Graduate and School Leavers

Dentist

What does being a dentist involve?

If you take on this important role, you will enjoy a diverse and fascinating range of responsibilities. You will be looking after people's teeth and gums and educating them on how to care for their mouth when they are at home. You will study and treat diseases and problems of the mouth, teeth, gums and jaw. You may help people feel better about how they look by cosmetically improving the appearance of their teeth and you will dramatically improve peoples' health and quality of life by repairing, restoring and maintaining teeth, gums and oral tissue that have been lost through disease or accidents. This is just a brief example of some of the tasks you will carry out as a dentist. The road to becoming a fully qualified dentist can be long and challenging but the result is an incredibly fulfilling and highly regarded profession that is rewarding in every possible way.

Benefits of being a dentist:

There are many benefits to becoming a dentist:

Prestige:
Dentists provide a much-needed service within the community and are highly respected individuals. They are regarded by others as being skilled, conscientious, civic minded and selfless people.

Security:
New Zealand dentists generally receive excellent salaries and the outlook for the profession is good. There is a growing demand for dentists in New Zealand due to the increasing age of the population and more people choosing to seek regular dental care to retain their teeth.

Personal satisfaction:
A career in dentistry is personally fulfilling. Dentists perform an important public service to help people maintain their health and appearance. To serve the present and future oral health needs of their patients, dentists enjoy the challenge of a lifetime of learning. Tomorrow's dentists will be at the cutting edge of high technology, making the practice of dentistry even more exciting and rewarding than it is today.

How can you prepare?

In New Zealand, a tertiary entrance qualification is required to enter tertiary training. Chemistry, biology, physics and maths with statistics or calculus are all useful secondary school subjects.

You may also find talking to your own local dentist beneficial. Ask what kinds of things he/she does during an average day and what they enjoy most about their job. If you ask nicely, they may even let you spend a day or two in his or her practice for work experience purposes.

Dental School:

A Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from Otago University which has New Zealand's only School of Dentistry, or an equivalent overseas qualification that is accepted by the Dental Council of New Zealand is required to become a dentist. Entry into dentistry is based on academic performance in the first year of university study. This five year degree has very detailed and strict entry criteria. For more details visit the Otago University website at www.otago.ac.nz/subjects/dent.html.

Dental Hygienist

What does being a dental hygienist involve?

Dental hygienists are part of the dental care team which includes dentists, dental assistants and clinical technicians working together to prevent gum disease and the development of tooth decay. As a dental hygienist you will be focusing on preventative dental care. You will be responsible for helping patients keep their teeth and gums clean and disease free. Specific tasks that you might find yourself doing include: assessing and provisionally diagnosing gum disease, examining the mouth, teeth, gums and jaw, developing care plans for patients and pointing out to patients any teeth that could benefit from treatment by a dentist.

As a dental hygienist you can have a significant and positive impact on the health of your patients' mouths, through educating them on how to better care for themselves and by cleaning and monitoring their teeth and gums. This makes becoming a dental hygienist a highly satisfying and enjoyable career choice.

Benefits of being a dental hygienist:

Helping others:
As a dental hygienist you will be able to educate and help ensure the health of a patient's teeth and gums. Having such a large part to play in the improvement of a patient’s oral health, and seeing the resulting increase in confidence and happiness, can be incredibly rewarding.

Education:
As a dental hygienist, you never stop learning. Skills are developed on the job and you will attend and participate in continued professional development. In addition, new research on all aspects of dental hygiene is coming out all the time, so there are always opportunities to broaden your skills.

Meeting new people:
If you have great social skills and enjoy interacting with new people then you will get a lot of enjoyment out of being a dental hygienist. As a dental hygienist you will meet a wide variety of new and different people every day.

Excellent job outlook:
The outlook for dental hygienists is very promising. An ageing New Zealand population and a growing number of people retaining their own teeth are increasing the need for dental services. People are now more aware than ever of the value of looking after their teeth and preventing more serious long-term problems. This means that dental hygienists, who play a major role in preventative dental care, will continue to be increasingly in demand.

How can you prepare?

To become a dental hygienist you will need a Diploma in Dental Hygiene or a Bachelor of Health Sciences (endorsed in Dental Hygiene). Dental hygienists must be registered and hold a practicing certificate with the Dental Council before they are permitted to practice.

To apply for a course in dental hygiene a Sixth Form Certificate or NCEA equivalent biology is required.

Before you commit yourself to becoming a dental hygienist, you may also find it beneficial to observe and ask questions of your local dentist's dental hygienist.