Careers in Dentistry – ADA

Ten Great Reasons to Be A Dentist

 

Service to Others: Help people maintain and improve their oral health, quality of life and  appearance

Balanced Lifestyle: Dentistry offers flexibility to balance professional and personal life

Empower Your Patients: Give patients smiles they are proud to wear

Technology and Research: Be involved with the scientific advancement of dentistry

Be a Leader: Earn respect from your family, friends and community

Prevention/Education: Be an educator on the importance   of   oral health

Detect Disease: Treat oral health and detect disease – including cancer and cardiovascular

Be Creative: Use your artistic and scientific talents

Success Potential: With the aging population and increase in access to care, the demand and need for dentistry is on the rise

Self-Employment: Own a dental practice and be your own boss

 

The Future Looks Bright For Dentistry  

The future looks bright for dentistry and the nation’s oral health in the 21st century. Post-natal stem cell research, gene therapy transfer and links between oral health and systemic health (of other body systems) will reshape dental practice in the 21st century. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) clinical and basic research that may revolutionize the practice of dentistry includes:

• Postnatal stem cell research aimed at tissue regeneration
• Salivary research is expected to yield new diagnostic tests
• Gene transfer therapy that may induce the salivary glands to produce hormones, antibodies or other agents to prevent or treat oral and systemic disease
• Stem cells, possibly derived from the patient’s own deciduous teeth, will be used to repair bone defects
• Small “labs-on-a-chip” will be placed intraorally to analyze hundreds of different components in oral fluids as early indicators of oral and systemic disease
• Studies involving restorative procedures to retain teeth, dentistry and new dental materials .

DENTAL Assistant

 

Job Description

The duties of a dental assistant are among the most comprehensive and varied in the dental office. The dental assistant performs many tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills. Although state regulations vary, responsibilities may include:

• assisting the dentist during a variety of treatment procedures
• taking and developing dental radiographs (x-rays)
• asking about the patient’s medical history and taking blood pressure and pulse
• serving as an infection control officer, developing infection control protocol and preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment
• helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment
• providing patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment procedures, such as the placement of a restoration (filling)
• teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health;
  (e.g., toothbrushing, flossing and nutritional counseling)
• taking impressions of patients’ teeth for study casts (models of teeth)
• performing office management tasks that often require the use of a personal computer
• communicating with patients and suppliers (e.g., scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, billing and ordering supplies)
• helping to provide direct patient care in all dental specialties, including orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and oral surgery

Education/Training Requirements

It takes a relatively short period of time to become a dental assistant. Dental assistants receive their formal education through academic programs at community colleges, vocational schools, technical institutes, universities or dental schools. Graduates of these programs usually receive certificates. Although the majority of academic dental assisting programs take nine to eleven months to complete, some schools offer accelerated training, part-time education programs or training via distance education.

Dental Laboratory Technician

 

Job Description

 

Dental Laboratory Technology is both a science and an art. Since each dental patient’s needs are different, the duties of a dental laboratory technician are comprehensive and varied. Although dental technicians seldom work directly with patients, except under the direction of a licensed dentist, they are valuable members of the dental care team. They work directly with dentists by following detailed written instructions and using impressions (molds) of the patient’s teeth or oral soft tissues to create:

• full dentures for patients who are missing all of their teeth
• removable partial dentures or fixed bridges for patients who are missing only one or a few teeth
• crowns, which are caps for teeth that are designed to restore their original size and shape
• veneers that enhance the esthetics and function of the patient
• orthodontic appliances and splints to help straighten and protect teeth

Dental technicians work with a variety of materials including waxes, plastics, precious and non-precious alloys, stainless steel, a variety of porcelains and composites or polymer glass combinations. Many technicians acquire skill in the use of sophisticated instruments and equipment while performing laboratory procedures. It is important for the technician to help create tooth replacements that are both attractive and functional.

DENTAL Hygienist

Job Description

A career as a dental hygienist offers a wide range of challenges. In the dental office, the dentist and the dental hygienist work together to meet the oral health needs of patients. Since each state has its own specific regulations regarding their responsibilities, the range of services performed by hygienists varies from state to state. Some of the services provided by dental hygienists may include:

• patient screening procedures; such as assessment of oral health conditions, review of the health history, oral cancer screening, head and neck inspection, dental charting and taking blood pressure and pulse
• taking and developing dental radiographs (x-rays)
• removing calculus and plaque (hard and soft deposits) from all surfaces of the teeth
• applying preventive materials to the teeth (e.g., sealants and fluorides)
• teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health;
  (e.g., toothbrushing, flossing and nutritional counseling)
• counseling patients about good nutrition and its impact on oral health
• making impressions of patients’ teeth for study casts (models of teeth used by dentists to evaluate patient treatment needs)
• performing documentation and office management activities .

Given increasing awareness about oral hygience and the importance of proper dental care, increasing number of young people are attracted to dentistry as a profession. It is a demanding career but one which offers many tangible and intangible rewards. The main motivation for such a professional, however,  must not be about  making money but the idea of patient caring service of exceptional quality first before financial gain. Making money is thus a consequence of serving one’s clientele well.

On the question of dental hygienist, I would say that sadly in Malaysia, most private and government clinics do not have dental hygienists. Such a professional would do basic scaling and polishing in a 6 months recall procedure without seeing the dentist, unless patients need more than regular scaling and more extensive gum treatment. Personally, I feel that the recall system could be more effective if patients can see the dental hygienist first._ drkam