At the end, is being a dentist fufilling?

"most people feel dentistry is very restricted, on the other hand it's very advantageous, in the sense that; you know what you'll be doing from the start, and you wouldn't need multiple years of study to do some thing similarly specific, run a clinic, and start making money"

The gratitude you receive from your patients, whenever they share their stories with you, and having the good feeling that, the help you gave your patient in the clinic, had a massive impact on their way of life, they are so many tearful momment in a dental clinic... For example a girl who have been living with depression and low esteem for like 5years due to the bad appearance of her teeth, walks into your clinic and starts narrating her story to you, on how she can't talk in public, how she can't go out, how she hates herself whenever she looks at her teeth in the mirror.. she breaks down in tears and end up saying "please help me doctor", That momment you Just transformed someone's life.

The subjects required to apply to the Bachelor Of Dental Surgery program are; English, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

in Nigeria you need to get a minimum of 270 in your utme exams to get a head start in getting admission into the program, the course is getting more competetive year in, year out, and the quota for admitting students into the course is usually controlled and is very low. Having a fantastic utme score above 270 will give you a better opportunity.

List of Dental schools in Nigeria you can apply to;

Dental schools in Nigeria are normally affiliated to a medical school.
-College of Medicine University of Ibadan, Faculty of Dentistry.
-CoM UNILAG, Faculty of Dentistry.
-CoMs, OAU, Faculty of Dentistry.
-CoM, Uniben, Faculty of Dentistry.
-CoM UNN, Faculty of Dentistry
-CoMs UNIMAID, Faculty of Dentistry
-CoM, UNIPORT, Faculty of Dentistry
-CoMs, BUK, Faculty of Dentistry, kano.
-CoMs, UNICAL Faculty of Dentistry.
-CoMs, UDUSOK Faculty of Dentistry
-UNIMED, Faculty of Dentistry
-CoMs UNIUYO- FoD

Dentists develop treatment plans/ modalities and working systems for the dental team in a clinic.

Dentistry is more "surgery-like", dentists tend to work more with their hands, and they get to sit alot, So Dentists as well usually work faster and better with their hands, to see more patients.

***********************

lab coats and scrubs are fascinating, and also nice looking.

if you've ever dreamt of
-Working in the healthcare system.
-Using your skills in Helping others.
-Treating your own patients.
-Working with your hands and performing surgical procedures
-Working in a hospital or running your clinic.
-Having a good income.
In addition, having a good work-life balance, lead a working team and being number1 in your trade.
You may just make a good dentist!!!

Besides the scrubs and lab coats Dental surgeons wear, they are also a bit comfortable income wise, Dentists are consistently ranked among the highest paid professionals in the medical field, they are paid higher than all other health professionals except medical doctors, they could as well compete with medical doctors salarywise, as the duo are usually placed on the same government salary structure.

Dentists are very much known for the great lifestyle they lead, the typical working hours for dentists is usually 9am-5pm, they are rarely on call, and will hardly ever work at night, they get a good work-life balance and can invest the time in other sectors....


Dentists also enjoy a high level of autonomy, only dentists are licensed and can do what they do, no other professional in the medical field can do what a dentists does without holding a BDS degree.

Dentists as "doctors", traditionally lead the dental team, the dental team consists of; Dental nurses, Hygienists, Dental therapists, Dental assistants.

The BDS degaree confers the titles "Dentist", "Dental Surgeon", "Dental Practitioner" and also commands the "Dr." title.
all undergraduate dentists are known as "General Dentists".

Newly minted Dental surgeons can choose to pursue a residency(specialize) in any of the dental specialities,
-Endodontics
-Prosthodontics
-Periodontics
-Pediatric Dentistry
-Oral & maxillofacial pathology
-Oral & maxillofacial radiology
-Oral & maxillofacial surgery
-Oral medicine
-Orthodontics & facial orthopedics
-Public health Dentistry.
And become Dental specialists. Dental specialists usually work as consultants in Hospitals and private clinics, some also go into academia.

Majority of Dental Surgeons will work as "General Dentist"(non-specialists).

Career paths in dentistry:
-Private Practice
-Hospital Dentistry
-Millitary Dentistry
-Public health Dentistry
-Academic Dentistry
-Research.

Dentists can choose to run their private practices and see their patients, or work for a dental clinic, others work in hospitals/military

The Clinicals usually run for 3years, but can take a minimum of 2-1/2years to complete in some countries.

Clinicals II:
Dental students [in some curriculums], are required to head on to the medical school and take courses in general medicine, surgery, pediatrics, & anesthesiology.*

Generally, Dental students in the clinical phase of their dental training start taking courses in restorative dentistry, preventive and child health dentistry, oral and public health dentistry, maxillofacial surgery.

Dental students start seeing and treating their own patients at their dental school clinics, making treatment plans, diagnosing and refering patients under the supervision of a licensed Dentist.
They will also be required to do hospital rotations in the various departments...

After completing this phase they take the final part of their professional exams part5, [and some cases] part3 in general medicine & surgery.

After successfully completing the various phases, the students finally graduate with a BDS degree.

The Bachelor Of Dental Surgery[BDS], is one of the 3 undergraduate degrees that permits the practice of dentistry on the international level.

Course structure:
The BDS course usually runs for 5-6years.
*The pre-med phase is usually the first year, where students take courses in pure science(advance physics, chemistry, biology, botany, etc etc).

-Pre-Clinicals:
This phase is where the training start, it last for 2years, students take courses in Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry and Dental science(dental anatomy and histology, operative technique, cariology, dental theraupetics). After completing pre-clinicals, dental students take their first and[second] professional exams known as BDS part2 and BDS part1[this is usually at the end of the third year], and must pass to move on to the clinical phase.

-Clinicals1:
Dental students get introduced to Pharmacology and Pathology and take professional exams in both, after passing the exams, the move on to take clinical courses in Dentistry.

-Pediatric Dentists: specializes in the treatment of dental conditions in children
-Oral & maxillofacial pathologists: Specializes in diagnosing diseases in the maxillofacial region.
-Oral & maxillofacial radiologists: specializes in interpreting dental & maxillofacial x-rays.
-Oral & maxillofacial surgeons: specializes in the surgery of the face, mouth and jaws.
-Orthodontists: specializes in the correction of malpositioned teeth, misaligned jaws, and facial modification.

Other dentists includes; public health dentists, dental anesthesiologists, oro-facial pain specialists, special need dentists and cosmetic dentists.

Dentists typically work in dental clinics, making use of x-rays, in diagnosing oral diseases, treating either by prescribing medications or by performing surgical procedures, they also administer local anesthesia, before some procedures.

Tools used by dentists include; forceps, scapels, surgical blades, rubber dam.
Dentists usually put on a lab coat or scrubs during every procedure.

For people who are keenly interested in becoming a dentist, or aspirants who heard one or two things about BDS and don't really know what it means, or those who are probably clueless about it.

I'd be breaking down bit by bit, the career route on becoming a dentist...

Who is a dentist?

A dentist basically, is a doctor of the oral cavity[Dental Doctor], and is licensed to practice Dentistry[which involves the Prevention, Examination, Diagnosis, and Correction of diseases, injuries, disorders and malformations of the Teeth, Gums, Mouth, Face and Jaws] according to his/her jurisdictions, A Dentist is also known as a Dental Surgeon.

There are generally 9 types of dentists.

-General Dentists: They are more like primary care providers, the treat a variety of dental conditions and refer complex cases to the appopriate specialist.
-Endodontists: Root Canal specialist.
-Prosthodontists: Specializes in making arifcial teeth and missing part in the maxillofacial region.
-Periodontists: Specializes in gum diseases.

@Cetasean419

"...Bachelor of Dental SURGERY, which I find funny using the title..."

first, DDS stands for Doctor of Dental Surgery, not "Dental Science". Secondly BDS Is equivalent to a master level qualification... Any professional degree with 330-360ECTS/Above or British ICESD Level 7/Above is qualified to use the "Doctor" title...

Go for startimes, they show FA Cup, copa del rey, spanish super cup, itallian cup, bundesliga, lalilga and europa league, + one free epl match on saturday at a more affordable price compared to gotv.

@seunH

I know you mean well, but you don't understand my replies... If you go back and follow my replies, you'll find out that i was only quoting from @sgtponzihater1 comments, i was trying to correct his claims.

I ask again, can you point out where I used MBBS to back up BDS?, or can you point out where I said that MBBS and BDS are the same?, or where I Said we are one?

I Have countlesslely pointed out in most of comments that 1. MBBS and BDS are different. 2. MBBS are the traditional "medical doctors". 3. Dentists are doctors.

if you go through all my comments from the beginning without sentiments, you'll find out that the above ^ points is what i've been trying to prove.

mentioning MBBS, doesn't mean that i'm using them to cover my profession, i'm not an MBBS, and I see no reason why I, or any BDS should Use MBBS to project our profession, when MBBS are not even qualified to do our job. we are proudly what we are, we are dentists, doctors of oral health.

go through all my comments again
~cheers

@seunH

how i'm I degrading my profession?, where did I Say that my profession is the same with MBBS?

i made up all the replies to correct fallacies against my profession, which are actually insulting and degrading to my profession. because those fallacies can mislead people.

i'm BDS and i'm proud of it.

why not take time and read all i've posted, before saying anything?

@seunH

how i'm I degrading my profession?, where did I Say that my profession is the same with MBBS?

i made up all the replies to correct fallacies against my profession, because those fallacies can mislead people.

i'm BDS and i'm proud of it.

why not take time and read all i've posted, before saying anything?

@sgtponzihater1

another point, nobody said MBBS, & BDS are the same thing, dentistry as a profession is a branch of surgery, and as well a division of allopathic medicine. Medicine & dentistry are very similar, but no dentist can ever claim to be an MBBS, why?
1. Mbbs can never be qualified to do our job.
2. Mbbs can't run a dental clinic
3. Mbbs can never be addressed as "Dentists"

you're only speaking out of jealousy and hatred because you're not intelligent enough to be qualified as a doctor. The only way dentists are excluded from the word "doctor" is "british english". Even the "American English", recognizes "dentists as doctors.", showing you that UK tradition stays in UK.

and if you think that doctors are not skilled and qualified enough to treat a swollen jaw, perform an RCT, pulpectomy and even screen for oral manifestations of general systemic diseases, then be my guest, just call us "Dentists"="super doctors", and don't forget we are members of the Royal College of surgeons UK. (Higher doctors)

@sgtponzihater1
The latin translation of DMD=Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry. So if dentists say they are also medical doctors, yes! There are, though not the "traditional physician", but of the mouth(dental doctor). Countries like "bangladesh", have laws stating only MBBS & BDS, as certified Medical Doctors. And only the duo use the term "medical doctor" there... I'm going through all your fallacies, one after the other, so that future readers, won't be misled.

another of your point, "when people say they are going to a doctor, they are refering to a medical doctor(physician)", i believe, that should be in the UK, and what happens there, stays there. In general, when you say "you're going to see a doctor", you're either most appopraitely refering to a gp-physician, or any type of doctor, (including dentists), except you're writing in "British English"

@sgtponzihater1

the problem you're having is quoting the UK tradition in a Nigerian forum. There's no tradition in Nigeria that says "dentists are not doctors", even it the UK, dentists are doctors, but "un-recognized", few dental schools there, give out the "Dr." title to dentists, since dentists are not recognized as doctors there(for practicing a branch of surgery), they are warned to use their title appopraitely, in order not to be mistaken for physicians(UK Traditional doctors).

to another part of your point "medical doctor", yes, dentists are not the "traditional medical doctors"(physicians). Because they graduate from a dental program rather than the "medical",
but not withstanding a physician(INTERNIST) holds an MD(Doctor of Medicine, in internal medicine). What actually qualifies him as a medical doctor is the degree(MD), and also mbbs. dentists are also qualified to use the term "(medical doctor of the mouth)"=(dental doctor), because some dentists also hold a DMD=Doctor of Dental Medicine.

[quote author= @sgtponzihater1 :

that's why in "british english", another word for "physician" is "doctor", and "dentist"= "dental surgeon", a dental surgeon, is a dentist(BDS) who practice dentistry(a branch of surgery), while a SURGEON is a specialized physician(mbbs) who practice any branch of surgery. A Physician(mbbs) who specializes in any branch of medicine, get an MD(e.g Doctor of Medicine, in internal medicine), and is recognized as a doctor(MD), while a physician, who specializes in any branch of surgery gets an MS(e.g Master of Surgery, in general surgery), and is recognized as a SURGEON(MS), and no longer use the "DR" Title but "Mr.", and is not considered a doctor with an MS, surgeons in the UK are only considered doctors because they hold the primary MBBS, dental surgeons do not hold MBBS(are not physicians), and their degree is purely surgical(BDS) and hence are not considered doctors according to the UK tradition, all members of the Royal College of Surgeons. Are not addressed as doctors

[quote author= @sgtponzihater1 post

Are Dentists, Doctors (Dr)?

who made that article?,

you shared an article without doing proper research... I don't know what you gained by defending yourself with lies.

first of all, a graduate of medicine is called a PHYSICIAN(medical doctor), a graduate of dentistry is called a DENTIST(dental surgeon).

is a dentist a doctor? Yes!, why is a dentist a doctor?, the same qualities that classify a physician a doctor!

are dentists doctors in the uk? No!, why? Because it has been in the UK tradition that surgeons are not doctors, and hence any specialist who practice any form of surgery is not a doctor but a SURGEON(Mr.) due to the history of medicine and surgery.

physicians were the only recognized doctors in the UK tradition, because they attended a traditional med school to be qualified, while SURGEONS, learnt "surgery" through "apprenticeship", and were considered inferior to physicians.

In terms of salary is dentistry worth it Nigeria?

to me, i don't think so, when compared to that of politicians and dentists abroad,

Dentists in the federal/state level are rated among the highest paying professionals in the health sector, they are paid from the highest paying salary structure CONMESS...

but the private pay is not not so good, private pay ranges from 100k-200k a month, which is not so compensative enough

in contrast, dentists salary is generally higher than most healthcare workers,

in the federal/state level, they are on par in terms of salary with medical doctors, and in private, they are also within the same range...

as for the future of dentistry, i can't say anything about that since I'm not yet a doctor.

Not a doctor, but a student...
but from my research
The factors affecting the dental profession in Nigeria is
-lack of public enlightenment
-inability to afford dental treatment among patients
-lack of business idea by the dental professionals as well

How is the dental profession like in Nigeria?, my answer would be; "it is on par with our third world country" success in the dental profession just like every other field, is very much dependant on the "doctor", yes!, the professional must be "talented in running a business", if he or she wants to go private, and is the private sector paying? Ya... There are multiple successful dental clinics around which have been on and growing for years... "affordability" and "public enlightenment" can still be the issue, but people still obey "pain", and are beginning to visit dentists

Is the profession worth the amount of years in school?, yes!, the passion is worth the amount of years, but if you want to become a quick millionaire, then avoid every "Healthcare" course.

@Orignbm dentistry would soon go into professional darkness Haha bro, is it because we are under NMA, dentists are under NMA, because they can't be under JOHESU, and again NMA recognizes dentists as medical professionals, we have our NDA That we advocate with, so try sth else... But you failed to ask yourself, apart from US And canada, which other country rates optometry In some european countries sef optometry is a vocational course, most countries don't even have optometrists, how many countries can you work in as an optometrist? Can you mention just one country that optometrists are paid higher or the same salary with dentists? Or even make more than dentists? You're blaabing about ocular pain, but you forgot that there are so many free eye care services in nigeria? How many people can afford to make dental care free? Or you didn't know that oral disease is the most prevalent? Bro... Cost of dental treatment is way more expensive than optometric services, so we can't even compare

Toothache is the second most dreadful pain in the world after labour pain, it's obvious you haven't experience a toothache before...

What advantage does dentistry have over Optometry
bro, there are many....

1. Job security/autonomy.... I mean who will ever consider an optometrist when there's an ophtalmologist I wonder why you're even blaabing, when you know for a fact that an ophtalmologist can do your job
if a dentist tells you, you need an implant, will you go to a physician for the treatment?

2. earning potential: i'm not here to drag words with you ... The saying that "people don't have teeth problem and dentists don't have patients" is now boring and very much in the past, walk into a dental clinic and see things for yourself, find out the cost of dental treatments and compare it to your optometry service

3. Higher salary: dentists are paid higher than optometrist, and you're very well aware of it
dentists can always stand out of NMA, we have NDA too, bro UK n US prove that already

@Originbm "dentistry is the poorest medical profession in Nigeria" and again I ask you, what is te cost of a contact lens?
it's quite laughable, even if a dental clinic sees one patient a month, it'll still produce more money than a busy optometry practice,
go find out the costs of dental implants, crowning and bridging, Rct, braces, invisalign and veeners etc,
the real money in the medical field lies in surgical procedures, can an optometrists perform any surgery in Nigeria? haha... Bro, why will you be comparing optometry to dentistry that is basically sugery?

and what do you mean by NMA let's move abroad to the US and UK, where dentistry is not under the same regulating body with medicine, can you compare the optometry to dentistry there can you?
how many countries recognize optometry?

dentistry isn't hiding under the shadow of medicine, the regulating body is called MDCN not MCN and dentists are under NMA because they're medical professionals as well

guy, dentistry's way greater than optometry

It's been a while, any dental aspirant?

This is the trend After 6 years

-BDS>MBBS

-BDS<MBBS+MD/MS

-BDS+MDS=MBBS+MD/MS

I Just bumed into this, op what a beautifully put together story,
Some mbbs students are always too insecured, see them ranting everywhere, nobody said MBBS and BDS is the same thing, yeah Our curriculum is nearly identical, and dentistry is basically medicine/surgery of the mouth(dental medicine/surgery) apart from that, Dental students in Nigeria also rotate medicine,surgery,pediatrics and anesthesiology, and dentists are also aware of how the body works, from all the argument i'm seeing here, it's quite laughable that people type out of ignorance
first of all, a dentist is not a physician(graduate of medicine), a dentist is a Doctor of oral health, Dentists perform surgery on the soft tissues of the mouth, they examine, diagnose, treat disease of the oral cavity, dentists have same prescribing rights with physicians, use the "Dr" Title and run a specialist clinic(dental), some dentists go ahead to specialize in oral-maxillofacial-(surgery, radiology and pathology), orthodontics e.t.c
a Dentist is a Doctor

@Originbm guy you sphew trash
Dentistry is 100times greater than optometry, where do we start from, salary, autonomy, prestige? Or private practice? How much does a contact lens cost?
bro... Optometry is good but please don't compare it to dentistry Walk into a private dental clinic and find out the cost of an implant, brace, rct, crowning and bridging, veeners and invisalign... Dentists only compete with dentists, but optometrists have to compete with themselves and the other 2

Salary; Dentistry>physio/optometry
dentists are ranked with the highest paid professionals in the healthcare system, they are paid with the conmess salary scale, which is higher than physio/optometry

Autonomy; Dentistry>physio>optometry
only dentists are licencesed to do what they do, nobody else can do what a dentist does, but optometrists will have to compete with ophtalmologists, some countries don't even have optometrists, ophtalmologists are doing their jobs, physio is a bit better

Prestige
Dentistry>physio/optometry

dentists are doctors, and in Nigeria they can compete for any position in the hospital, physio/optometrists can't do same
dentists also use the "Dr" title without restrictions,

Lifestyle; Dentistry>physio/optometry
dentists work less than other health profession, they do not work at night and weekends...

At the end dentistry wins, go for dentistry

All the students under the med college are called medical students...

to distinguish them, those in medicine retain the "medical students" while those in Dentistry use dental student... Other courses add their course names