Dentistry
Dentists look after people’s
oral health – and that’s much more than
just pulling teeth.
Dentists play a leading role in health care, as signs
of many illnesses first show up in the mouth.
Dental professionals need to be skilled with their
hands as well as their heads, and have to
have an extensive knowledge of a number of relevant
disciplines to be able to care for
their patients. And they have to be ready to keep
brushing up on their skills throughout
their careers.
What can I do when I graduate?
Dental graduates are spoilt for
choice in New Zealand and overseas.
Dentists are in demand all over
the world.
Some graduates opt to work in
private practice, while others join the
defence force or work in hospital
clinics, helping to reconstruct faces
and jaws after surgery or accidents.
Dentistry can be a financially
rewarding career, offering
independence and flexibility, in terms
of working hours and type of practice.
Many dentists specialise and
undertake postgraduate study
available in all areas of dentistry
including orthodontics
(straightening teeth) and oral surgery.
What will I study?
If you gain admission to Dentistry,
the Otago Health Sciences First Year
counts as the first year of your
five-year Bachelor of Dental
Surgery (BDS).
For the next two years you will
learn
about the structure and function of
the face and jaws, the diagnosis and
treatment of oral diseases, including
cancer and infections, and how to
inject, drill and fill.
In the final two years you’ll
carry out more complex root fillings, extract
teeth, perform basic gum surgery,
straighten crooked teeth using
orthodontic appliances, and make
crowns and bridges.
The School of Dentistry is a teaching
dental hospital so during your
training years you will treat patients,
as you would in general practice, but
you will be under supervision. You
will also have the opportunity to
work closely alongside students who
are studying other dental disciplines.
Note that a dentist’s education
doesn’t end when you’re awarded a
BDS. Once you have registered with
the Dental Council of New Zealand
you can practise, and for the rest of
your career you can keep learning at
various courses and conferences held
locally, nationally and internationally.
Further information
Faculty
of Dentistry, University
of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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