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What's dental school like?

glove

Member
Howdy guys!

Potential dentistry student here and have heard that dentistry is a stressful degree. Bit worried that I won't be able to cope with the demands of the degree. To current dentistry students, what's the dentistry workload like? Is it stressful? How do you cope with the stress?

Cheers! :)
 

Yamster

Dental Moderator
Emeritus Staff
Hey Glove,

I'm only in first year but it's still pretty hectic. I've got a few credits though from a previous degree so that eases things a bit but if you're straight out of school, it's probably going to be long days for 5 days, similar to what you're already doing at school I guess!

Just remember not to fall behind and stay on top of everything and you should be fine! :)
 

Perplex

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
Not that I am a dentistry student myself, but my friends in dental school describe it as very intense and fast-paced. The expectation seems to be 5 days a week 8-5. Despite this much, they keep saying how they don't really have to study much post-uni. I think that keeps them going and seems to be a massive bonus.
 
Another 2nd yr dental student but from NZ. I would say that the 5 days with roughly 8-5 days is true. It's a mix of stuff though, with labs, simulation clinic, lectures, tutorials etc. I would say that its full-on and stressful but I think its VERY manageable if you keep your expectations in check. If you still have the mentality from first yr/ high school of being the best and getting the top marks etc then your gonna work yourself into the ground. Dentistry is about accepting that it's no longer about being the top student but a proficient health professional and focusing on doing the best you can and learning as much as you can so you can be competent. At the end of the day everyone leaves with the same degree and your grades in Dent school will not correlate to how well you do out in the workforce.
 

Tomato

Regular Member
Howdy guys!

Potential dentistry student here and have heard that dentistry is a stressful degree. Bit worried that I won't be able to cope with the demands of the degree. To current dentistry students, what's the dentistry workload like? Is it stressful? How do you cope with the stress?

Cheers! :)


To study dentistry is a good fun;) although you have fair a bit work load every day, such as lectures, labs, simulations, tutorials, group discussion, etc. However, the requirement for the level of dexterity is something you need to think about because dentistry belongs to surgery rather than medicine.
 

blues10

Lurker
For me, 1st year dentistry was really chilled - we did very little work in the first semester, except for the weeks leading up to exams. Second semester was a little more full on, but even then it still left me with a lot of time to enjoy my own leisure time and spend time with friends. Not a crazy amount of work needed to be put in to get HD/D's, but definitely some effort was needed.
First and second year dentistry at my uni (La Trobe) is really chilled, we have around 15 contact hours but if you skip lectures and only go to compulsory classes it ends up only being 1-2 days that you need to be at uni and often it's only for a few hours, excluding days where you have practical. Third year is the most intense, with fourth and fifth year being relatively chilled since you only go to clinic 2-4 days a week to see patients.
Dentistry (for me) is a really good break from the hard work I put in during year 12 and it was the first time myself and many others in my cohort was able to enjoy ourselves fully since VCE!
 

Omm

BDSc BSc(HONS) PGradDip Ortho (UK)
Not as hard as med academically. Generally speaking, hard practically. People who get into Dent are so accustomed to being 'good at anything' when it comes to academics. But surgery and developing surgical skills is difficult. It takes time (for 98% - there is always 1 natural talent practically). So prepare for that frustration. However, I will say 99% of people develop their skills to a safe, competent level. So it's very possible and achievable.

Dentistry itself as a career is hard. It's not glamorous. There is a reason dentists get paid well as it is physically and mentally draining (if you're a good compassionate dentist anyway). If you're going for money, go somewhere else. You'll make more, more easily and be happier and content in other careers if that's all you want. If you're looking for respect, meh, I still get called Bro and Mate constantly and assume I will until I look like an old man. When you tell people; the response is "'I couldn't think of anything worse", "I'm terrified of Dentists" or "how do you look in peoples mouth's?!". You grow to love all the responses. What I am getting at, is you do dentistry to be a dentist. That is, to care for and treat your patients to improve their quality of life (functionally or aesthetically). That is something that the selection process aims to weed out those that are doing it for the right reason. It's a fantastic career and brings so much job satisfaction! But I think some people get disheartened with the reality of the job and what caring for (often highly anxious) patients entails. If you're going in for the right reasons, you (like me) will absolutely love it!
 

sanchana

Member
hi guys! I'm not sure if it is still valid for me to post in thread which hasn't been used for 2 years but as a potential dentistry student at UoA next year I would like to know how more about the dental curriculum at the university other than what is said in the school website, probably a personal insight from current dental students on how you feel about BDS at UoA and also generally, how should I prep myself for dental school academically, physically or even mentally? if so, are there any advices from current dental students for me and other fellow potential dent students! will be very helpful for all pre-dent students ☺ thank you!
 

Unluckydude

Regular Member
hi guys! I'm not sure if it is still valid for me to post in thread which hasn't been used for 2 years but as a potential dentistry student at UoA next year I would like to know how more about the dental curriculum at the university other than what is said in the school website, probably a personal insight from current dental students on how you feel about BDS at UoA and also generally, how should I prep myself for dental school academically, physically or even mentally? if so, are there any advices from current dental students for me and other fellow potential dent students! will be very helpful for all pre-dent students ☺ thank you!
Most of the things Crow said also apply to dent school. The only thing I would add is to workout regularly (ESPECIALLY YOUR BACK) and see a physio if you have any issues.
 

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Jnh

Member
how should I prep myself for dental school academically, physically or even mentally?
Just rock up with what they tell you to mate, it's a university degree, you're not applying for the SAS. First year is easy enough to find your own rhythm. My only suggestion from an academic perspective would be to learn how to use OneNote and keep all your study there. It's awesome to be able to flick back to previous years notes easily. I also keep a public google drive with a memorised bit.ly link with all my pdf textbooks so I can open them on any browser, really helps if I'm stuck with something during a lab.

A lot of people talk about back/neck issues, but this mostly comes from poor ergonomics, the uni should teach you about these prior to going into sim labs. Listen to these lectures, don't just tune out like so many do, things like posture, patient positioning, equipment positioning etc are crucial to having a good working posture. Even someone who works out regularly (and everyone should) can develop severe musculoskeletal issues if they're repeatedly straining. If you adopt excellent ergonomics early you can avoid most issues long term.
My advice to force yourself into using correct ergonomics would be to get yourself a set of flip up loupes with an appropriate working distance (and a headlight) as soon as you can. The cheap eBay ones are ok, but getting some custom made ones will see you through to the end of uni with far less frustration. I know through the lens loupes 'look' cooler and are a little bit lighter (also more expensive) but the flip ups will give you a steeper declination angle so you won't have to bend your neck as much. The correct working distance will also keep your back straight. Magnification is less important than ergonomics as a student, but buy the highest magnification you can afford.There are lots of prism/reflective loupes coming out (Pentax, Hero loupes, Lumadent ergoprism etc) which are even better for ergonomics, so if you can afford those ($$$), that is what I would buy (and will be my first purchase once I graduate).

Overall dentistry is a tough slog, no getting around that. People develop skills at different speeds and have different abilities, so comparing yourself to others in the cohort is a fools game. I personally really struggled with all the chemistry subjects, but the practical aspects of dentistry have come really naturally to me. Others have found the practical aspects difficult and I often see mucho crying after prac exams.
Lastly, you don't need to be a genius to study dentistry, I'm only of (very) average intelligence and I'm managing it all just fine. So don't sweat it, enjoy your time off before it all starts.
 

ponyswordz

UAdel BDS (2020-2024)
Valued Member
hi guys! I'm not sure if it is still valid for me to post in thread which hasn't been used for 2 years but as a potential dentistry student at UoA next year I would like to know how more about the dental curriculum at the university other than what is said in the school website, probably a personal insight from current dental students on how you feel about BDS at UoA and also generally, how should I prep myself for dental school academically, physically or even mentally? if so, are there any advices from current dental students for me and other fellow potential dent students! will be very helpful for all pre-dent students ☺ thank you!

As a current 1st year, my experiences have deviated SIGNIFICANTLY from what the normal 1st year experience at Adelaide BDS would be like due to COVID. However, most of the principles will remain roughly the same.

I definitely agree with many points raised by Jnhjns with regards to preparing for dental school. OneNote is great to use as a compiling tool. However, I personally don't use it since I find trying to revise on OneNote very hard since the formatting options on it isn't as great compared to Word. I use Anki flashcards instead since I find it a much more effective learning tool. Regarding dental ergonomics at Adelaide BDS, this is covered through an online video which you watch in your own time. Obviously, this would be highly advised since having good ergonomics is quintessential to you maintaining your career as a Dentist but having bad posture can also result in you getting poor marks in clinic + sim clinic (since you get assessed pretty much everytime on posture in those settings). Regarding loupes, generally people in Adelaide BDS don't get loupes until late BDS2 or early BDS3 (can't really comment much on why) and they are flipping expensive.

I, like Jnhjns, felt the practical component a much easier component for me than theory mainly due to my prolonged experiences with lots of online gaming (since I was 5yo), participation in a lot of hand sports (basketball + table tennis in particular) as well as having done 1 year of physiotherapy in 2019. However, experience is only 1 half of the story. Reflection is perhaps the most important part of dental school, and going forth as a graduate. No matter what happens, you will never be perfect in Dentistry especially if you are doing it for the first time. In Adelaide BDS1-5, we have reflection books which we keep and fill out at the end of each clinic/sim clinic session where we write about how we felt about our session (strengths + weaknesses + how to improve next time). The tutor then writes their own feedback and so you get the best of 2 worlds. You ABSOLUTELY have to keep reviewing this book to limit the chances of you making the same mistakes in future sessions. I have some pictures of my sim clinic sheets from my very first session VS my final session in semester 2 as a way of emphasising how important experience and reflection is.

Moving onto personal insights, something I absolutely encourage is actively participating and actually attending all classes F2F or Zoom sessions especially if they are dental-clinic content. We have biodental science review sessions but generally they are a waste of time in most situations (at least in my experience). BDS1 is an amazing opportunity for you to start interacting with the upper years since they can give valuable resources and experiences. There are GILS (group + individual learnings) hosted outside of the dental school by the AUDSS (dental students society) for each year level to help and supplement students with their learnings and workshops (eg. rubber dam). Personally, I have found the clinics (where you work on other students in groups of 3 -> rotating roles between dentist, dental assistant and patient) more stressful compared to sim clinic especially from a time perspective but generally that is a common experience felt by every almost student in my year.

Something which I find imperative in sim clinic and clinic is that you HAVE to take initiative for your own learning. If you are struggling with a particular procedure or problem, ASK EARLY. If you want tips on how you can fix your ergonomics or want to know your tutor's preferences for a particular procedure, ASK EARLY. If tutor asks you to critique your work, don't walk around the fence and pretend your work is great when there are errors. Be as specific as possible in your feedback (ie. don't say something like "could work more on smoother finish on the tooth surface". Write instead "mesial cusp incline of the 46 tooth is rough -> use tip of hollenback carver and carve more parallel") because it makes it easier for you to visualise your mistakes when you try and reflect on it. Ideally, you want to know your mistakes and how to solve it before your tutor does it for you. To help with that, it is imperative that you prep beforehand. We get given guides and sheets a few days to a week before our clinic/sim clinic which outline what we will be doing during the session. You HAVE to do prep before every one of those sessions because you get assessed pretty much everytime you are in the clinic or sim clinic. Yes, it sounds stressful but the reality is that once you go out into the workforce as a dentist, you are ALWAYS being assessed by your patients, your employer, your dental assistant (ie. your public reputation). What I find helps out significantly is to not view these sessions as "oh sh*t, I am getting assessed, if I screw up I am absolutely done for". Having this mindset is very detrimental to your performance and only acts to give you more stress which makes you perform worse. Rather, I felt that these sessions as an opportunity to learn and really have fun. Sure, I make mistakes but my mindset when I do make them is "hell yes, f*ck my marks I don't give a sh*t. At least I get to learn something and work towards a goal and perfecting a mistake". Honestly, I felt that these practical sessions were like me playing online video games. I felt very elated and happy to be in the clinic/sim clinic environment because I viewed it as a way to problem solve and really apply my hobbies into a practical career that I really enjoyed. You will slowly begin to realise that your marks are generally correlated with how much you enjoy the activities and how much more calm (not stressed) you are.

Hopefully that outlines my experiences of my 1st year at Adelaide BDS. Very practically-focused but hopefully it is a more personal insight than what is given on the Admissions guide :)
 

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sanchana

Member
As a current 1st year, my experiences have deviated SIGNIFICANTLY from what the normal 1st year experience at Adelaide BDS would be like due to COVID. However, most of the principles will remain roughly the same.

I definitely agree with many points raised by Jnhjns with regards to preparing for dental school. OneNote is great to use as a compiling tool. However, I personally don't use it since I find trying to revise on OneNote very hard since the formatting options on it isn't as great compared to Word. I use Anki flashcards instead since I find it a much more effective learning tool. Regarding dental ergonomics at Adelaide BDS, this is covered through an online video which you watch in your own time. Obviously, this would be highly advised since having good ergonomics is quintessential to you maintaining your career as a Dentist but having bad posture can also result in you getting poor marks in clinic + sim clinic (since you get assessed pretty much everytime on posture in those settings). Regarding loupes, generally people in Adelaide BDS don't get loupes until late BDS2 or early BDS3 (can't really comment much on why) and they are flipping expensive.

I, like Jnhjns, felt the practical component a much easier component for me than theory mainly due to my prolonged experiences with lots of online gaming (since I was 5yo), participation in a lot of hand sports (basketball + table tennis in particular) as well as having done 1 year of physiotherapy in 2019. However, experience is only 1 half of the story. Reflection is perhaps the most important part of dental school, and going forth as a graduate. No matter what happens, you will never be perfect in Dentistry especially if you are doing it for the first time. In Adelaide BDS1-5, we have reflection books which we keep and fill out at the end of each clinic/sim clinic session where we write about how we felt about our session (strengths + weaknesses + how to improve next time). The tutor then writes their own feedback and so you get the best of 2 worlds. You ABSOLUTELY have to keep reviewing this book to limit the chances of you making the same mistakes in future sessions. I have some pictures of my sim clinic sheets from my very first session VS my final session in semester 2 as a way of emphasising how important experience and reflection is.

Moving onto personal insights, something I absolutely encourage is actively participating and actually attending all classes F2F or Zoom sessions especially if they are dental-clinic content. We have biodental science review sessions but generally they are a waste of time in most situations (at least in my experience). BDS1 is an amazing opportunity for you to start interacting with the upper years since they can give valuable resources and experiences. There are GILS (group + individual learnings) hosted outside of the dental school by the AUDSS (dental students society) for each year level to help and supplement students with their learnings and workshops (eg. rubber dam). Personally, I have found the clinics (where you work on other students in groups of 3 -> rotating roles between dentist, dental assistant and patient) more stressful compared to sim clinic especially from a time perspective but generally that is a common experience felt by every almost student in my year.

Something which I find imperative in sim clinic and clinic is that you HAVE to take initiative for your own learning. If you are struggling with a particular procedure or problem, ASK EARLY. If you want tips on how you can fix your ergonomics or want to know your tutor's preferences for a particular procedure, ASK EARLY. If tutor asks you to critique your work, don't walk around the fence and pretend your work is great when there are errors. Be as specific as possible in your feedback (ie. don't say something like "could work more on smoother finish on the tooth surface". Write instead "mesial cusp incline of the 46 tooth is rough -> use tip of hollenback carver and carve more parallel") because it makes it easier for you to visualise your mistakes when you try and reflect on it. Ideally, you want to know your mistakes and how to solve it before your tutor does it for you. To help with that, it is imperative that you prep beforehand. We get given guides and sheets a few days to a week before our clinic/sim clinic which outline what we will be doing during the session. You HAVE to do prep before every one of those sessions because you get assessed pretty much everytime you are in the clinic or sim clinic. Yes, it sounds stressful but the reality is that once you go out into the workforce as a dentist, you are ALWAYS being assessed by your patients, your employer, your dental assistant (ie. your public reputation). What I find helps out significantly is to not view these sessions as "oh sh*t, I am getting assessed, if I screw up I am absolutely done for". Having this mindset is very detrimental to your performance and only acts to give you more stress which makes you perform worse. Rather, I felt that these sessions as an opportunity to learn and really have fun. Sure, I make mistakes but my mindset when I do make them is "hell yes, f*ck my marks I don't give a sh*t. At least I get to learn something and work towards a goal and perfecting a mistake". Honestly, I felt that these practical sessions were like me playing online video games. I felt very elated and happy to be in the clinic/sim clinic environment because I viewed it as a way to problem solve and really apply my hobbies into a practical career that I really enjoyed. You will slowly begin to realise that your marks are generally correlated with how much you enjoy the activities and how much more calm (not stressed) you are.

Hopefully that outlines my experiences of my 1st year at Adelaide BDS. Very practically-focused but hopefully it is a more personal insight than what is given on the Admissions guide :)
Just rock up with what they tell you to mate, it's a university degree, you're not applying for the SAS. First year is easy enough to find your own rhythm. My only suggestion from an academic perspective would be to learn how to use OneNote and keep all your study there. It's awesome to be able to flick back to previous years notes easily. I also keep a public google drive with a memorised bit.ly link with all my pdf textbooks so I can open them on any browser, really helps if I'm stuck with something during a lab.

A lot of people talk about back/neck issues, but this mostly comes from poor ergonomics, the uni should teach you about these prior to going into sim labs. Listen to these lectures, don't just tune out like so many do, things like posture, patient positioning, equipment positioning etc are crucial to having a good working posture. Even someone who works out regularly (and everyone should) can develop severe musculoskeletal issues if they're repeatedly straining. If you adopt excellent ergonomics early you can avoid most issues long term.
My advice to force yourself into using correct ergonomics would be to get yourself a set of flip up loupes with an appropriate working distance (and a headlight) as soon as you can. The cheap eBay ones are ok, but getting some custom made ones will see you through to the end of uni with far less frustration. I know through the lens loupes 'look' cooler and are a little bit lighter (also more expensive) but the flip ups will give you a steeper declination angle so you won't have to bend your neck as much. The correct working distance will also keep your back straight. Magnification is less important than ergonomics as a student, but buy the highest magnification you can afford.There are lots of prism/reflective loupes coming out (Pentax, Hero loupes, Lumadent ergoprism etc) which are even better for ergonomics, so if you can afford those ($$$), that is what I would buy (and will be my first purchase once I graduate).

Overall dentistry is a tough slog, no getting around that. People develop skills at different speeds and have different abilities, so comparing yourself to others in the cohort is a fools game. I personally really struggled with all the chemistry subjects, but the practical aspects of dentistry have come really naturally to me. Others have found the practical aspects difficult and I often see mucho crying after prac exams.
Lastly, you don't need to be a genius to study dentistry, I'm only of (very) average intelligence and I'm managing it all just fine. So don't sweat it, enjoy your time off before it all starts.
thank you so much for your advices and personal inputs! good luck with dental school and I have to say this platform couldn't be more helpful 😇
 
Dental school is a challenging and demanding program that typically takes four years to complete, following the completion of a bachelor's degree. The curriculum combines classroom instruction, laboratory work, and clinical experience to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become a dentist.

The first two years of dental school are primarily focused on classroom instruction and laboratory work, covering a wide range of topics including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and dental materials. Students also begin to acquire hands-on experience in the dental clinic, working with patients under the supervision of licensed dentists.

The last two years of dental school are focused on clinical experience, with students treating patients in the dental clinic under the supervision of licensed dentists. This includes procedures such as fillings, extractions, and root canals. They will also take additional coursework to prepare for the National Board Dental Examination.

Dental school is rigorous and demanding, both academically and clinically. It requires a significant commitment of time and energy, but for those who are willing to make the effort, it can lead to a rewarding and fulfilling career as a dentist.

Additionally, dental schools often have a rigorous selection process, with a limited number of spots available each year, and the admission requirements are usually high, including a strong background in science and a high GPA.
 

Dr Pepper

Member
Dental school is a challenging and demanding program that typically takes four years to complete, following the completion of a bachelor's degree. The curriculum combines classroom instruction, laboratory work, and clinical experience to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become a dentist.

The first two years of dental school are primarily focused on classroom instruction and laboratory work, covering a wide range of topics including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and dental materials. Students also begin to acquire hands-on experience in the dental clinic, working with patients under the supervision of licensed dentists.

The last two years of dental school are focused on clinical experience, with students treating patients in the dental clinic under the supervision of licensed dentists. This includes procedures such as fillings, extractions, and root canals. They will also take additional coursework to prepare for the National Board Dental Examination.

Dental school is rigorous and demanding, both academically and clinically. It requires a significant commitment of time and energy, but for those who are willing to make the effort, it can lead to a rewarding and fulfilling career as a dentist.

Additionally, dental schools often have a rigorous selection process, with a limited number of spots available each year, and the admission requirements are usually high, including a strong background in science and a high GPA.
Doesn’t sound like an Australian dental school story? Are you from the US?
 

ponyswordz

UAdel BDS (2020-2024)
Valued Member
Dental school is a challenging and demanding program that typically takes four years to complete, following the completion of a bachelor's degree. The curriculum combines classroom instruction, laboratory work, and clinical experience to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become a dentist.

The first two years of dental school are primarily focused on classroom instruction and laboratory work, covering a wide range of topics including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and dental materials. Students also begin to acquire hands-on experience in the dental clinic, working with patients under the supervision of licensed dentists.

The last two years of dental school are focused on clinical experience, with students treating patients in the dental clinic under the supervision of licensed dentists. This includes procedures such as fillings, extractions, and root canals. They will also take additional coursework to prepare for the National Board Dental Examination.

Dental school is rigorous and demanding, both academically and clinically. It requires a significant commitment of time and energy, but for those who are willing to make the effort, it can lead to a rewarding and fulfilling career as a dentist.

Additionally, dental schools often have a rigorous selection process, with a limited number of spots available each year, and the admission requirements are usually high, including a strong background in science and a high GPA.
This is probably the most AI response that I have read in a while
 
Dentistry can be an intense degree, but it is also enriching. The workload for dentistry usually consists of a combination of lectures, seminars, and clinical practice. While the workload can be challenging, staying organized and prioritizing your tasks is manageable. It's essential to take regular breaks and ensure that you care for your mental and physical health. In coping with stress, it is essential to remember that there will always be highs and lows throughout your dentistry degree. Take time for yourself when things get overwhelming, whether taking a break from work or having fun with friends. It's also essential to manage your expectations and not be too hard on yourself. Reach your professors, classmates, or peers if you need help or support. Finally, remember to take study breaks and enjoy the moments. Good luck students!

Lucy
dentist tampa bay
 

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timross10

Lurker
Thanks for the great advice, Lucy! It's important to remember to take care of our mental and physical health when tackling a challenging degree like dentistry.
 
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heshyy

Member
I must be having a fever dream or smth... why are there so many American 'first/last name + number' accounts writing on here. Are these messages AI-generated?
 

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