Dentist | Career Planet

OFO No: 226102

Other names for Dentist:

Dental Practitioner
Oral Medicine Specialist
Restorative Dentist

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Youtube clip – All about Dentist careers

For training options in South Africa – scroll down

What is a Dentist?

Dentists examine, diagnose and treat gum disease and injuries.

In some cases they will fit dental appliances and provide on-going preventative care.

Dentist’s work can be divided into 5 main areas:

Diagnostic

examining the teeth and gums to find disease or abnormalities

Preventative Work

supplying patients with up-to-date dental care information and methods to maintain good dental health

Corrective Treatment

clean, fill, treat teeth and gums – the making of false teeth, crowns and bridges

Surgery

removal of teeth and treatment of jaw fractures

Admin

bookkeeping, stock taking, managing and training staff, advertising etc

What does a Dentist do?

discusses with patient their problems and requirements
administesr anaesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients
practices safe and hygienic methods (wearing masks and gloves etc)
examines patient’s teeth, gums and related tissues
plans appropriate treatments
cleans, drills, fills, extracts, moulds, treats teeth and gums
designs, makes bridges, dentures or other dental items
advises patients regarding preventive dental care
writes prescriptions for medications
keeps good patient records
attends conferences

Are you . . . ?

good with people?
interested in dentistry?
science-orientated?
confident and trustworthy?
good with your hands?
able to do fine, detailed work?
a person with good special (3-D) awareness?
able to concentrate?
self motivated?
a person with good vision?

How do I become a Dentist?

Bachelor of Dentistry degree

University of Limpopo
Univesity of Pretoria
University of Stellenbosh
University of Western Cape
University of the Witwatersrand

12 months community seervice (after completion of degree)

Designation: Awarded by the HPCSA. Only then can you use the title Dentist after your name.

TRAINING:

CLICK HERE to check for a training institution near you to see what they offer.
Make sure you understand their entry requirements for each course.
To avoid scams, make sure your institution is registered with the Department of Higher Education. CLICK HERE to check accredited Private Higher Education Institutions.

Please Note:

All the universities only admit a few students into their programme each year. This means that the competition for these programmes is very high. It is up to you to do as well as you can at school. Your marks and attitude will be very important.