How to Become a Dentist

About Dentist

A dentist is a person who treats and prevents all the problems related to teeth, gums, oral cavity and other health problems affecting the mouth. The job of the dentists involves prevention and repair of the infected tooth, removing decays, filling cavities and making models for dental appliances. The specialists in the Dentist profession include Oral Surgeons, Orthodontists, Periodontists, Endodontists, Endodontists and Prosthodontists. What is interesting about the career as a dentist is that areas of care include not only their patients' teeth and gums but also the muscles of the head, neck and jaw, the tongue, salivary glands, the nervous system of the head and neck and other areas. During a comprehensive exam, dentists examine the teeth and gums, but they also look for lumps, swellings, abnormality.

Also, The level of education and clinical training required to earn a dental degree, and the high academic standards of dental schools, are on par with those of medical schools and are essential to preparing dentists for the safe and effective practice of modern oral health care.

Eligibility to become Dentist

To become a dentist candidate must have passed class 12th or equivalent examination with science stream in PCB - Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Candidates must have also appeared for a national-level medical entrance exam like NEET-UG for admission to dental courses. NEET UG is a national level entrance test which is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA).

• Candidates must have passed class 12th or equivalent examination with a minimum of 50% aggregate of reserved category and 40% for reserved category from a recognised board.
• Must have a valid NEET UG score.
• Candidates should be at least of 17 years of age to appear in the NEET UG exam and the upper age limit for the same is 25 years.

Types of Job Roles Dentist

After completing the required academic qualification in dentists, there are an ample number of dentists job profiles. Some of the popular dentist job profiles are listed below:

Orthodontists: Their job role is to study dental records, examine medical histories, design teeth model and to make patient's treatment plan. They correct the irregularities in the patient's teeth by putting devices or other dental appliances.

Oral Surgeons: They are responsible to correct facial deformities, perform complicated extractions, treating tumours and other abnormal growth in the gums and jaws and perform surgeries related to the mouth.

Periodontists: They are the specialised dentists who are responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal diseases such as gums and tissues which support teeth. They are also trained in performing cosmetic periodontal procedures.

Endodontists: Their job role is to study the tooth pulp and to treat the root canals. They specialise in root canals and treat the diseases of the dental pulp which includes blood vessels and nerves.

Pedodontists: They specialise in children’s dental treatment and care.

Prosthodontists: They construct oral prostheses to replace the missing teeth to repair the structures, correct acquired and natural deformation of jaws and mouth and to maintain a healthy oral function which include such as chewing and speaking.

Employment Opportunities for Dentists

Dentists can find a wide variety of employment opportunities in different types of workplaces. Listed below are the top picks:

• Dental Departments
• Nursing Homes
• Dental Clinics
• Health Departments
• Dental Institutes
• Pharmaceutical Companies
• Private Hospitals
• Government Dental Departments
• Dental Colleges
• Public Sector Undertaking Dental Facilities
  Note:- Many dentists even do private practice or set up their own dental clinics.

Top Recruiting Companies/Hospitals for Dentists:

Some of the leading super speciality hospitals that hire dentists are as follows:

• Aspen Dental
• Practo
• Clovia Dental Clinic
• FMS Dental Hospitals
• Max Hospital
• Fortis
• Artemis

Pay Scale/Salary of Dentist

 The career as a dentist has a lot of perks when it comes to financial gains this profession offers one along with job security. It is also considered as a very respectable job. The average pay for a dentist at the beginning of his career is roughly around Rs.7,00,000 After a few years of practice and experience, their salary can range between Rs.10,00,000 to RS. 15,00,000 per year.  

Books & Study Material to Become Dentist

If you are aiming for a top dental college in the country, it is very important to choose the best books and study material as they are the most essential part of the preparation. Listed below are the medical books and study material that will help the candidates in the preparation of the entrance exam :

• Modern Dental Assisting,11th Edition
• Karl Koerner on Oral Surgery 
• Netter's Head and Neck Anatomy for Dentistry (Netter Basic Science)
• Dental Radiography: Principles and Techniques 5th Edition

Pros of becoming a Dentist

• One of the biggest advantages of becoming a dentist is that you will have a substantially high paying job. Dentistry is one of the highest paid careers in the medical field.
• As compared to other doctors or other jobs in the medical field, dentists have flexible timings and can give appointments to patients according to their own convenience. They also get enough time for family and vacations.
• Dentist as a profession is not like a regular 9 to 5 job. You get to face different challenges and situations with every patient which will not make your work monotonous and will keep your mind active.
• One of the major pros of the dentistry profession is that dentists always have good job prospects. The demand for dentists continues to grow and because of the growing importance of oral hygiene, more and more people are seeking out the dental care.

Cons of becoming a Dentist

• Dentists have a very long study duration. It takes 5 years to complete a BDS degree and an MDS degree can take up to 8 years.
• Another disadvantage of becoming a dentist is that you will be working for long hours when you first start your career. An average dentist typically works 35 to 40 hours a week, but a dentist that is just starting out may have to work anywhere from 40 to over 60 hours a week to establish his or her new practice.
• Dental colleges and institutes are very expensive and they charge a lot of fees.
• The job of a dentist comes with high responsibility and along with it comes a lot of stress as you are responsible for someone’s health.
• It is a customer service industry and it is very important to keep customers happy. Dentists face a lot of pressure to do their best job in a limited time frame and to keep the customers happy.