Protect those pearly whites

THE most visible yet often neglected part of your body is your mouth, or more specifically, your teeth. Having a set of shiny, white teeth can not only help boost your confidence by making you more attractive but contributes to your overall health as well.

Dentistry is a fulfilling field that helps people achieve their optimum dental health. Professions in this field are largely associated with dental care but can also include cosmetic dental treatment.

This dynamic field has a wide array of specialisations. A traditional path will bring you towards owning a dental care practice while more modern specialisations are focused on research or cosmetic alterations.

Local need for dentists

Dentistry is not as simple as teaching people how to brush and floss. Oral disease due to poor dental care is rampant, ranging from tooth decay and gum disease to cavities. Early detection is extremely important since minor symptoms such as an oral ulcer can indicate more serious conditions.

“Maintaining good oral health is more than just brushing your teeth. Educating people on oral health is crucial for society to maintain overall health and quality of life,” says paediatric dental specialist Dr Leong Kei Joe, who is also president-elect of the Malaysian Dental Association.

The pathway to dentistry

Many people carry the misconception that dentistry is an easier field of study than other medical professions. This is an unrealistic perception since dentistry is appropriately complex and challenging.

In Malaysia, pursuing dentistry takes at least five years of intensive education followed by a year of compulsory service with the Government. After that, you can choose to specialise. The process of specialisation usually takes three years.

Specialisations you can choose from include:

Periodontology dealing with diseases of the gums and supporting structures of the mouth and jaws.

Orthodontics – Includes diagnosing and correcting misalignment of the jaws and teeth.

Prosthodontics – Focuses on recreating and restoring parts of the teeth or jaws damaged in accidents or by disease.

Paediatric dentistry – Dedicated to the oral health needs of babies and children, who have different dental anatomy from adults.

Cosmetic dentistry – Aesthetic appearance is the heart of this line, with focus on obtaining skills in correcting and restoring teeth, jaws and other oral structures.

Veterinary dentistry –A relatively rare field of dentistry for care of animals such as race horses whose dentists are called equine dental technicians.

Forensic odontology – Involves criminal investigation such as identification of disfigured victims through dental records.

Career options

Even though the general assumption is that you will be a dentist upon completing your dentistry degree, there are other career options available as follows:

Own practice – The most common career option in the field, having your own practice means you get to be your own boss and determine your own working hours.

You can be a general dental practitioner or specialise as a dental surgeon, or both.

Join hospitals – Getting a hospital job means you can work at an established institution with an existing clientele and consistent salary.

Being attached to a hospital also means busy days, especially if working at a government hospital.

Join community health centres – If you want to give back to society, this option is for you.

While fresh graduates may be reluctant to work for little to no pay at these centres, some senior dentists are usually happy to contribute their time and skill due to their more flexible schedules.

Teaching – Another profession for more senior dentists, being an industry expert qualifies you to impart knowledge to students. Most teaching positions require several years as a dentist or in associated specialisations.

Research – If your focus is on bettering the field of dentistry by developing new techniques in treatment and prevention procedures, a career in research may be for you.

To conduct research projects and studies, you usually need several years under your belt as a dental health practitioner.

Skills needed to succeed

Every profession needs people who are not only passionate about their work but also possess certain personality attributes that suit the demands of that career. The attributes needed for pursuing dentistry are:

Love for science – Science forms the basic and future development of dentistry. Having a keen interest in science subjects can make your journey in dentistry an enjoyable one.

Love for people – Dentists deal with many people daily. Even if you want to teach or be a researcher in the field, you need a few years as a practitioner to qualify for those positions.

A genuine care for people and good social skills are needed by any dentist, especially for one wanting to specialise in paediatric dentistry.

Hard-working – As with many other professions, being a hard worker is necessary to pursue a career in dentistry.

Completing your education is not the end of your hard work as you then need to get used to working in the highly competitive field.