Sophie Okolo, MPH

There are so many fantastic reasons to consider becoming a dentist. It is a high-paying job with plenty of opportunities for career progression and personal development. You will gain immense satisfaction from helping people with their health, and you’ll get to meet and connect with new people each and every day.

But dentistry is not an easy career to get into. You have to study for several years to earn your degree, and once qualified you will need to work hard to climb the career ladder. But if you are passionate about oral health and committed to becoming a dentist, there is no reason why you can’t succeed.

To help you realize your dreams, here are four steps to starting a career in dentistry.

Commit

If you are going to follow this career path, you need to be absolutely sure it is what you want. You don’t want to waste your time beginning an expensive and lengthy degree only to back out when you realize it isn’t for you. Take some time to research what is involved in being a dentist. You will have to be prepared to work long hours, doing occasionally unpleasant treatments. You’ll have to get accustomed to staring into people’s mouths all day, dealing with bad breath and difficult patients.

Ask yourself why you want to become a dentist. If it is truly a passion of yours and you want the job satisfaction of helping people with their dental hygiene then go for it. If you are just after the money, then you may be better off finding a different path.

Obtain a degree

You can’t become a dentist without a degree. You will need to spend several years at dental school or university in order to learn everything you need to know and gain your qualification. It will be hard work at times but if you are committed and work for it, it will all pay off in the end 

Decide on your specialism

Although you can be a general dentist, you may want to specialize in a particular area of dentistry. It’s a good idea to decide this earlier so you can gain the specific qualifications and skills required. For example, you might want to become an orthodontist, periodontist or dental anesthesiologist. The choice is yours.

Gain experience

Once you are qualified, you will want to get as much experience as you can. It also helps to make valuable industry contacts. Finding a mentor in the dentistry world can also be a useful way to get advice and guidance in the early stages of your career.

Hopefully this advice gives you the headstart you need to begin your career in dentistry. Good luck on your journey!