Did I anger you with the headline?
Maybe yes. I did anger all the dental clinicians with booming practice or dental consultants building their clientele. They are the maestros, and I respect them.
They are not ready to believe that dentistry as a career has a problem.
They refuse to accept that dentists don't make money
They harp on the ‘DENTISTRY NEEDS TIME’ and ‘DENTISTRY NEEDS HARD WORK’ factor above all.
Agreed.
But Here’s the Flip Side
- A fresh dental graduate in India earns INR 10k-15k/month for 8 hours of work, 6 days a week; some for free (exploited under the idea of ‘gaining experience’)
- A recent dental post-graduate in India earns INR 20k-25k/month for 8 hours of work, 6 days a week. With 4-6 years of experience the number rises to 50k–70k/month
- India has only approx 40 government dental colleges and a huge 200+ private & semi-autonomous dental colleges.
Most private bodies recruit teaching staff ‘ON PAPER’ while the OPDs run dry on patients, professors and guides (I have friends being offered such ‘INVISIBLE” roles, and it's true).
- A single batch of dental graduation tutors 40-100 students, churning out umpteen number of dentists per year
- Government jobs in primary healthcare centres, dental schools, and dental wings of government hospitals/agencies are usually as meagre as 3-4 posts that further get distributed based on your CASTE, creed, culture and God knows what!
Students from private colleges get placed NOWHERE; they either hunt for jobs with poor wages or INVEST INVEST INVEST to set up practice. All this after having to pay monumental school fees.
And The Story Goes On
Our POLL revealed a massive 71% of dentists on LinkedIn, have made a CAREER PIVOT to a role related to or unrelated to dentistry. Only 29% of these dentists are still in clinical practice.Hits hard?
I neither actively encourage nor oppose a career switch in dentistry. Dental science is UNIQUE, VITAL & PATIENT-DRIVEN. I love it. Hence, I decided to ideate and offer solutions to a VICIOUS CYCLE of careers in Indian dentistry. Though the ideas aren’t too many, they are doable.
If You Are a Dental Student
I agree when they say that the dental graduate they hire struggles with basic dental procedures.
The subpar education in most private dental colleges, absent teaching staff, prolonged pre-clinical studies, exam-inclined education, poor patient exposures, and more have ruined dental education for many.
There are countless to blame.
The mushrooming of dental colleges without proper accreditation, regular inspections and guidelines is the first line. This adheres to an unbalanced curriculum with zero soft skill classes, minimal clinical exposure, and an emphasis on two or more years of preclinical studies that add higher scores to theoretical knowledge. Not to mention, there are instructors on paper but not in person: lectures and practical training that don’t have guides.
What can you do as a student to significantly reduce these factors?
Begin your clinical studies early in the course; you can stay ahead of the curve by reading, researching and watching clinical cases related to your preclinical assignments
Be proactive; while nobody pushes you to take more cases, nobody deters you either. Be up and about—linger while your seniors consult—assist them/offer help with basic scalings/fillings/extractions.
Observerships, internships and hands-on courses outside college help
Grab every free study material/research paper/quiz/course you get—leave no stone unturned to be ready after graduation
If You are a Recent Graduate/Post-Graduate Dentist
Are you not confident with your clinical skills? Still jittery?
Let me tell you, that’s perfectly normal. You are a young duckling and are yet to see the world.
Begin with the last two points from above:
Internships, practical courses, and observationships are beneficial beyond the university setting.
Make the most of all the free study materials, research papers, tests, and courses you come across
Sign up for a newsletter or online coaches who speak about soft skills—master them with your friends, family, neighbours and more.
Be smart with job searches—settle for nothing less than you deserve. Prepare an AI-skimmable kickass CV, prioritize your soft skills during the interview, and learn to negotiate salaries
Switch jobs or roles if it demands. It is best not to dive deeper into the law of sunken costs—weigh your options (a career coach, a mentor, or a senior colleague can be useful here)
In the routine of daily dentistry—DO NOT FORGET to log in your growth (both professional & financial) and build a parallel income source—a side hustle that’ll feed your passion, skills and pocket, all at once.
People's skills are the fad that is here to stay, so "network, follow, and retain" is advised.
Key Takeaways for Dentists
Are you at the crossroads of finding yourself at the same payscale as your house help? It is irksome but not a black hole. There is hope and potential for growth. New one-on-one job boards, tech & AI-skimmable CVs and online resources & upskilling courses with advanced education and certifications go a long way. Network with industry professionals to open doors to higher-paying positions and specialized roles.
The sample size wasn’t large enough this time; maybe with more participants, I can brainstorm more ideas!
Remember, with perseverance and smart career moves, you can carve out a more rewarding and fulfilling professional journey. You’ve got this!
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