Mouthful of opportunity
Usha Albuquerque

Dentistry is one form of medicine we remember most acutely whenever we have a toothache. However, an increasing awareness of the importance of dental care to the general health of an individual has brought with it a greater demand for good dentists. The skill of a dentist is therefore required not only at times of emergency, but is of great significance in the area of proper dental care and correction of teeth. Moreover, this is one field of medicine in which women excel, as it involves great dexterity of the hands.

Dentists or dental surgeons are medical specialists who provide surgical, medical and other forms of treatment for oral and dental disorders and diseases. A dentist’s job is to help patients maintain a healthy mouth and set of teeth. The most important task being preventive work, which involves routine check-ups for both adults and children. It is for this reason that the work of a dentist begins even when patients may seem to have good teeth. Dentists examine the teeth and mouth of patients, prepare and carry out a plan of treatment for maintaining and restoring good teeth.

Dental surgeons give surgical and medical treatment for dental and oral disorders and diseases This, therefore, involves the treatment of diseased mouth and gums, extraction of teeth that cannot be saved, the treatment of cavities, replacements where necessary, and surgical handling of injuries or other irregularities of the teeth and jaw.

Treating teeth

They often base their opinion and plan of treatment on clinical, bacteriological tests or X-rays. With greater consciousness of one’s appearance and modernisation in techniques of dentistry, specialisations such as orthodontics, concerned with the correction and improvement of the formation of crooked teeth and jaws have assumed increasing importance.

Dentistry has many areas of specialisation. These include: orthodontics, which deals with straightening and aligning teeth and jaws. Orthodontists are engaged in the correction of deformities of children's teeth by mechanical devices or preventive treatment. Periodontists specialise in the care of gums and diseases such as pyorrhoea that might afflict them. Operative dentistry handles root canal jobs, fillings and cosmetic surgery. Prosthodontics involves the making of artificial teeth, particularly artificial dentures for the old, and injured. Dentists can also specialise in dental bacteriology, dental pathology, dental radiology, which provides the diagnosis for diseases that affect the mouth.

You require to have passed the plus two examination with physics, chemistry and biology to be eligible to apply for the competitive entrance examination. The All-India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Entrance Examination is common for both the MBBS and the Bachelor of Dental Sciences (BDS) conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education, conducts the All-India Entrance Exam for 15 per cent seats in all medical/dental colleges of the country except in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. There are some 83 medical and 42 dental colleges for which the exam is conducted. There are also several other state and all-India level exams for admission to the hundreds of medical colleges throughout the country. Most students sit for at least 8-10 exams to maximise their chances of getting in. The allocation of institutions, as for MBBS, is based on merit. Other than the centrally run medical institutions, there is at least one dental college in most states, where admission is governed by domicile.

The BDS degree is a 4-year course divided into four parts, each of 1 years’ duration followed by a year of rotating internship.

The academic programme includes several subjects common to the MBBS course as also dental surgery, orthodontics, oral pathology and so on. Initial practical work is taught using dummies, and only later are actual patients called.

Those who have completed the BDS are registered to practice dentistry by the Dental Council of India.

The postgraduate course in dentistry (MDS) is of two years’ duration and offers several specialisations, much in demand today.

Most of the prominent medical colleges offer specialised courses in dentistry too. Some prominent dental colleges include the Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, Government Dental College and Hospital, Mumbai, Nair Hospital Dental College, Mumbai, Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College and Hospital, Calcutta.

Most trained dental specialists begin their careers working in a dental hospital where they would be required to handle all manner of dental cases. This could be either in a general hospital, as part of the government medical corps, or with one of the services such as the Railways, or the defence services. Dental surgeons, both men and women, can get direct permanent commission, or short service commission into the Army Dental Corps.

You can also join a private hospital or nursing home, or be attached to an organisation such as a public or private sector enterprise. Most dentists who join private practice, begin their career as an assistant or associate with an experienced private practitioner, develop the practise and become a partner after several years of experience. It is also advisable to gain some experience in a hospital, or as the assistant of an experienced dentist before venturing out on one’s own.

There are also excellent employment opportunities for dentists in the teaching departments of dental colleges. Often this involves working in the hospitals for practical experience too.

Dentistry is hard work that requires craftsmanship and skill as much as theoretical knowledge. It also involves long hours on one’s feet, often dealing with fussy, frightened or exacting patients. So those who get into this profession need to have great reserves of patience and stamina, the power of concentration, as for all medical professions, as also manual dexterity and accuracy.

There is a dearth of dental practitioners in the country, and so the job prospects are unlimited for those willing to venture into rural areas where the demand for dentists is the greatest. The monetary benefits both in government and private practice compensate to a large extent the arduous work. Moreover, as in other medical professions, there is the added satisfaction of knowing that one’s skills have helped relieve another’s discomfort, or pain.

The writer is a noted career expert