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WHAT IS DENTISTRY AND WHO IS A DENTIST?
Dentistry is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases of the oral cavity, commonly involving the teeth and gums but also in the surrounding soft tissue structures. A dentist is a doctor of oral health who has earned at least a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree or it’s equivalent.
WHERE DO DENTISTS WORK?
A dentist can work in a privately owned dental clinic or in the dental department of a government or private hospital. Here, they may work independently or may head a dental care team composed of a dental therapist, dental technologist and dental assistant.
A dentist could also work with non-governmental organisations that support oral health and wellness, tackling problems such as cleft lip and palate. Examples of these are CURE Zambia, Smile train and Smiles and Hopes Zambia.
A dentist could also go into biomedical research and work with institutions such as the tropical diseases research centre (TDRC), which researches ways to prevent and treat diseases.
WHAT TASKS ARE INVOLVED IN THE WORK?
A typical day for a dentist in general practice will involve examining patients reporting to the dental clinic, diagnosing oral disease and formulating a treatment plan to restore or maintain oral health. They may perform tasks such as preparing and placing fillings, tooth extractions, professional cleaning, inserting dentures or prostheses and administering anaesthetics. Dentists may prescribe medications such as antibiotics, pain killers, sedatives and any other medications useful in patient management. Dentists make use of equipment such as drills, probes, forceps, mouth mirrors and x-ray machines to aid in their work. Dentists’ training enables them to recognise situations that require referral of patients to dental specialists or even to physicians.
WHAT IS THE WORK SCHEDULE OF A DENTIST?
Dental clinics are usually open from 08:00 hours to 17:00 hours during the week and are closed on the weekends and holidays. In a hospital setting, dentists may be required to work over the weekends or during the night when on-call.
WHAT DOES THE JOB MARKET LOOK LIKE?
After graduation from dental school and obtaining a provisional license from the health professionals council of Zambia (HPCZ), a graduate must undergo a mandatory period of internship working under the supervision of a team of dentists, before obtaining full registration as a licensed dental practitioner. Zambian government policy is that such internship be only offered at government hospitals having dental consultants. As such, government is the major employer of new dental school graduates as interns. When fully registered and licensed as a dental practitioner, a dentist may also work elsewhere. This may be in private dental clinics, private hospitals, mine hospitals, or with NGOs.
There is a critical shortage of dentists in Zambia, with training dentists locally beginning only in 2011. This entails that there is a high demand for dentists and as such, employment opportunities are many.
WHAT SORT OF CAREER-PERSONALITY MATCH IS REQUIRED?
Dentistry as a program of study is very demanding. The program assumes that a student has a good background in science. It is therefore important for someone to have an interest and aptitude for science-based subjects especially biology, chemistry and physics. A career in dentistry requires someone to have good communication skills, patience, compassion and empathy. All of these are important because dentistry involves working with people, usually children and patients who fear dental work. It is especially important for dentists to have good manual dexterity (working with their hands). This is because dentists work with tools which they have to manoeuvre in a limited space. A good business sense and leadership skills may also come in handy as most dentists own their own practices.
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WHAT SUBJECTS WILL THE PROGRAM COVER?
The level of education and clinical practice required to earn a dental degree are on par with those required for a medical degree. Courses covered in the first 3 years of dental and medical training are essentially the same. Upon entry into university, students will cover A’ level natural sciences (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology) in the first 1 or 2 years. The next 2 years focus on Basic Science courses which include Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Microbiology, Biochemistry and others. The coursework in the last 3 years focuses on the practical training of being a dentist and covers courses such as Internal Medicine, Oral Surgery and Operative dentistry.
WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS?
Dental schools, just like medical schools, have high academic standards. Typically, a prospective student needs to have scored at least 10 points in the best 6 subjects (mathematics, science and English included) at grade 12.
WHAT OTHER PROGRAMS OF STUDY CAN MAKE SOMEONE A DENTIST?
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) is the first professional degree awarded upon graduation from dental schools in most commonwealth countries. In the United States and countries following their system, an equivalent dental degree is awarded as Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DDM). Apart from these, diplomas in dental therapy and dental technology are on offer at Levy Mwanawasa Medical University. These qualifications do not themselves qualify the holder to be a dentist. Depending on the setting and due to the major shortage of dentists in Zambia, dental therapists and technologists carry out many of the roles of a dentist in many Zambian hospitals.
WHAT ARE THE FUTURE ADVANCED QUALIFICATIONS AVAILABLE AND WHY?
There are many master’s programs that allow a dentist to train and practice in a dental specialty of choice instead of just general dentistry. These dental specialties include endodontics, periodontics, orthodontics, paediatric dentistry, maxillofacial surgery and others.
References
Bachelor of Dental Medicine. (2018). Retrieved from The Copperbelt University School of Medicine Website: https://www.cbu.ac.zm/sm/bachelor-of-dental-medicine/
Dentist. (2020). Retrieved from Truity: https://www.truity.com/career-profile/dentist
Dorfman, J. (2018). Dentistry. Retrieved July 26, 2020, from Encyclopaedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/science/dentistry
INSTITUTIONS THAT OFFER DENTISTRY (DENTAL SURGERY)
COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY
Programme duration: 5 years + 1 year of Natural Sciences (degree)
Mode of study: Full-time only
Admitting school: School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Intakes: January (only)
Location: Kitwe
Contacts
Tel: +260 212 290816 / +260 212 290815
Website: www.cbu.ac.zm/fees
LEVY MWANAWASA MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
Programme duration: 5 years + 1 year of Natural Sciences (degree), 3 years (diploma dental therapy/technology)
Mode of study: Full-time only
Admitting school: School of Medicine and Clinical Sciences
Intakes: January (only)
Location: Lusaka
Contacts
Tel: +260 974 330519 / +260 953 821693
Email: info@lmmu.ac.zm
Website: www.lmmu.ac.zm/levy-mwanawasa-medical-university-fees-structure