It's never really appealed to me, and it's probably too late by now anyway, going into dentistry as a career, that is...
However I did get thinking as I had a good chat with a dentist down the pub the other day, just about life and shit, but I ended up wondering just how good a career is dentistry, I mean I know it's 'up there' as one of the best.
If you want to check it out here's a gov link....
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/dentist
Dentistry as a Profession: Is It the Right One?
Dentistry is one of those professions that comes with a hint of prestige attached to it. It's well-paying, highly specialized, and offers some level of job security. But is it the right profession for just anyone? Let's weigh out the pros and cons.
The Pros of Being a Dentist
It's very High earning...
Apparently the starting salary is £50K and you go well over six figures if you specialise in your later career....
It's also relatively secure in the medium term I think.... the demand is simply huge given that dental problems = pain and looking ugly, as well as general health and well-being. While robots could potentially take over some aspects, I can't see people trusting them over people for a few decades yet at least.
It is a general caring job, while you may be charging a lot, sorting out someone's teeth can change their life!
There are, apparently, a number of pathways following basic training, including going into research. I imagine that could be fairly interesting, figuring out new processes of dentistry.
The Drawbacks of a Dentist
It's a FIVE YEAR degree, and then further training on the job, that's a long time and a lot of debt.
I imagine it could be a stressful job, not everyone is a model patient, you have to deal with a lot of anxiety, and you've got to be precise constantly, fuck it up and someone's gonna be really miserable.
Physical Strain – you are on your feet and bent over in slightly awkward positions most of the time, you also need a degree of manual dexterity.
Setting up a practice if you want to go down that route could be expensive..... I don't imagine dental equipment or insurance are cheap.
Regulation.... I'm not sure what you have to comply with but it probably ain't gonna be pretty.... health and safety, medical boards, insurance, all of that jazz..
Dentistry - is it worth it....?
I mean it's not for me, but if you even had a neutral stance towards it and could get the grades, I think it's a good career.
Front loaded set up costs could yield you £60K a year working part time by the time you're in your 30s.....
That'd work!