Working in the medical field is a highly rewarding industry. You are genuinely working every single day to help people better their health and lives. While this is a wonderful thing that can enrich your life, there are some stressful aspects of the job and things to consider. Let’s take a look at whether becoming a dentist is right for you!
What Does A Dentist Do?
When looking at what dental professionals do, you must understand that many do specialize in certain aspects, like restorative or cosmetic dentistry compared to general practice, for example. If they choose to specialize, their jobs and tasks will be slightly different than the ones listed here. That being said, tasks that usually are completed by a dentist include:
Assessing the health condition of patients
Review and discuss oral conditions
Take x-rays of patient’s teeth, jaw, and more
Clean the patient’s teeth
Remove plaque and buildups
Place preventive materials on patient’s teeth
Educate patients on proper oral health—brushing, flossing, etc.
Educate patients on how nutrition affects one’s oral health
Create molds of patient’s teeth
Perform administrative or managerial duties
The Pros of Working as a Dentist
When working as a dentist, there are some absolutely wonderful aspects of the job that make it entirely worth doing. Most people working within the industry experience immense satisfaction from their careers and genuinely enjoy what they do and their ability to help others.
The scheduling is also very flexible in most cases and generally suits those looking to perhaps one day practice individually as a freelance specialist in the gig economy.
The job security and ability to work as a contractor in the future are appealing to others, as it does give some additional freedom to the job. This all creates a rather positive image and is why so many people are currently looking to become dentists and work within the dental industry.
The Cons of Working as a Dentist
That being said, there are some definite pitfalls to the field. For starters, you will be working long hours and dealing with sometimes rather serious medical situations that can be stressful and tricky. To add to this, there will be complaints and frustration in some cases, mainly due to the stigmatized fear of the dentist that many feel.
It can be a bit hard to get used to, as you genuinely want to help people who are perhaps afraid and dealing with pain. There is also the debt concerns, as dental school is not particularly cheap due to the level of knowledge you are given and the time that goes into teaching such a valuable and complex skill.
Balancing the Risk and Reward
If you are good with tough situations and thrive under stress, dentistry may very well be the niche for you. For many, working in such a helpful and people-driven field provides more benefits than not.
If you feel you are a good match and are starting your journey, consider checking out Stynt for a view of the market and a better understanding of what you can do as a freelance dental contractor.
If you’re interested in becoming a dentist and want the peace of mind knowing that you will easily be able to find job options, fill out our form or download our app to join Stynt!
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