CAREERS IN DENTISTRY

CAREERS IN DENTISTRY

Dentists treat diseases of the teeth and gums and aim to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. The work involves filling, crowning and extracting teeth, scaling, and cleaning teeth and gums. They may treat irregular teeth by fitting appliances such as braces or may replace teeth by fitting crowns, bridges or dentures. Sometimes they carry out surgery on diseased gums and infected roots to help preserve teeth. They are also involved with the rectification of fractured jaws and surgery of the mouth. Dentists are instrumental in the early detection of oral cancer and systemic conditions that manifest in the mouth.

Personality Attributes

The dentist's work is highly technical and requires a lot of manual dexterity. Training to be a dentist demands strong academic skills, and the ability to work well with people. Since most patients are stressed and/or uncomfortable when they visit a dentist, people skills will contribute enormously to potential success. Dentists need to have confidence and the ability to reassure patients as many are apprehensive about dental treatment. There is growing emphasis on preventive work, and the dentist is expected to counsel and educate. Problem solving and decision making skills are important for a dentist.

Education & Training

Entry into the Bachelor of Dentistry (BDS) course is usually based on qualifying a medical/ dental entrance test after completing HSC/Plus Two or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The BDS course is of five years duration including internship. Post graduation (MDS or PG Diploma) leads to specialisation.

Specialisations

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons diagnose diseases, injuries, and defects of the jaw and surrounding structures. They also perform surgery to correct these diseases, or defects.

Periodontists treat diseases of the gums to prevent tooth loss. Orthodontists diagnose and correct bad bite, crooked teeth and poor jaw growth in children and young people, and correcting facial abnormalities such as cleft palate.

Paediatric dentists specialise in the oral health care of children from birth through to adolescence. Oral pathologists study the causes and development of diseases associated with the mouth.

Oral medicine specialists' diagnose and manage the oral health care of patients with medically related disorders of the teeth and jaw.

Community Dentistry deals with preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting physical and mental efficiency through organized community efforts. It deals with the community and its aggregate dental or oral health challenges rather than that of the individual patient

Prosthodontists treat difficult dental problems such as badly broken or missing teeth using crowns, bridges, dentures or dental implants. Conservative dentistry is concerned with the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases of the teeth, gums, and related structures of the mouth and including the repair or replacement of defective teeth. Endodontics is one of the sub-specialities. Endodontists specialise in dental treatment for root canal problems.

Institutions

Listing of dental colleges on www.pathtocolleges.com

Prospects
Dentistry is a challenging and rewarding profession. Dentists work in hospitals and community health facilities as also in defence services, and in consulting practice. Earnings are affected by the type of work they do and the balance of community / hospital work and private work undertaken. Setting up one's consulting practice or hiring dental practice facilities require heavy financial investment.

Dentists are highly sophisticated health professionals who provide a wide range of oral health care that contributes to the general health and quality of their patients' lives.