Defensive dentistry and the young dentist – this isn't what we signed up for

A. Al Hassan

Why did I want to become a dentist? I wanted a job where I would be respected as a professional and could change the lives of others, using my hands. This, I thought, would be my ideal profession; one where I could walk into work with a smile on my face every day. Cue dental school a place where one is trained to become competent in all areas of general dentistry. As readers will appreciate, dentistry is a vast field and the question that comes to mind is how so many diverse and varied topics can be jam packed into a five-year course. There has always been a debate about what to put in, and therefore leave out. At my particular dental school, the first two years covered basic scientific theory, leaving three years to get into clinical dentistry with some 'other' aspects sprinkled in. Some of these aspects included general communication skills, record keeping and one or two practice visits at fancy dental practices to see how good life was as a general dental practitioner. In light of the profession's current climate and the rise of defensive dentistry, I aim to reflect on why many young graduates from all over the country feel out of touch with the profession so early on in their careers, and why some of these 'other' aspects of dentistry should have been covered much more comprehensively to prepare us for the big wide world.