There are as many reasons to be a dentist. It is a career that provides plenty of rewards and challenges as well as an opportunity to help people and make communities healthier places, but the joy of changing a person`s life by creating a beautiful, healthy smile is one of the intangible rewards of being a dentist that can`t be measured.
People choose to become dentists because they can…
Restore the oral health and transform the lives of their patients.
Whether it is providing preventative care, delivering dental restorative procedures, eliminating pain or correcting dento-facial esthetics, often, in a single visit, the dentist can experience the satisfaction, privilege, and joy of positively transforming a patient’s life by restoring oral health.
Be independent in their careers.
Dentistry allows you to be the boss by entering into private practice and owning your dental practice. This gives them a lot of independence and allows them to set their own business and career goals.
Choose from a number of career options.
While 80% of graduates go into private practice in general dentistry, the profession offers a wide range of clinical, research and academic opportunities to both new graduates and dentists at any stage of their careers.
Maintain a flexible lifestyle.
Because there are a number of different careers and practice options in dentistry, practitioners can choose what kind of lifestyle they will lead and often what hours and days they will work.
Shape the future of oral health care.
In addition to clinical practice, the dentist can also contribute significantly to the future direction of oral health care by engaging in dental education and research. Dental educators can shape the dental school curriculum and the professional role of the dentist by establishing themselves as faculty members in dental education. As a dental researcher, the dentist uses the most advanced techniques and technologies and applies cutting-edge scientific findings to advance the profession forward by discovering new oral health phenomenon or seeking a resolution to a myriad of oral health issues.
Be respected members of their communities.
Dentists are highly regarded by the communities they serve for their contributions to the general health of the public as well as their drive to improve the lives of those around them.
Exercise creativity in their daily work.
Dentistry is often referred to as an art. It requires mastery and technique unique to the profession. Dentistry is largely based on maintaining proper oral health but is also an aesthetically focused practice. A large part of dentistry involves restoring teeth and making a smile beautiful, one that the patient is happy to show to others. So as a dentist you are also an engineer and artists of sorts.
Work as part of a team.
Although the dentist is often portrayed as the “lone practitioner,” in actuality, dentistry is a team-oriented profession. Whether it is the dental team (dental hygienist, assistant and lab technician) working together with the patient to ensure the restoration and maintenance of oral health, or the dentist’s role on an interprofessional team, working with other health professionals to improve overall health, the dentist receives much satisfaction as a primary team player.
So when you visit the team at Corne Smith Dentistry in Claremont, Cape Town remember that the dentist working with you is this passionate:
“During our day, we do good for a lot of people. We relieve pain and make it possible for people to eat comfortably and enjoy the process. We make it possible for people who haven`t smiled in a long time to lay a big, healthy grin on the world and be seen as they really are. We change lives in many, many ways – most of which we will never know. But, occasionally, we will get a heartfelt `thank you` that makes you glow all day. And, once in awhile, we may even get a hug and a teary eye that lets us know we are earning our place on this planet.”