Career Essay
Intro: Someone coming at you, white latex gloves, the tool with a hook that twinkles with deceit in hand, and as your dazed from the anesthetics they gave you, they ask you to smile and then ask you to “open wide” to claw at your teeth and gums. Yeah, that’s what I want to be doing as a career, scaring kids as a dentist. That’s what people see them for, but what really makes a dentist? Lots of schooling, is one for sure, but you also must have simple skills that some may be born with or others have to learn. Explaining these things and learning about these things are crucial to my education to becoming a dentist. Paragraph 1: As a dentist, you get to have an office full of terrified kids and adults who get to see me! It’s actually them being scared of the tools that I have that goes in their mouths, but same thing right? Besides having kids being terrified of you and your tools, there are its perks. One of the perks for a dentist is that they are one of the highest paying in the healthcare department, raking in an average of $172,350 each year, making $14,362.50 a month. And with that, dentists have a “growth of 18% from 2014-2024, faster than the average for all occupations.” (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Dentists, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dentists.htm) It may not seem like it, but dentists have a lot of responsibilities when it comes to taking care of
For my senior project I have explored the career of a Dental Hygienist, who is a licensed dental professional who is registered with a dental care association within their country of practice. Their duty is to clean teeth, examine patients for signs and symptoms of oral diseases such as gingivitis, and provide other preventive dental care. They also educate patients on ways to improve and maintain good oral cavity health. Dental hygienist occupation has many important aspects to their job, which makes it a very rewarding occupation. According to my research dental hygienists is one of the top career choices in America, being so, over the years the career has evolved into a high demanding occupation.
Nature of the work for a dental hygienist is a wide range of challenges. Dental hygienist plays as the side kick of the dentist to better help their patient’s oral health conditions. The reason I mentioned theirs a wide variety of responsibilities is because different states have certain regulations on practices dental hygienist can actually do. Procedures like patient screening, head and neck inspection, and dental charting. Also, taking X-Rays, and removing plaque from all surfaces of the teeth. Dental hygienist also applies sealants and fluorides to the patient’s teeth and gums to help prevent diseases from forming. The information I conducted from my dental hygienist Linda. She noted that she teaches her patients proper instructions on flossing, and brushing teeth, and also nutrition counseling. Make an impression on their patient’s teeth for study casts which is models of teeth used by the dentist to evaluate patient treatment needs (Linda Smith). Finally, dental hygienist performs documentation and office activities. Academy of General Dentistry gave me the sources
Ever since I was in middle school, I would tell everyone that I was going to become a dentist. That was my career plan until the summer of my junior year. During that summer, I had the opportunity to do an internship and job shadow Dr. Bradshaw at his private dental office. While observing and talking to the doctor, I realized that I would not enjoy working as a dentist. I still wanted to pursue a career in the dental field so I decided to job shadow the dental hygienists. Watching the dental hygienists perform their duties and interact with patients made me want to pursue a career in dental hygiene. I knew very little about dental hygienists besides the fact that they clean teeth. As I spent time with the dental hygienists, I learned more each day. While researching for this paper, I became knowledgeable on even more information. From reading The Occupational Outlook Handbook and A Career as a Dental
In “Where are all the Dentists?”, Kristen Lewis states that there are not enough dentists in rural areas, but that can be fixed. Many people in the modern world live in poverty and don't have the dental support they need. This is because regular dental treatment can cost up to $100, which is a lot for some people who don't have regular dental access. Having a dental degree is very pricey, so when the dentists come out of dental school, they are usually in debt. Because of this, dentists like to work in modern environments where they can get good business. But in places with not a lot of money, there are less or no dentists. These “dental deserts” have many people with untreated cavities and other bad tooth diseases. Because of that, dentists
To begin, dentistry plays an integral role in the daily lives of countless individuals. Dentistry as defined by the International Council of Nurses is, "The profession of practice of providing care for the sick and inform in regards to oral hygiene." Populations around the world, and in particular Japan, are aging quite rapidly. Baby Boomers, individuals born between 1946 and 1964 are reaching retirement age as they too become older. As this demographic age becomes older, they will typically become more prone to sickness or other forms of detrimental illnesses. As such, the importance of dentistry in the coming years will be even more profound. As such, interviewing an individual within the health care industry provided valuable insights as to the overall profession, and the implications it has on society.
Dentistry involves a variety of guidelines and oral practices to help people maintain a good oral hygiene. This career is far more than just making your teeth pretty and clean. “Dentists in private practice manage their own offices. They may supervise other workers such as receptionists, bookkeepers, dental assistants, and dental hygienists. They may order equipment and supplies” (Dentists). This quote shows that Dentists have even more responsibilities than you might assume. Being a Dentist consists of practices you probably aren’t very familiar with at this point in your life. These quotes show a couple different practices that are used in this career. “Endodontists perform root-canal therapy, by which they remove the nerves and blood supply from injured or infected teeth” (Dentistry). “Oral and maxillofacial radiologists diagnose diseases in the head and neck through the use of imaging technologies” (Dentistry). “Dentists may fit dental appliances or provide preventive care” (America’s). All of this might sound quite challenging and stressful. To overcome the stress that comes with being a Dentist, you will have to be patient. Determination is also a great key to success. If you are patient, responsible, and determined while working as a Dentist, you will be very successful.
“ Every tooth in a man's head is more valuable than a diamond.” Being a dental hygienist and helping others and their hygiene is very important. Showing compassion in your patients and working hard is all that counts. I have always valued the dentist and how they keep my smile great and my teeth very clean. Helping others in the future and making them feel better about themselves is why I have chosen this career. This career offers many great things and I could not of chosen a better career.
My choice in careers seems now: to go from managing a tooth-decaying candy store to dreaming of cleaning teeth, would be a large leap on my effect of the tooth-health-spectrum. As a dental hygienist, it will be my job to clean people’s teeth, examine them for any type of oral disease, and to educate others on proper dental hygiene. To perform my job properly, it will be important to have high communication skills, a general knowledge of anatomy and diseases, and to have a close attention to detail.
Becoming a dental hygienist involves the game stage substantially. In the game stage, we begin to understand that the people around us have responsibilities of their own and demands placed upon them as well, the world does not revolve solely around the individual. In patient care, it is important for us as the dental hygienist to be aware that our patients may feel as though they do not have time to brush or floss their teeth. Instead of just placing judgement on them the dental hygienist needs to look at the situation from the patient’s point of view and should empathize and work with the patient to come to a solution. The game stage is likely why we also say keep your home life and your work life separate, this being, if you are fighting
For a person to be successful in the field of dentistry, he or she must be able to perform certain skills such as manual dexterity, the ability to work, the willingness to train, concern for people, commitment, an interest in science, and communication. Manual dexterity is the ability to work with hand tools. Dental hygienists range from creating small models from clay or wood, to as far as working in a patient's mouth. Dental schools look into how well someone can use their hands to grasp small objects and maneuver through small spaces. Another crucial skill to acquire is patience and the ability to work hard. Dental schools look at how well you handle irregular hours and conforming to a long extended period of time, so therefore, it would be important to obtain that skill! Willingness to train comes along with working hard. If a person is able to take orders from others during a training period in and school and on the job, they are one step closer to becoming a well rounded hygienist. Concern for patients is another skill a person interested in becoming a dental hygienist will need. “Being able to reassure and be concerned about the state of the patients oral health” (SB 106) is a big step he or she will have to take. Patients like to know that their hygienist cares about their oral health. Hygienists are there to assist their patients’ needs and inform them about proper oral
My dream job is to be a dental hygienist and has been the same since I was a little girl. I have an interest in how health can affect one’s body. I would like to educate others how important it is to keep your body, including teeth, healthy and clean. To see people who have not cleaned their teeth in years compared to people who are able to see the dentist every six months, is a drastic difference. Some people may think it does not matter, but lack of dental care actually takes a toll on your health. I want to peruse this career to help other’s think. I will enjoy helping other people by showing them the importance of keeping their teeth cleaned. Contrary to popular belief, a tooth brush does not do all the work, that is also why it is so important to have a dentist to make sure you are getting the cleaning you need to stay healthy. Another reason why I want to pursue this career is I work best in an oriented atmosphere. Making sure people are comfortable with where they are and make sure the patients are taken care of. Creates a very friendly environment. That is why my passion is a dental hygienist.
Health care has been an issue for the United States of America for multiple years. Dental care, a topic that does not get much attention because people believe it is trivial, plays a major part in people’s lives, particularly children. Gerard van Honthorst’s The Tooth Puller shows a dentist pulling a patient’s tooth with five observers watching. Van Honthorst shows how in awe or scared people are of the dentist. There is a negative outlook on dentists and dental care: people are afraid of the dentist giving them their negative connotation, while dental care only causes pain in many people eyes. There is a problem in the health care system and improvement in the system is needed because health care is a right for every citizen, especially dental care. The United States of America’s government should allow dental therapist to conduct the procedure that normal dentist conduct for free for children under the age of twelve. The government should fund the teaching, training, and employment of dental therapists to care for underserved people.
Before beginning dental hygiene school, I pictured dental hygienists as people who are just responsible for cleaning teeth, have flexible work hours, and overall dental hygiene being a good family-oriented career. While all of this accurate, I now have a more thorough and greater understanding of dental hygiene after entering this program. In these past two semesters, my view of a dental hygienist has definitely changed in a positive way. The dental hygienists role is not only to clean teeth, but also play an excessive role in educating patients, building relationships, and preventing and treating oral diseases. The mouth is a basic form of the rest of the body’s health, and dental hygienists have a duty to keep that in mind when evaluating
enjoyed the office’s aroma. I frequently visit my Dentist office, not because I needed but I wanted be there. I had the opportunity to learn how to mix amalgam, how to prepare prophylaxis paste, and how to clean and sterilize instruments at early age. Ever since I can remember I knew that I wanted to work in the dental field. For that reason, it was a surprise for me that Dental field was not the unique career which corresponds with my interest and personality type. Even though Dental Hygiene was not in my top ten strong occupations, it fit in the first two of five top interest areas according to the Strong Interest Inventory.
Dentistry is the profession in which the dentist helps with the prevention and treatment of mouth diseases and malfunctions. The dentist performs many duties within their profession. Some duties the dentist may do on a daily basis are: diagnose oral problems, fill cavities, write prescriptions, perform root canals, treat gum disease, examining radiographs, removing root decay, and providing instruction to the patients along with many other duties. Becoming a dentist allows for many different working opportunities. A dentist has the opportunity to work in the military, in a hospital, in administration, or they can even work in a classroom and teach. Most commonly though dentist tend to work in an office which they may own fully or