to practice. How about YOU?

I didn't think so.

 

[init4damoney]

Well aren't you special. "Look at me, I'm gonna graduate!" What, you wanna treat or something? Grow up. You'll need to if you wanna be a professional. Considering you are "doing a dentist's work RIGHT NOW, and in 7 months I will be licensed to practice" why don't you start acting professional. I got an excuse since I won't be graduating for a while.

 

[Bickle]

Originally posted by init4damoney
Well aren't you special. "Look at me, I'm gonna graduate!" What, you wanna treat or something? Grow up. You'll need to if you wanna be a professional. Considering you are "doing a dentist's work RIGHT NOW, and in 7 months I will be licensed to practice" why don't you start acting professional. I got an excuse since I won't be graduating for a while.

I think Tom's point is that he has experience in dentistry, and is better able to give an educated opinion.

Go read a book!

 

[RaiderNation]

Actually Tom, I was talking about the Dentists who have been arrested for putting their patients to sleep and then busting out the camera...if you know what I mean. Do you ever watch the news?

All this arguing has got me down. Maybe I should go to the dentist and make myself feel better.

 

[NewNameForGoogleBot]

It's threads like these that make me want to leave SDN the minute I get an acceptance and never come back - sick of watching the catfights and trolls that rile everyone up. Seems like we never used to deal with this crap, now it's every other thread. Just not worth my time. The dental forum seems to be more under control, but is also pretty slow. Oh well...

 

[RaiderNation]

First off, don't make yourself out to be the God of dentistry, because you're not. Also, I'm not the one with unconscious patients...so I am just saying, be careful bro.

 

[vishal_k32801]

Well said Japp!

 

[RaiderNation]

First off, this thread was never meant go out of control. It was simply an opinion thread unitl UB40 starting attacking my views and stating his superiority. I don't care who you are, if that's the way you deal with people, then obviously you have no people skills. End of discussion.

 

[RaiderNation]

There he goes again. All hail UB40!!! C'mon dude. Grow up. This is getting real old. Just don't set yourself up like the God of dentistry and you won't get any flack for it. UB to Dentistry is not like the Pope is to the Catholic church...that's what you said bro.

 

[NewNameForGoogleBot]

Originally posted by vishal_k32801
Well said Japp!

Maybe we can lead a caravan of accepted students over to dentaltown in december. Although I'm not sure how we'd leave behind all of the trolls, not to mention the people with massive egos who are so easily offended by strangers on a public forum and feel inclined to defend themselves ad naseum. All these intellectual and/or moral superiority complexes and semantic diatribes are driving me crazy! I thought dental would be better than medical in this respect. Maybe it's just that SDN brings out the most anal 10% of the student population (to which I admittedly belong).

 

[RaiderNation]

I swear, it's like talking to a 6 year-old. I feel sorry for your patients. I can see it now....Patient says: Doctor, my tooth hurts. UB40: No it doesn't, I'm the doctor, now shut up and go to sleep. Patient: Can you show me the x-rays? UB40: No! Those are my x-rays...mine, mine, mine!!!

I'm done.

 

[vishal_k32801]

Will you both please stop this .........right here.
Just be friends and move on..... All the best friends..

 

[RaiderNation]

Hmmm...how can I get this kid to shut up...Oh I know. You're the greatest UB40. You are the greatest dentist that has ever lived(even though you aren't even a dentist yet). You are so smart and all-knowing. There. Are you gonna come at me with another smart @$$ comment, or will you grow up?

 

[vishal_k32801]

May be a feature should be added to this site that allows
this kind of "useless thread" can be ignored if one wants to do so.

 

[RaiderNation]

Look, he's repeating what I say!!! Amazing, just like a 6-year old. My hypothesis has been proven.

For the record...I stated my personal opinion and Mr. Anal attacked me and said that my opinion was wrong because he is a genius. I hope you stay on the east coast UB40. Is this childish attitude an east coast thing, or is it just our feisty friend from the hole known as Buffalo?

 

[NewNameForGoogleBot]

Originally posted by vishal_k32801
May be a feature should be added to this site that allows
this kind of "useless thread" can be ignored if one wants to do so.

You just read my mind - see my new thread on this topic. We must have been typing at the same time!

 

[WALID1111]

why don't we all just ignore them as soon as they show up?

its very simple.

 

[UBTom]

Originally posted by RaiderNation
For the record...I stated my personal opinion and Mr. Anal attacked me and said that my opinion was wrong because he is a genius. I hope you stay on the east coast UB40. Is this childish attitude an east coast thing, or is it just our feisty friend from the hole known as Buffalo?

The record disagrees with you, and I quote YOUR little gem on the first page that started the argument:

Are you on crack or what Tom? Let say I am your dentist and I "educate" you very well. Now do have the desire to let me drill your tooth? I can see it now...Derek Jeter, you've just won the World Series. What are you going to do next?!! I'm going to the Dentist!! Get real.

You couldn't accept that someone else has seen something different in actual practice than your opinion and proceeded to attack. I'm just glad the rest of California isn't as childish as you are.

Hey, get into dental school and be the kind of dentist you want to be. You can treat a patient pool of whom 90% dreads receiving dental care (your words) and did not want to be there. If you want to be miserable that's your perogative. Why should I try to convince you otherwise?

 

[Shomeda$]

Hey UB Tom. Seriously, if you are a 4th year dental student, don't you think you should be a little more mature?

 

[UBTom]

This coming from someone who probably calls everyone "immature" just to make himself feel like a big kid.

Is that supposed to impress me?

 

[WALID1111]

tom,

does jimfang or jojo ring any bells?

 

[RaiderNation]

Whatever UB. You started by attacking me so I defended myself. SImple as that. How did someone with your inteligence get into dental school anyway? What's your IQ...90?

 

[RaiderNation]

Originally posted by WALID1111
tom,

does jimfang or jojo ring any bells?

What the hell is this crap? You're not even involved, go find another thread to bug.

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by Shomeda$
Hey UB Tom. Seriously, if you are a 4th year dental student, don't you think you should be a little more mature?

My response to this would be to find such persistent aggression against someone's ability and chairside manner extremely professionally insulting, <em>especially</em> when conducted by someone so eminently unqualified to be slinging this sort of garbage.

Once again, I propose that the self-impressed undergrads keep to themselves their notions of what kind of dentists we students should be, unless and until they enroll in dental school themselves, at which point they could offer •informed• opinions and criticisms for a change. It's really not possible to describe how laughable most of the attacks in this thread have been, and to quantify the ignorance of dentistry in general, and dental school in particular, that they demonstrate.

Raider and init4, feel free to respond with the straw men, ad hominems, and distortions you've characterized this thread by; or, if you're interested in learning about dental school and dentistry by people who are closer to the business than you, try shutting your mouth and opening your ears. Neither Tom, nor I, nor any other dental student has anything to gain by lying to you; conversely, if you keep acting like children, we're apt to ignore you completely. You're the ones trying to hoist yourselves up to the position we're currently in; we've already made it, and we have nothing to prove to you.

 

[RaiderNation]

That's great aphistis, so why don't you just shut the hell up too, cuz I could care less what you have to say. I was never talking to you in the first place, so thanks for your 2 cents, now go. Bye!

 

[WALID1111]

You're not even involved, go find another thread to bug.

so why don't you just shut the hell up too, cuz I could care less what you have to say

since when did the threads become a one-on-one debate?

its amazing how many immature people think they will make good dentists or physicians.


congratulations raider wack, you are now ignored!!