About Dentistry

Studying dentistry and getting dental education is the dream of many students. Dentistry, with its flexible working hours, being respected in the society, being above the average financially, and wide working areas makes the profession popular in the eyes of students who will choose a university, and many students want to study dentistry.

The basic duties and responsibilities of a dentist include examining the dental and oral health of patients of all ages and applying the treatment accordingly. Other responsibilities of the dentist can be grouped under the following headings;

• Filling the teeth to remove the decay and fill the gaps,

• Pulling broken teeth

• Treating teeth to correct bite problems,

• Applying anesthesia to prevent patients from feeling pain during medical procedures,

• Prescribing antibiotics or other drugs

• Making models and sizes of intraoral equipment such as dentures suitable for patients,

• Patients; to inform about dental floss, fluoride use and other methods of dental care,

• Supervising the work of professional, technical and administrative personnel,

• Have up-to-date knowledge of new products that can provide patient care, improve patient conditions, or treat the patient

Career Paths for Dentistry Degree Majors

There are many career paths in dentistry, but before entering dentistry, it is necessary to know how to follow a career path in dentistry.

Below are 12 dental career paths recognized by the American Dental Association:

• Dental Public Health

• Dental Anesthesiology

• Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology

• Endodontics

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

• Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology

• Orofacial Pain

• Oral Medicine

• Pediatric Dentistry

• Periodontitis

• Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

• Prosthetic Dentistry

In order to advance in one of these career paths, it is necessary to go through a difficult education process.

There is no specific pre-dental major, so graduating with a placement in dental school is the first step in your career path. Finding internship opportunities and shadowing experiences during your time at university is key to getting a head start in business. After completing the undergraduate education, it is necessary to do a master's degree in the field to be specialized. Most dental school goers intend to specialize in general dentistry and start their practice. However, there are many other specialization options. During the time spent in dental school, the choice will be easy as there is an opportunity to go through each of these options.

What Skills Do I Need to Become a Dentist?

Dentist; Diagnoses and treats the patient's problems with teeth, gums and related parts of the mouth. Provides advice on the care of teeth and gums and nutritional choices that affect oral health. The qualifications sought in the profession, in which we can define the job in this way, can be listed as follows:

• Having the dexterity to work with tools in a limited area,

• To be able to communicate well with patients and other professionals,

• To be able to detect intraoral changes and problems by working detail-oriented,

• Demonstrate strong organizational skills, including keeping accurate records for patient care.

• Having the physical ability to perform dental operations that require standing for a long time,

• Show the patience to work for a long time with patients who need special attention,

• Having problem-solving skills to evaluate the symptoms of patients and choose the appropriate treatment,

Is the Dentistry Department Right for Me?

People who want to be a dentist must have certain qualifications. People who have these characteristics and want to choose this profession should ask themselves some questions before starting the department. Since the person who will be a dentist will have to follow professional developments closely, they should be people who love to read and have a passion for self-development.

Since the dental chair is frightening for many people, calm and friendly people should prefer dentistry. Dentistry will not be a suitable department for people who think that they do not have this feature. Dentists, who are health professionals, should not have conditions such as nausea, blood retention or disgust with the human body. At the same time, people who have strong communication and can fight fear can be successful in this profession.

Providing all these features one by one is very important to be a dentist. For this reason, dentistry will be a very suitable choice for a person who has all of these features.