When it comes to jobs in the medical industry, a lot of people think of high-flying surgeons and famous doctors on TV giving advice on many different health problems. What is less common is to think of dentists and dentistry, although that could be changing. Dentistry is a great medical career option and provides a lot of benefits when compared to some other specialisations. Before you make your final choice about which direction you want to go in, here are a few reasons why you may want to prioritise dentistry a little bit higher than you currently do.

Quicker Education

To become a dentist in Australia, you can expect to be at university and your placements for between five and seven years total. While that sounds like a lot, if you want to become a general practice doctor you can expect at least eight years, and then if you want to specialise in any area at all you will need to go back to university for anywhere between three to six years. It is a long road to go down if you wish to become a doctor, as it can take up to thirteen years or more, while dentists are fast-tracked and can begin practicing at a much younger age.

Easier To Develop Your Own Practice

You will often find dentists that own their own small practice and enjoy working with the patients in their area while building close connections to them. On the other hand, most doctors work in larger medical centres or hospitals, and it can take them a long time to save up the cash and find an appropriate area to start their own clinic. While you certainly can still work in a larger dental hospital if you would like, if you feel you are more of an entrepreneur and looking for a way to maximise your earnings, then dentistry is often the best route to take.

Less Demanding Hours

There are very few life or death situations that you will come across in your dentistry career, which means that it is easier to stick to a more routine schedule and not be at the beck and call of patients at extreme hours. As a doctor, you have to be prepared for late-night emergencies, and you may have to miss scheduled social events due to unexpected crises. Dentists have a much more available social schedule and often have a much healthier work/life balance, which can lead to a much more rewarding career. 

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