Healthcare is a profession which is one of the most time-consuming careers in the world. However, people who five full throttle in this field know its importance and value after having worked for a long time. Dentistry is one such branch which is blossoming every single day with a lot of people taking care of their oral health. However, if you have decided to become a dentist and continue to carry this option as a career choice, there are a few things you need to know before you step foot in it. Dentistry is a charming profession, but there’s always an ugly side to every field. In this article, we will tell you about ten things which you must know before becoming a dentist. There are over 0.2 million practicing dentists in the US alone which means the scope for this profession is very high. Following is a list of all the things you must know before becoming a dentist:1. Some people will hate you
This sounds bizarre but is true to some extent. Unfortunately oral health is overlooked even in this day and age by millions of people across the globe. Going to the dentists is regarded as a painful experience and bad by some. There are many stereotypical myths which continue to hound this profession as a result of which even young and naïve dentists are hated by some people in the beginning. In fact when you tell your family and friends about choosing this profession, a significant proportion out of these people will suggest you to not take a step further in this profession. Therefore you must be mentally prepared about being hated by some.
2. Dental schools are very expensive
Keep in mind a dental school is very expensive. When students choose a university, they either go to public platforms or private institutions depending upon the quality of education. If you want to pursue education in private institutions, it will cost a lot of money. Furthermore, the tuition fee is not the only expense one has to cater for; there are other expenses too. Suppose if you are coming from a different town to study, you will have to pay for the hostel, food, accommodation and commute. You will be surprised to know the cost of a dental school in the US ranges from $21,600 to $64,800, which might go onto $300,000, which is the highest amount.
3. Your reputation is always going to be at risk
You could be the best dentist in the world, but your reputation is always going to be at risk. The front desk officer could tarnish your reputation is he/she doesn’t present the services well. So if somebody gets pissed off by the behavior of your front desk officer, they might exit the office the exact moment. As a dentist, you won’t have extra time of scheduling appointments with people manually. Therefore you will have to hire a decent and sane staff. Furthermore you have to make sure you hire a person who navigates great conversations on phone. If your people start talking rudely on the line, you will potentially lose a major number of prospective clients.
4. Dental malpractice is another big issue
You could be sued by a patient if you don’t navigate his/her case properly. Dental equipment is very dangerous which is why you will have to be extra careful. Though this situation is very rare in the profession, yet there are many cases in which dentists get in trouble with the patients. So if somebody starts shaking in the chair because they’re nervous and you accidentally clip their tongue with the instrument causing damage, you will be held responsible for the mistake and not the client. There are lawyers in town who handle dental malpractice issue, so you better be careful while treating a patient.
5. You will get back and neck issues
It is common for dentists to have neck and back issues during their careers. This is because most of the job requires them to invest their bodies in work. So if you attend your first patient who has cavities, you will have to potentially lean on your back to check his/her teeth. You might also get lower back pain if you have a lot of patients to look after. This is the main reason why so many dentists have other young medical practitioners with them who help during work. Sometimes, the dental surgeries take hours to complete which are successful for the patient but devastating for the dentists back. These procedures can be very time consuming and mind-boggling, therefore you must pull up your socks before diving in the profession.
6. Dentists have a higher rate of dissatisfaction
Unfortunately, many people don’t understand the fact that every medical procedure takes time to heal up. Same is the case with this profession. People visit the dentist expecting they’ll have everything fixed overnight, but things don’t work out like this. Dentistry is one such profession which also features in the highest rate of suicides. Sometimes the job is so tiring and chaotic that the doctor has extra stress to manage. Some people balance that stress out well, but many of them succumb to the pressure, which is notorious. In fact, with social media being so cruel in this day and age, it is very difficult to overlook the hate which pours in from unsatisfied clients.
7. Your experience won’t matter if a patient is skeptical
Oral health is anyways not given serious attention by a lot of people. Furthermore, with the addition of stereotypical myths about the profession, many people don’t give a go to this checkup. So even if you have hands-on experience of the job and can do everything really well, yet if a patient is too afraid to get a checkup done, you won’t be earning those extra dollars. Keep in mind there is a lot of euphoria and hype around this profession which is the result of centuries of conditioning by a lot of people. As a millennial you must try to offer something valuable to the patients which buy them in. For example you can have a massage chair in the waiting area for patients who are down with body pains.
8. You will have to bear the bad breath
This is true; you will have to smell the breath of everyone’s mouth like a dentist. This is a very strong con which comes as part and parcel of the profession. During the examination process, you will have to dig deep into everyone’s throat with the torch and bear the smell. As a dentist you cannot complain about it because people with poor oral hygiene have such issues. Even if you put a mask on your mouth, the body odor and bad breath are two things you cannot run away from. As a dentist it should be your responsibility to educate people about oral health and tell ways with which they can improve it.
9. It will be difficult to make people take their oral health seriously
Dental health is related to the rest of the body. So if somebody tells you it is not, you better correct them. It is because of this myth, so many people overlook dental checkup and to make them serious about it is another milestone which dentists and hygienists have to reach in their careers. Even if patients agree to brush their teeth twice a day at the suggestion of dentists, they experience withdrawal symptoms quick and start getting back to their old bad routine. In fact many people continue to carry cavities for years which give them bad bad breath, and they’re not worried about it. If you want to understand the climate of a dental clinic you can by visiting one as such. If you are from California and in Downey, you can Google Downey dentist to get a list of all the dentists of that area.
10. Dental insurance will be a pain in the neck
In most of the cases, the cost which insurance companies cover will barely cover the dental procedures. It is because of this; many dentists use cheap labor and inexpensive equipment for treatment which is dangerous. Therefore you will have to be mindful enough when choosing dental insurance for your work. Dental insurance costs different in every state, and so do the policies. Dental insurance isn’t as expensive as they say, the costs range from $168 to $366 per year, but it is the insurance company which is often partial to providing the actual costs in terms of a dental procedure.
Conclusion:
Lastly, it is important for you to conduct in-depth research before diving into this profession. There are many benefits to becoming a dentist as well. However you cannot avail them unless you don’t invest a lot of hard work, energy and money. Dentistry is a tough profession to be in, but once you firmly establish yourself, it wouldn’t take much to get success. Many veteran professionals have carved their names in this field by working hard so you can give it a go-to.
