The Dentist

Profession: I am a general dentist in a private practice. My practice consists of patients who want healthy teeth and beautiful smiles.

List of accomplishments: As a result of the cosmetic work in my practice, I have the honour of being the cosmetic dentist for the Toronto Argonauts Cheerleaders.

How do you measure success in your chosen career?

Everybody has their own personal definition of success. A specific success in dentistry obviously is getting someone out of pain. Another success is having repaired a front tooth or teeth for a patient so they can smile with confidence again. It is amazing to see the changes in a person's life and what they can accomplish when they are confident. Often that confidence comes with a healthy, beautiful smile.

When did you decide this is what you want to do for a living and what was the 'moment'?

I can remember in Grade 1, the teacher asked what we would like to be when we grew up. I thought seriously about that question. I liked drawing and building things and I enjoyed working with my hands, I also wanted to be in the medical field to be able to help people so I decided being a dentist would be perfect for me.

What did you have to do in order to get involved with this profession?

After completing high school I went to Queen's University and received a degree in chemistry. I then applied to dental school and attended the University of Toronto's Faculty of Dentistry.

Pros and cons of this job?

One of the pros of being a dentist is you are able to help people and build relationships with your clients based on trust. Also, I am able to control my office hours to balance my family life and practising dentistry earns me a decent income. One of the cons is the amount of schooling it requires, about six to 10 years or more if you decide to specialize. The school debt is quite large and financially it requires a lot to open your own practice.

Skills required for this job?

Dentists need to be good with their hands to be able to do the intricate tasks of the profession. A good dentist must listen well. Proper diagnosis is critical to proper treatment. An exceptional dentist will have an exceptional heart. They will treat all their patients with empathy, care and gentleness. They will treat them the way they would want to be treated themselves.

What can people expect if they want to pursue this job?

To become a dentist, you have to stay in school. You need to be at or near the top of your class in math and science. Most dental schools prefer you have an undergraduate degree. You are required to write the Dental Aptitude Test. Based on your undergraduate marks and your Dental Aptitude Test scores you may be invited to the interview process. After interviewing the many applicants, the dental schools accept the few lucky ones.

Salary range: Most dentists make a comfortable living, but due to the debt of schooling and the high costs of opening a dental office, it is not unusual for a dentist (especially in an urban centre) to go bankrupt or close his or her practice. The salary range for a general dentist is a wide range. It really depends on what kind of dentistry you are practising, how long you've bee in practice, and even where your office is located.

Advice to people who are thinking about pursuing this field: If you are thinking of pursuing a career in dentistry, I would recommend talking to a dentist and perhaps spending a day in a dental office to experience a typical day. The best, but most difficult thing to do, is to look inside your heart to find what it is in life you truly want to do.

Anything else you would like to say?

I am very fortunate that as a small child I wanted to be a dentist and life worked out that way for me. I had a vision of an ideal practice with ideal patients and I am grateful my vision has come true.