There are a lot of reasons to become a dentist.
As a career that offers a lot of rewards and challenges, this job also offers the opportunity to help make communities healthier and help people.
The world's population is increasing-meaning that the need for more dentists around the world is increasing as well.
My name is Dr. Fonseca, a Broadway dentist in Vancouver, BC.
The following are some of the things that have inspired me to become a dentist:
Transforming the lives of my patients while restoring their oral health
As a dentist, a single visit by my patients means a lot. Through this appointment alone, I have the privilege, satisfaction, and joy of transforming their lives positively by restoring their oral health.
In a single dental visit, I can do either one of the following to my patients: deliver dental restorative procedures, correct dentofacial aesthetics, eliminate pain or even provide preventative care.
The opportunity to become independent in my career
Being a dentist allowed me to also own my dental clinic after finishing dental school. This allowed me to set my career and business goals as well as gain a lot of independence.
Dentistry has several career options to choose from
The facts don't lie: 80 percent of graduates from dental school often go into private practice in the general dentistry. Also, the profession offers opportunities in research, clinical, and academic fields that I can choose from.
Being able to maintain a flexible lifestyle
Since dentistry gives a variety of career and practice options to choose from, I can choose the type of lifestyle I want to lead and also decide on the number of days and hours I want to work.
A chance to shape the future of oral health
Apart from my clinical practice, as a dentist, I can contribute majorly to the direction of oral health in the future by participating in dental research and education.
I also have the chance to become a dental educator and be able to change the curriculum of dental school and have a professional role in establishing myself as a faculty member in dental education.
Dentistry gives me a chance to become a dental researcher where I use advanced technologies and techniques to apply scientific findings that are cutting-edge in improving dentistry by seeking resolutions to oral health problems or discovering new phenomenon for oral health.
Be respected by the members of my community
Being a dentist earns me respect in my community since I contribute to the general health of the community as well as the motivation of improving the lives of people around me.
Be able to be creative in my daily work
Dentistry is a form of art as it requires technique and mastery unique to it.
The main purpose of dentistry is to maintain proper health but also it is a practice that focuses on aesthetics. A huge part of dental health care is to restore teeth and make people's smiles beautiful so that they can be happy and confident.
Work with and be part of a team
Most people see dentists as a 'lone practitioners', but, being a dentist means working with a team that includes an assistant, dental hygienist and lab technician to restore and maintain the oral health of a patient. As a dentist, I receive great satisfaction being a team player and working with other health professionals in improving the overall health of my community.
Provide benevolent care in my community
With my flexible work schedule and an annual income above the norm, I have the ability and privilege of providing oral health care to populations and communities that cannot afford and access it.
A Light In My Community
In conclusion, being a dentist has allowed me to improve the dental health care of my community.
Dentistry is an art (and science) that I am so passionate about because it has given me a chance to be independent and choose the dental career that I want.
It has also enabled me to be part of a research team that works towards improving the overall oral health care system in my community as well as provide oral health support to those who are underprivileged.
