Profession dentist: description, all the pros and cons of working as a doctor

A dentist is a doctor who specializes in treating diseases and injuries of teeth, jaws and other organs of the oral cavity and maxillofacial area. By the way, in 2022, the ProfGid career guidance center developed an accurate career guidance test. He himself will tell you which professions are suitable for you, and give an opinion about your personality type and intelligence.

Workplace

Dentist salary

Dentist salary for December 2021

Important qualities

Dentist knowledge and skills

Dental training

Courses

Universities

Examples of companies with dentist vacancies

Story

The history of the profession goes back a long way. The first mention of dental diseases appeared in the writings of Hippocrates. Moreover, he proposed eliminating them with the help of a hot iron. In those days, many people suffered from toothache, and the mortality rate from ordinary gumboil was quite high. Then knowledge about teeth and their care begins to develop rapidly.

In the East, in 500 AD, the first toothbrushes appeared. Forceps for removing diseased teeth appeared in the 4th century AD. Ancient civilizations suffered quite a lot from toothaches, so powerful drugs appeared to relieve them: arsenic, opium, etc. Already in these times, people realized that it was possible not only to remove a diseased tooth, but also to treat it, eliminating only the damaged area. So in 659 the first fillings appeared. Dentistry was developing rapidly in Europe.

This branch of knowledge came to Russia during the reign of Peter the Great. It was he who officially introduced the profession of dentist. From now on, the rapid development of dentistry begins in our state. In 1881, the first educational institution that trained future dentists appeared in St. Petersburg. Behind him, similar institutions are opening throughout the state.

Modern dentistry is a high-tech science that is constantly improving methods of treatment and prevention of oral diseases. Even the loss of a tooth is no longer a problem, because there are prosthetics, extensions and many other procedures aimed at creating the ideal “Hollywood” smile for every person.

Lesson reflection

The teacher asks what was most remembered during the lesson, what seemed most interesting and significant. What new questions have arisen, how the information received can affect the future plans of schoolchildren (for high school students).

How to brush your teeth

Do not apply a lot of toothpaste to the brush (especially toothpastes with fluoride). Too much foam gets in the way.

Move the brush from the gums to the edges of the teeth. Do not move the brush across your teeth - this will knock plaque into the interdental space. Use circular motions or brush up and down.

Don't forget to brush your teeth from the gum line, the teeth in the back of your mouth, the inside of your teeth, and your chewing surfaces. Caries occurs due to inattentive cleaning of chewing surfaces.

Allow three minutes to clean.

Description

The dentist's profession covers a fairly wide range of activities: treatment, prevention, surgical interventions, prosthetics, bite correction and much more. Therefore, modern science has divided this branch of knowledge into several specific areas:

Dentist-therapist. This is the specialist most familiar to each of us. He conducts an initial examination and performs standard dental treatment - eliminating caries, inflammatory processes and infectious diseases of the oral cavity. This is the first specialist the patient sees. His responsibilities include diagnosis, treatment or referral to a more specialized specialist.
Orthopedic dentist. This is a specialist who deals with the elimination of bite deformities and dental prosthetics. He knows all the features and nuances of these processes. Proficient in prosthetics (removable, fixed, combined) and microprosthetics.
Dentist-surgeon. This is a specialist who eliminates defects through surgical interventions. This doctor routinely deals with dental implantation and extraction. He can handle procedures aimed at preserving teeth, treating inflammatory processes and neoplasms of the oral cavity and small facial tumors. He prepares the mouth for the subsequent prosthetic procedure, treating disease processes of the TMJ, trigeminal nerve and salivary glands. His responsibilities include surgical treatment of wounds of the face, mouth and neck, plastic surgery and reconstruction of the jaw, diagnosis of common severe diseases based on their symptomatic manifestations in the face, mouth and neck. These usually include tuberculosis, syphilis, etc. This specialist also performs operations on periodontal surfaces.
Maxillofacial surgeon. This specialist performs surgical interventions of varying complexity. They are deeper and more complex than those of a dental surgeon. Such surgical interventions are performed under general anesthesia and require a lot of knowledge and skills.
Pediatric dentist. Milk teeth have their own specifics and a number of features. This specialist knows everything about their structure and correct treatment methods. In addition, he is also a good psychologist. It’s not so easy to put a child in a dentist’s chair.
Dentist-orthodontist. This is a specialist who works with dental anomalies that arise as a result of natural processes: genetic predisposition, age-related changes or deformations due to tooth loss or periodontal disease. Unlike a prosthodontist, he does not deal with cases that result from trauma.

All these specializations are combined under the name of the profession “dentist”. They include a huge range of knowledge and skills. These specializations are irreplaceable.

What specialties to study?

In order to become one of the specialists in the field of maxillofacial and dental pathologies, you should choose the specialization “Dentistry”.

Tips and tricks for employment

Starting a career path for a young specialist is not easy. To get a position as a practicing doctor, you need at least 3 years of work experience. To facilitate employment, yesterday's students should listen to the following recommendations:

Those who do not have work experience should initially look for a position as a dental assistant. The person holding this position helps the doctor sterilize instruments, accompanies patients to examination rooms, performs medical manipulations, photographs, and performs other duties that will help him gain the necessary skills.
Final year university students should look for an assistant position without waiting for their diploma. In this case, by the time they graduate, they will have a little experience that will help them find a job.
After 1–2 years of working as an assistant, you can try to look for a position as a practicing dentist. The easiest way for a young doctor to get a job as a dental therapist. Working in this specialty will provide a large amount of knowledge and skills that will be useful in the future if the doctor wants to become an orthodontist, orthopedist or surgeon.

Where to study

You can get a dental diploma in almost every regional center of the Russian Federation. The following higher education institutions are recognized as the most prestigious:

Moscow State Medical and Dental University named after. A. I. Evdokimova.
St. Petersburg State Pediatric University.
First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov.
North-Eastern Federal University named after M.K. Ammosova.
Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN).

These universities, like many others, will allow you to obtain all the necessary knowledge for successful employment as a dentist.

What do you have to do at work and specializations?

The range of activities of a dentist directly depends on his specialization.

The dentist-therapist daily encounters people coming for preventive examinations or with acute pain for caries treatment. He removes the affected areas of the tooth using special equipment and places crowbars on them to close the exposed tooth tissue and prevent further development of disease-causing processes. The dentist also treats inflammatory processes of the gums. He knows how to diagnose the stage of the disease and select individual correct treatment. The dentist is constantly faced with infectious, fungal and bacterial processes in the oral cavity. These are various stomatitis, candidiasis, etc. They can only be eliminated through skillful selection of treatment.

Surgical specialties. These doctors perform surgical interventions and tooth extractions. Their activity is associated with the need to open tissues of the oral cavity, face or neck to carry out the necessary manipulations. It is the surgeon who removes teeth, plastics these areas and eliminates tumor formations. Abscesses, abscesses - all this is the sphere of activity of a dental surgeon or maxillofacial surgeon.

Orthopedic dentist. This specialist eliminates defects in the jaw and tooth growth line that arise as a result of injury. He also deals with prosthetics and implantation. His work is complex and requires maximum precision and care. The slightest deviation and the work will have to start all over again.

Dentist-orthodontist. This specialist deals with the elimination of deformations that are a consequence of age-related changes. He usually works with malocclusions, eliminating them by installing brackets, plates and braces.

Pediatric dentist. The range of his responsibilities is similar to that of a dental therapist. He only works with children and teenagers. It is important for this specialist to persuade the child to treat his teeth and teach patients the rules of oral care.

Reviews from experts

Maria, dentist-therapist, work experience - 12 years

I work in public dentistry. There's no big money here. To have high income, you need to get a job in a private clinic or open your own business. Physically, my job is hard because I have to stand bending over a patient for the entire shift. This often causes neck and back pain. In recent months, I began to think about going into private structures. Tired of bending your back for a salary that is only enough for food.

Ivan, dental surgeon, 10 years of experience

He began his career as an assistant in public dentistry. A few years later he began to practice on his own. Today I work simultaneously in 3 clinics - 2 private and 1 public. Despite the heavy workload, I can cope because I have enough experience. But I want to warn schoolchildren who want to become dentists that they will constantly have to deal with blood, saliva and pus. If you are not afraid of this, then you are welcome to join the profession.

Who is this profession suitable for?

This profession is suitable for people with well-developed coordination of movements, in particular fine motor skills of the hands. Good long-term memory and 100% vision are important. The slightest inaccuracy and the patient may lose a tooth or experience severe pain.

Demand

This profession is in very high demand.

Acquiring skills

Conduct an examination and diagnose the disease.
Ability to analyze a situation in order to develop a treatment plan in the future.
Read the x-ray.
In certain cases, recommend possible solutions to the problem and encourage the patient to make the right choice.
Describe in detail the rules of oral hygiene and, in general, how to care for your teeth and gums.

Link to the professional standard: https://www.przrf.ru/docs/full/kadrovoe_regulirovanie1/Ob-utverzhdenii-professionalnogo-standarta-Vrach-stomatolog/

You will have to work with different dental instruments and special equipment. Also with medications. Some areas even require computer skills. When it comes to prosthetics, modern doctors create mock-ups in special programs and then print them on 3D printers.

Initially, the newcomer will be faced with the need to work in practice with a supervisor. In the future, doctors can work with assistants who carry out assignments (preparing instruments, recording clients).

Labor operations:

Preparatory stage: turning on the equipment, arranging medications if there is no assistant.
Patient reception, examination.
Prevention, diagnosis.
Treatment of problem teeth or oral cavity.
Taking impressions.
Anesthesia if removal of a tooth, nerve, etc. is required.
Paperwork.

How does one usually build a career?

A career can be built in two directions:

Practical. A dental intern develops into a full-time doctor. Then, gaining experience and demonstrating your development, you can grow to the head of the department and deputy head physician. The peak of the career is the position of chief physician.
Theoretical. This is a scientific activity. To do this, upon graduation, you should apply to graduate school. Then you should defend your candidate's and doctoral dissertations. This will help you open a private school, which will be the peak of your career.

Prospects for the profession

The dentist profession is in demand and prestigious. Earnings are quite high, so the very opportunity to receive that kind of money is already a good prospect. In the future, you can develop and get the position of chief physician, become the owner of your own clinic or a private school of dentistry.

If you still have even the slightest doubt that the dentist profession is right for you, then we strongly recommend taking a career guidance test from Profguide . It costs mere pennies, and at the same time allows you to avoid mistakes that can go in the wrong direction and cripple your entire life. Find out more >>

Important qualities of a dentist

Not everyone can become a dentist. A doctor in our time is not just a profession, it is a calling, so here you need to be a real professional and have a set of important qualities:

• let's start with the fact that a person must have a predisposition to the natural sciences, including physics, chemistry and, of course, biology;

• the dentist must be able to communicate with people and find an approach to even the most difficult characters;

• dexterity, good memory, ability to concentrate and, of course, analyze are essential qualities of a dentist;

• responsibility and patience;

• the ability to respect the fears of patients, the ability to listen and reassure a person;

• neatness and neatness.