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Eleanor Robinson |
"I also enjoy working with people and helping them change their perception of a dentist," Eleanor explains. She hopes to dispel the bad feelings people have about the visit to the dentist . With such advanced technology, pain can now be a thing of the past.
Eleanor was never sure about ...
Alternative Career Options
Dental Therapist and Dental Hygienist
Job Overview: A dentist’s major role is the maintenance of health through the assessment, diagnosis, management, treatment and prevention of any disease, disorder or condition of the mouth, jaws, teeth, and their supporting tissues
ALTERNATIVE TITLES
Other career options in the dental industry that are experiencing a shortage of staff are:There are a number of specialist areas in dentistry including:
Endodontic (root canals)
Paediatric dentistry (children)
Periodontic (gums)
Oral medicine (medically related disorders)
Prosthodontic (crowns, bridges, dentures)
Oral pathology (causes of disease)
Public Health/Community dentistry
Special needs dentistry (disabilities)
Restorative dentistry
Orthodontic (corrects bad bite, crooked teeth)
Oral and maxillofacial surgery (defects of
jaw and surrounding structures, removal of
wisdom teeth)
Dental Therapist
Dental Hygienist
TASKS AND DUTIES
Day-to-day tasks may include:
- listen to and talk with patients to establish what their needs are
- examine mouths, teeth, gums and jaws
- may assess and refer patients to other dental specialists and health professionals
- may give pain relief to patients
- treat diseased teeth appropriately in various ways, including placing bonded fillings or fitting crowns, or extract teeth
- treat diseased gums, jaw-joint problems, and other general mouth problems
- may fit braces to straighten teeth
- may be involved in research
- advise patients on how to keep their teeth clean and prevent diseases
TRAITS OF A GOOD DENTAL SPECIALISTSDentists need to have:
-skill in assessing and diagnosing dental problems
-good technical skills
-decision-making and problem solving skills
-good people skills
-stress-management skills
While studying to become a dentist you will learn about dental methods and materials, medicines and medical conditions, hygiene and sterilisation, and first aid. It is also important for dentists to know about the functions of the body, general injuries and diseases of the body, especially the head and neck.
Personal qualities that dentists should have are patience, concern for others, relate to and empathise with a range of people and they should be able to inspire confidence in their patients. It is also important that dentists are accurate, responsible and able to work well under pressure.
Dentists need to have good eyesight (with or without glasses), good hand-eye co-ordination and a tidy appearance.
QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING NEEDED
A university entrance qualification is required to enter training, although an A or B Bursary or NCEA equivalent is preferred. Useful subjects include chemistry, physics, biology and either maths with statistics or calculus. A Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from Otago University, which has New Zealand's only School of Dentistry, or an equivalent overseas qualification that is accepted by the Dental Council of New Zealand is required to become a dentist. Entry into dentistry is based on academic performance in the first year of university study. This five year degree has very detailed and strict entry criteria. For more details visit the Otago University website (www.otago.ac.nz/subjects/dent.html)
An Annual Practising Certificate and registration with the Dental Council of New Zealand is required before you can work as a dentist. Any work experience with people in the hospitality, health or personal services industries is useful.
STUDY COSTS
Study costs for a Bachelor of Dental Surgery varies with each year of study. The 2007 fees for the dentistry undergraduate programme are $10,780 per year and the postgraduate programme fee are $23,590 per year. For more information please see the University of Otago website.
WORK ENVIRONMENT AND EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS
Dentists work in offices and/or surgeries in private practices, hospitals, universities, defence bases, research centres and community health centres. They may also make home visits.
Hours vary between practices but dentists usually work regular hours. Some weekend and evening work may be required.
Salaries vary depending on the dentist or the practice. Most dentists are self-employed or contract to a practice, and are paid by salary or on commission.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES - Where can this qualification lead to in the future?
Most graduates in dentistry enter general practice on their own or in association with others. There is a growing demand for dentists in New Zealand, particularly in rural and small urban areas, such as Taranaki. This demand is due to the increasing age of New Zealand's population and an increase in the number of people retaining their own teeth.New Zealand dentists have always traveled to gain experience and training, but now fewer are returning. Hence, one of the reasons why there is a skill shortage. Graduates in dentistry from the University of Otago, which has New Zealand's only School of Dentistry, enjoy an excellent reputation internationally. Their acceptance for practice and postgraduate study in overseas countries is high and many New Zealand graduates hold senior academic and hospital posts abroad.
Changes in disease patterns, an increase in the number of people keeping their own teeth, and the use of new dental materials and techniques have had a significant impact on the role and skill requirements of dentists in recent years. It is becoming increasingly important for dentists to keep up to date with new technology and techniques.
There is also the opportunity to have your own business. The majority of practising dentists (74%) are self-employed, either in solo or group practices.
COMPANY PROFILES
Below is a list of Taranaki businesses that employ dentists (these are only example businesses for you to research this particular career choice). In addition, write-ups featured in the Career Profiles section provide some insight into the work environment and opportunities available within the industry.
- Taylor Dental, Vivian Street, New Plymouth
- Dental Care, High Street, Hawera
- Eltham Dental Centre, Eltham
Priscilla Sandys Wunsch Scholarships
RELEVANT CONTACTS
Otago University| Website: | http://www.otago.ac.nz/subjects/dent.html |
Dental Council of New Zealand
| Phone: | (04) 499 4820 |
| Email: | inquiries@dcnz.org.nz |
| Website: | http://www.dcnz.org.nz |
New Zealand Dental Association
| Website: | http://www.nzda.org.nz |
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