This post is in our series What’s it like to be…, giving a glimpse into the realities of certain jobs. Ever wondered what someone who works in marketing actually does all day? What are the lesser-known qualities you need to work in finance? What unexpected surprises does being a teacher hold? This series is here to help answer these questions! This week we’ve been having a chat with Emily, a London dentist.
What job do you do?
I’m an associate dentist at a general dental practice in South London.
How did you end up in that role?
All dentists, unless you own your own practice or work in a hospital or community centre setting, are associate dentists! It’s just what we call a dentist who works at someone else’s practice. I didn’t want to specialise further as I couldn’t stand the idea of more studying at the time!
What's your general working day like?
I would normally get in for 9am or whenever my first patient is. My practice operates 9am-6pm with a 1 hour lunch break and on a busy day I’ll see patients all day. Every day is different as I’ll be doing various treatments and check ups all through the day. No two patients are the same so it’s always different. If it’s a quiet day and I don’t have many patients booked in, I might be catching up on admin/ record keeping etc but sometimes I read a book or bring in a craft or just make a lot of tea!
Of course with the current COVID-19 crisis, life is very different in the dental setting as it’s a “high risk” activity. We’re all having to adapt quickly and adjust to the ever changing guidelines.
Is there anything you do in your job that you never expected you'd be doing?
I spend a lot of time making small talk... Sounds silly but creating a good rapport with patients is so important!
Is there anything you thought you'd be doing but you don't?
I thought I’d want to do fancier dentistry - smile makeovers and the like. In the end I didn’t feel that it’s worth the risk and stress that comes with the high end work. I’m much happier as the general family dentist!
Are there any qualities that you didn't realise you'd need for this job?
The ability to troubleshoot on the fly. That’s essentially what the job is in multiple ways! Patients present with a problem and expect an answer straightaway. The same goes if anything goes wrong in the practice - problems with tech or equipment for example. We’re very much expected to find solutions and work around problems.
Any words of wisdom for someone thinking of becoming a dentist?
Don’t do it! I’m only kidding. Maybe... At the end of the day it’s a good stable career choice in which no day is the same and you get to help people. It can be hard work and high stress but many people thrive doing it. I’d say it’s a good choice for quick thinkers with good motor skills and people skills!