Do you like science? Enjoy talking to people? Are you creative? Want to help people?

Have you considered a career in Dentistry? In my opinion - one of the most rewarding careers to go into.

People always ask me how I spend all day looking inside people’s mouths. And to be honest I sometimes forget that is (at a glance) what I do - and when you put it like that, it doesn’t sound the most enticing.

But when I think about my day, I don’t think about the mouths I’ve looked in. I think about the amount of interesting people I got to meet and speak to. I think about the difficult problem I managed to work out the solution to. I think about the beautiful new smile I created just by using my hands which has boosted someone’s confidence and made them feel better about themselves. I think about the person who hadn’t slept all night but went home without any pain. I think about the child who was scared of all the new sights and smells of the dental surgery, but went out with a skip in their step and a sticker on their chest to tell all their friends about it. I think about how much I appreciate and enjoy working with the team around me.

There are not many professions where you get to make such an instant impact on someone else’s life. You build relationships with patients and watch them grow from children into adults over many years. You are a teacher, an artist, an engineer, a therapist, a doctor and a children’s entertainer all rolled into one and every day is different!

So how do you become a Dentist?

-      AAA at A Level including Biology and Chemistry

-      BDS (Or equivalent) degree at university - 5 years.

But Dentistry isn’t just about ‘The Dentist’. We wouldn’t be able to do our job if it wasn’t for the amazing team around us. Don’t fancy the 5 years at University but want to get involved?

Why don’t you consider becoming a Dental Nurse?

-      The dental nurse is the ultimate multi-tasker. They run the surgery, assist the Dentist and get involved in whatever procedure they are doing, but more than anything they support the patient with a reassuring smile and by being a hand holder if required.

-      You can join a dental nursing apprenticeship straight from school and start working alongside your studies. Once you have qualified, there are loads of extra qualifications you can do to increase your involvement in procedures and with patients.

Fancy doing something in the middle ground?

-      The role of the Dental Hygiene and Therapist is to educate patients, carrying out preventive and periodontal (gum) treatments for both adults and children. They undertake a variety of treatments on a wide range of patients including fillings, radiographs and impressions, as well as extractions on children.

-      This requires a university qualification, but is only 3 years.

Next time you have your appointment, why don’t you ask your team members what they love about their job?