Have you ever considered becoming a dentist?

If you’re one of the fortunate few who don’t squirm at the thought of a visit to the dentist, then maybe you should consider actually becoming one and helping to create million dollar smiles all across the country.

“A career in dentistry can be very rewarding,” admits Harman Chahal, chair of the British Dental Association’s Young Dentists Committee.

“It exercises your scientific and engineering abilities, artistic abilities and your skills in working with people. By making you flex so many muscles to do the job, you never get bored either.”

Public health dentists have extremely varied days with each patient’s case being entirely different.

“On an average day, I will see around 25 patients,” says Harman.

“I do routine oral health examinations on patients’ and carry out dental work such as fillings, crowns, removing teeth, and replacing missing teeth. And I treat both adults and children, but often families will come in together.”

Besides treating basic oral health issues, dentists can specialise in a range of fields from forensic odontology to prosthodontics.

Whatever speciality dentists choose, they will require to have completed a minimum of a five-year degree from a General Dental Council-approved university dental school. This will involve basic sciences such as physiology, anatomy and biochemistry.

“Then as you move through the course, it will involve more clinical work where you will actually work on patients under supervision,” Harman adds.

Being a dentist requires lifelong learning to stay at the forefront of dental advances.

The salary is excellent too for graduates and professionals. According to the BDA, the starting salary for a graduate dentist is around £30,000, while an associate dentist’s salary is around £59,000.

Harman explains: “Dentistry can provide a comfortable lifestyle, but it won’t make you rich and if you are going into it for the money then dentistry isn’t for you.”

Dentists can work for the NHS, privately or for both.

And the best thing about the job? “It’s the people,” Harman says.

“I enjoy working with people and helping them with their problems and preventing future ones. I build a relationship with my patients and their children – and when the children become adults they too attend your practice.

“It’s hard to explain how it feels to have people put so much trust in you – but you work hard to repay that trust by providing them with great work.”