Common Questions Flashcards
Why did you choose dentistry?
My initial interest in dentistry stemmed from undergoing orthodontic treatment myself. I had braces for almost 2 and half years and so it was a long time that I was visiting the orthodontist at regular 6-8week intervals. While I was there I got to built a relationship with my orthodontist definitely made me have a more positive outlook on dentistry. She always made sure I was comfortable and happy with everything she was doing and my self esteem definitely grew while I was there. This sparked the idea of considering dentistry as a career path for the future, and providing this service to other people, as I noticed dentistry can have a positive impact on mental and physical health.
Following this I did a MOOC and found that Dentistry is a very science based profession, and I enjoy studying biology and chemistry at a level, especially when we take a practical approach. Dentistry is also a very hands on profession, and requires fine motor skills and manual dexterity as working with teeth is a very intricate part of the body. My mum had taught me cross stitching during the pandemic when we had lots of free time and it has become one of my hobbies that I regularly participate in today. I find it helps me to relax and allow me and my mum to spend more time together.
Dentistry has continuous advancements in dental technology as well for example the infiltration of AI in practices. The idea of even when you become a licensed dentist, you get to learn new things is really interesting to me.
Through work experience at an NHS practice, I was able to confirm that dentistry was the pathway I wanted to enter. As I saw first hand the day to day runnings of the practice, how the dentist made sure each patient was satisfied with their treatment and the variety of treatments I was able to witness from fillings to pulp extirpations, it became clear that though it definitely has some challenges such as patient anxiety, the career itself is very rewarding and fulfilling and this ultimately led me to apply.
Why dentistry over medicine?
Although I admire other medical careers as they play a vital role in maintaining good patient health and improving quality of life, i personally feel dentistry is a better fit for me. Firstly, dentistry is a much more hands-on profession compared to other medical degrees. As someone who likes to work with their hands this appeals to me as I’ve shown this skill by doing cross stitching in my free time.
I also prefer the idea of building a rapport with the patients, and being able to improve their habits and oral hygiene and even one’s quality of life, as you see your patients throughout their comprehensive care. The relationship you build worth someone can have a significant impact on them and change their overall outlook about going to the dentist. The relationship I built with my orthodontist was an invaluable experience for me and I hope to have the opportunity to provide this for future patients.
Dentistry as a course also tends to have early clinical exposure compared to medicine, where there is a greater focus with learning the fundamentals and then going into further practice for 3 years. As someone’s who likes the hands of aspect of the career, having early clinical exposure interests me.
How do you see dentistry evolving in the next decade?
I read that CAD/CAM is being used a lot more in dentistry in the last few years. It’s mainly being used for making things like implants, crowns, bridges and inlays. It is highly accurate. The journal of dentistry did a study on CAD/CAM technology and found significant improvements in patient satisfaction. It also gets rid of getting an uncomfortable impression done. However, the issue is that it has high initial costs and dentists have to be trained to use it, so it is a slow process infiltrating it into all practices but I definitely think it will continue to increase in the next few years.
I also see teledentistry becoming common in the next few years. It gives patients more accessible dental care by consulting with patients virtually. Yes of course with surgeries and procedures tha patient will have to come into the clinic, however it is common for patients to experience tooth aches and not know whether to wait to go to a dentist, and this would eradicate the issue. Frequent communication also builds the dentist-patient relationship.
AI has also become a new development and has began infiltrating the NHS. I read on the British dental journal that AI algorithms are capable of accurately analysing dental imaging to detect early signs of conditions such as dental caries and periodontitis. This allows conditions to be caught earlier and makes NHS practices more proactive than reactive, so this is likely to become more commonly used in NHS practices soon.
What skills/strengths would make you a good dentist?
An important skill needed for dentistry is emotional intelligence . Through my work experience I was able to see the number of patients that came in with some sort of dental anxiety and how it was really important for the dentist to understand the patient’s emotions and why they were feeling anxious amd help them get over it and have a more positive outlook on dentistry following the appointment and to be non-judgmental the entire time. Through my volunteering at my local pharmacy and charity shop, I have built up communication skills and have learnt to deal with all kinds of people, especially since at the pharmacy there were so many people who were feeling under the weather and were slightly anxious. I am also an individual needs mentor so I have helped and still helping a child with developmental disabilities to become more expressive and participate more in conversation. I am able to understand when and why he is not feeling the best and to help him try and move forward from any challenges he’s facing. This has not only taught me patience, but also the importance of tailoring to someone’s needs.
Leadership is also an important quality in order to ensure the dental team is running smoothly and have positive team attitudes. I have demonstrated this by being a school prefect and each week I help everyone set goals and targets for themselves and answer any questions to help them with their education. I would also say this links to collaboration which is another important skill. I also help particpate on Focus days and lead chemistry practicals and activities planned for the day. This has also helped me build my teamwork skills as we work together to ensure every child on focus day is doing the correct activity at the correct station. This alongside bronze and silver d of e has ensured I have the leadership skills to be a good dentist.
Dentistry requires a great deal of manual dexterity as the mouth is a very intricate part of the body. My mum has taught me cross stitching a while back during the second pandemic and ever since then I have continued and it has become one of my hobbies.
What is your greatest weakness?
My biggest weakness I would say is public speaking. I used to have a fear of speaking to large crowds and would avoid situations in which a large number of individuals would be involved. However, I recently took part in a public speaking lamda course in order to improve this, as it is an important skill to have and it would also allow me to improve my communication skills. While preparing for the exam, I was able to learn about different techniques such as power of three and superlatives to get my point across to the audience. I ended up getting a distinction in my public speaking exam and overall the course definitely helped me to improve my public speaking skills. It’s definitely not perfect yet but it has gotten significantly better.
What are the negatives to dentistry?
One of the biggest challenges with dentistry is dealing with difficult patients. No matter how good of a dentist you are, there are still patients who do not want to be at the dentist or are highly anxious. I saw a lot of this during my work experience. A lot of the patients were arguing with the dentist. To overcome this issue, you have to be empathetic and understand the patinets needs and emotions to ensure that you build a rapport with your patients and that they leave the clinic happier.
Another challenge is that dentistry can be highly stressful at certain points. As there is a lot of responsibility as you are in charge of someone’s health, and there is pressure to do your best work in a limited amount of time, especially in nhs practices with appointments only being around 10-15 minutes, and on my work experience i saw that the dentist barely had any time to themselves. To overcome this, you need to have good time management skills so you can plan ahead.
Being able to manage work life balance is important to ensure that the mental health of the dentist is good, so it’s important to have time saved for personal interests, for me this is doing my hobbies for example going to the gym and baking. Dentistry is also a very physically demanding career. It can also cause body aches due to being contorted for extended periods of time. It is essential to do some sort of exercise or yoga to keep the body active and mobile.
What is the biggest misconception about dentistry?
I would say a big misconception that many people have is that if their teeth don’t hurt, they don’t need to go to the dentist. People aren’t aware that most dental issues are not painful or evident straight away, for example cavities and gum disease don’t just appear overnight, however waiting to treat these issues can lead to bigger problems and require treatments like root canals and tooth extractions. Going in for regular dental appointments is the best way to ensure serious dental issues don’t arise and are caught early. I do understand that the cost of appointments is a main deterrent from people going to the dentist regularly and this leads to dental issues becoming worse and going without the proper treatment needed.
Certain people may think that dentistry primarily focuses on fixing teeth and performing procedures such as fillings and extractions. While these are definitely an important part of a dentists job, people overlook the importance of the broader aspects of dentistry such as patient care, management of oral health and improving overall quality of life.
How do you approach time management + example? (Also includes pressure/professionalism)
Being able to manage time is very important in dentistry especially since NHS appointment times are limited to around 10 minutes and in this time the dental team have to treat the patient, write notes and sterilise the area for the next patient. The main thing I do everyday to manage my time is create a to-do list. It just helps me delegate the workload I have throughout the week and ensures any homework or tasks I have are completed on time. I also prioritise the tasks I have throughout the week. For example if I have a test, the revision for that will come first, then homework than active revision of previous topics. Planning ahead helps keep me less stressed and ensures that school doesn’t become too mentally daunting and overwhelming.
Our school recently hosted a focus day which involved around 60 elderly people coming to school from the local care home for an afternoon tea. This meant the year 13s had to decorate the hall, do live performances and make a lot of food for example sandwiches and pastries in the span of 3 hours before the guests arrived, so the morning was very time pressured. First the year group was split to account for different tasks that had to be done that day for example some people were decorating the hall and some were preparing the bingo activity. I was in charge of food preparation. We had a lot of food to prepare in just a few hours so I first delegated the work load amongst the team, having a few people working on each dish. Then when everything was prepared we had to present them on cake stands and place them on all the tables to ensure every guest had the food available. While the guests were served the food, we also had to provide tea and coffee. I then split the team into two, one set taking orders for how the guests would like their tea and coffee and the other half preparing the orders ready to serve. Though there was lots to do in little time, the overall experience was very worthwhile as the guests really enjoyed their evening.
What is the most important ethical consideration in dentistry + how to address it?
I would day the most important ethical consideration would be patient autonomy. Dental professionals tend to know the best thing for teeth, however dentists need to be aware that they are the patients’ teeth at the end of the day and they must have a say in their treatment. The patients’ desires should never be ignored. However it is still the dentist’s responsibility to inform the patient of the boundaries of the treatment and all possible treatment options to make sure the patient is happy with the decision. It is also essential that the patient understands the treatment and what goes on so that the patient feels comfortable and not deceived.
Describe a time when you overcame a difficult obstacle/ showed resilience?
Resilience is the idea of being able to withstand and recover from difficult situations. This links to dentistry since dentistry is a very stressful career due to the responsibility of doing your best work in minimal time and there are many challenges such as dealing with difficult patients so it is important to be resilient as it leads to better patient experiences.
When I first started my job as a tutor for 11+ children, one of my students was very persistent on not doing the work I set, so while all the other children were doing all the exercises to consolidate the knowledge, she would be distracting those around her and playing with fidgets she had brought from home. No matter what I did, she found a way to not listen and do what she wanted. So I had to work out how to make sure this student stayed focused in lesson so that she would progress and allow those around her to progress as well.
To try and keep her more focused, I changed my current lesson plans in order to make them more engaging and interactive. This involved making the topics I had to teach in the lesson into games and group activities for example I once changed the arithmetic work in the lesson to a climb the ladder game. This is where each person has their own ladder with 10 steps. I call out a question and the first person to put their hand up and correctly answe moves up to the next step, the first person to the top wins. This encouraged her and the whole class to practice their mental maths skills at home and allowed the class to progress much quicker. Including these types of activities made her want to come to tuition more so than before and she had definitely became more focused in lesson. This experience taught me the importance of tailoring to someone’s needs and being resilient when faced with obstacles.
Describe a time when you were a leader?
Leadership is a key skill in dentistry as the dentist ultimately leads the dental team, so it is their responsibility to know everyone’s roles and maintain a good working environment. They also have to adapt and show good problem solving skills to give the best patient outcomes.
Our school recently hosted a focus day, where around 60 people from the local care home were invited to our school for an afternoon tea. It was Hollywood themed so there were lots of different tasks that the year group had to do, like decorating the hall and creating the red carpet photography area. I was personally leading the food preparation.
There was a lot to do for example we had around 100 sandwiches to make, and we had to bake scones, red velvet cupcakes, apple tarts etc enough so that eveyone could have some of each and we had around 3 hours to do it. There was around 12 people and 5 different dishes so I split the group in to 2s and 3s, the groups with 3 people had more difficult and time consuming dishes. This allowed us to prepare all the food simultaneously and get it presented before the guests came. I also made little breaks for everybody at different times so that there would always be someone working on each dish but also no one would be exhausted by the end of it, and so it kept everyone motivated and enjoying the time.
Describe a time when you had to work in a team?
Teamwork is an important skill is dentistry as ultimately everyone from the receptionist to the dental nurse plays a key role in delivering patient care. It’s especially important for the dentist and the dental nurse to deliver the principle of four handed dentistry which is where they work together to deliver a good effect for the patient.
During my bronze and silver d of e, our team of 6 people didn’t just have to work together just for the expedition in the countryside, but also to plan the route beforehand and meal planning. We had to divide the tasks up between us, to keep the team running smoothly, for example 3 of us would be setting up the tents, while the other three set up the cooking equipment and made food for the group. This ensured that we would be done with our tasks as quick as possible and could relax for a bit. The same logic was applied when we were walking our planned route. A few members of the team would be navigating with the map, while the others would check for landmarks on the route to make sure we wouldnt get lost. We learnt to listen to each others’ views and keep each other’s spirits up when needed, especially on days when it was raining. Keeping each other motivated was probably the most important thing for completing d of e and actually enjoying the experience.
How do you manage patient anxiety or fear of dental procedures?
Patient anxiety is something I witnessed during my work experience and what that can lead to, is a barrier between the dentist and the patient. Managing patient anxiety requires a compassionate patient-centred approach. Firstly, it is important to gauge how anxious the patient is upon meeting the patient and ask what about the dental treatments makes them anxious for example are they afraid of needles. I would explain with empathy that I understand their feeling and that I will do everything possible to ensure they have a positive dental experience. It is important to explain the procedure in simple, non-technical terms. Knowing what to expect alleviates anxiety and addressing patient concerns makes them feel much more included in the process. It is also essential to establish trust. Reassuring the patient and speaking in a friendly demeanour can help significantly reduce fear. I would also ask the patient ks they are prone to things like fainting or breathing difficulties due to anxiety as this is something I should be aware of before starting treatment. While witnessing one of the patient’s the dentist had during my work experience, I saw that she was very anxious as she had not been to the dentist in a while and she was suffering from extreme tooth decay. The dentist worked around these issues and gave her many treatment options and included her in treatment process and she definitely left with a much more positive outlook than when she came in.
How do you cope with mental stress?
There have been a few times where school work has become overwhelming. To help deal with stress I go to the gym. This helps me relieve my stress and direct my attention towards my fitness driven goals. This has often helped me take my mind off school and feel a lot more relaxed when I return home. Other than the gym, I like to spend time with my friends, for example going on a walk for an hour or so. Leaving the stressful environment for a more peaceful one, does help me feel a lot less stressed.
Balancing school time and personal time can sometimes be difficult especially now with big exams coming up. I prioritise my time by creating a schedule that includes school hours, study sessions and personal activities So that I allocate time for both academic and personal interests. I make sure that the schedule is flexible though so that if something unexpected happens I won’t feel overwhelmed. I believe that maintaining a balance is very important so in my personal time I do things like exercising a few times a week and going out with my friends. I also find that managing my time effectively makes me more productive in my studies without getting overworked, and helps to reduce stress levels.
How do you handle constructive criticism?
I believe that constructive criticism is essential for growth and improvement. For example, a lot of my teachers used to say that I did not participate in lesson and this in turn resulted in a lower understanding of the work we were learning. I took the feedback seriously and ended up trying to participate at least once in each lesson and this built up my rapport with my teachers and then as a result I even saw significant improvement in remembering content that we learnt and understanding it better, so for me constructive criticism is definitely something I use to help me improve.
How do you priotise patient care and safety in your practice?
I believe that prioritising patient care and safety is fundamental to building trust and ensuring the patient has a positive experience. I’d make sure that patients are well informed about all their treatment options and their risks and benefits. Before offering these options, I’d look through medical histories to identify any issues that could affect treatment. I’d strictly adhere to established guidelines such as sterilisation procedures to ensure the environment is safe. I would also prioritise open communication with my patients to make sure they are comfortable and express any concerns. I would also collaborate with my team to ensure everyone is on the same page about the treatment. By prioritising patient care and safety I aim to create a positive experience for patients which ultimately leads to better health outcomes and higher patient satisfaction.
How do you communicate effectively with patients?
Firstly it’s important to avoid using dental jargon and to use simple terms so that they are actually able to fully understand what you tell them. It would also be helpful to use certain analogies in order to explain complex ideas for example comparing dental caries to a small hole in a wall to help visualise the issue. When describing procedures, it is important to break down the procedure into steps and explain what will happen before, during and after the procedure and reduce anxiety and confusion. I would also encourage any questions to ensure the patient feels comfortable.
One important thing in order to communicate effectively is to have empathy. You have to acknowledge the feelings and perspectives of the patient to help build trust and rapport. Incorporating these into the appointment will lead to better patient outcomes.
Tell me about a time where you had to work with someone who had a different communication style to you.
In school I am an individual needs mentor meaning once a week a speak with a child in a younger year group who has specific developmental difficulties. The student I am paired with was very quiet and didn’t want to participate in conversation at the beginning of the year. His autism meant that he didn’t appreciate small talk and this definitely made it more difficult to try and help him. I had to use simple and clear language and had to ask open ended questions so that we would be able to develop his responses to me and I would be able to understand and help him better. Slowly overtime he has become a lot more comfortable with me and is a lot more happy to be apart of the conversation rather than me just talking at him and trying to get a response. Obviously, there are still moments where he expresses his anger or doesn’t feel like speaking to anyone, but by using these specific techniques and tailoring to his needs, he has become a lot more expressive and self-assured.
How do you deliver difficult news to a patient sensitively?
Delivering difficult news to a patient sensitively is essential to maintain trust and a positive dental patient relationship. I would ensure that u deliver the news in a quiet and private space so that the patient feels comfortable and can focus on the information I share with them. I would also state the situation without sugarcoating it, so that the understand the severity of the situation however would be compassionate to convey empathy and show that I understand the patient’s feelings. If the news is difficult, I would recognise the patient is likely to have an emotional reaction and would give them time to process the situation and express their feelings. After delivering the news, I would offer information about the next steps, treatment options and choices in order to avoid them feeling helpless. I would also offer reassurance that me and the team would support them through the entire process and that they can ask any questions and voice their concerns. By focusing on empathy, clarity and support I would be able to prioritise the patient’s emotional and physical well being.
What do you wish to achieve in your career in dentistry, aside from clinical practice?
I am passionate about dentistry and the significant role is plays in overall health. Aside from clinical practice, I aspire to contribute to dental research, particularly in understanding the links between oral health and systemic diseases. From reading an article about some links between oral health and cardiovascular health, for example oral bacteria can lead to the inflammation of the heart lining causing endocarditis, i have become more interested in expanding my knowledge in this area. I believe that advancing my knowledge in this area can lead to better patient outcomes. Additionally, I am interested in engaging in public health initiatives that focus on improving access to dental care for underserved communities as I believe everyone deserves quality oral health. Now more than ever, there is difficulty in booking nhs dental appointments especially in underserved communities due to long nhs waiting lists, nhs staff shortages and dentists moving to the private sector due to the UDA system. Ultimately, I see myself as a lifelong learner who is committed to making a meaningful impact in dentistry beyond the clinic.
Can you describe a time when you think a dentist would have to make a difficult decision about a patient’s treatment plan?
One scenario where a dentist would have to make a difficult decision is when a patient has severe periodontal disease however would like cosmetic treatment which would ultimately worsen their condition. It is important for the dentist to keep in mind the pillars of medical ethics specifically non-maleficence. It is important to conduct a thorough examination to assess the extent of gun disease and the potential impact on the desired cosmetic treatment. Explain to the patient the risks associated with proceeding with cosmetic treatments while having gum disease, such as poor healing and worse aesthetic outcomes. It would be important to develop a treatment plan that priotises the management of gum disease and possibly referral to periodontist is the condition is severe. Then it would be important to discuss a timeline with the patient to consider cosmetic treatments after the gum disease has been treated and book regular follow up appointments to monitor the patient’s progress.
How would your friends describe you?
My friends would describe me as empathetic, reliable and detail-orientated. They tell me that I understand their feelings and am good at providing suppport when they need it. For example, one of friends was very anxious before her AS exam and I took the time to listen to her concerns and helped her prepare which made her a lot more confident and less anxious.
They would also say I’m reliable. They count on me to follow through with plans or help out with things that they need. This reliability translates well into a dental career where building trust with patients is essential.
Lastly, my friends often highlight my attention to detail. When I plan group trips or outings, I’m meticulous in ensuring that everything is organised. This quality is particularly important in dentistry, where precision can impact patient outcomes.
Can you describe a recent article you read?
- With increasing pressure on NHS dental services, due to staff shortages and lack of resources due to limited government funding, there is an urgent need to optimise and enhance these services through technology.
- AI-driven tools can analyse vast amounts of dental records to identify patterns and predict which patients are at higher risk of dental diseases or other NCDs.
- By forecasting periods of high demand, NHS facilities can better manage staffing and appointment scheduling, ensuring that every patient receives timely care.
- Moreover, these technologies can assist in diagnostic processes, with AI algorithms capable of accurately analysing dental imaging to detect early signs of conditions such as dental caries, periodontitis and oral cancer.
- This allows conditions to be caught earlier and allows NHS practices to be proactive rather than reactive.
This is a massive breakthrough for the dental industry as it increases the likelihood of positive patient outcomes. More positive patient outcomes can make people who previously associated negative concepts with dentists into more positive ones, making them more likely to book follow up appointments and keep their teeth in good condition.
35% of dentists currently use AI in their practices and this number is predicted to increase as the majority of dentists have seen an improvement with patient outcomes with the use of AI.
Do you have any questions for us?
What characteristics do the best students have?
Why did you choose to teach there?
Why did u choose kings?
Well firstly, kings has a very strong reputation in dentistry as it is consistently ranked first in the uk since 2017, setting it ahead of other dental schools. I’ve researched many dental schools and found that kings stood out in terms of its course structure and resources.a major component of the curriculum at kings is focused on oral diseases and how systemic diseases can have an effect or oral and dental tissues. This is something I would be interested in doing further research on and look the most forward to when learning the course, especially with kings having the opportunity to intercalate with further dental research. Kings also has state of the art facilities such as high fidelity virtual haptic machines which would enhance my learning experience. Alongside this, the course has early clinical exposure, and since the clinical aspect of dentistry interests me, i felt the dental course at kings suited me. When attending the open day, I was able to speak to some of the staff and students there and the environment was very welcoming. There are also a few societies I would like to join such as Sikh and dental society. There is also mentorship programmes that I would attend to foster personal and professional growth. I feel kings would not only support me while I’m at the university but also prepare me for clinical work and the challenges post graduation.
Why did you choose Bristol?
Bristol has a very strong reputation in dental education. It has been ranked highly by complete university guide and priotises its students well-being, with there being student support services, and a personalised tutor system, which can help with academic support, which is very important to me, especially since dentistry is such a challenging course. While visiting Bristol on the open day, The dental school is also new purpose designed so students have access to advanced technology which would aid my learning experience. Bristol is also a extensive research university and I saw that epidemiology and health services research focus on links between oral and systemic diseases which is something I would be interested in researching while at the university. The course also offers experience in a wide range of areas and provides clinical experience early making me more prepared for a career in dentistry postgraduate. Bristol as a university also has a lot of societies. I’d be interested in joining a few like cooking society, Indian society and possibly even try and learn a new sport. This would let me settle into the school and make new friends. Bristol also has many volunteering opportunities like Bristol raise and give. Volunteering is something I’ve tried to do as much as possible, so being able to make a difference at the university is definitely something I’d be interested in. Bristol is also a lovely city that I would enjoy living in during my time studying at the university. It has a lot of activities for students such as St Paul’s carnival and a lot of Greenspace to relax, which would allow me to enjoy my time outside teh university as well.
Why did you choose Birmingham?
Firstly I would say Birmingham has a very good reputation, and has been consistently ranked as one of the best dental schools in the UK. In terms of the course, Birmingham has access to advanced dental technology like haptic machines which I would definitely be excited to use to build up my motor skills before treating real patients. The course also have very early clinical exposure and collaborates with other healthcare professionals like pharmacists which would give a more well-rounded experience. The university also offers a lot of student support, including counselling and each student is assigned personal tutors to help them, which makes a big difference, especially since dentistry is such a challenging course. Location wise, Birmingham is very diverse which not only provides a more inclusive perspective on patient care but as someone who is Sikh and Punjabi would allow me to appreciate my culture, alongside the many societies available at Birmingham like Bhangra society that would let me meet other people who share the same pride about their culture.
Why did you choose queen Mary’s?
I would firstly say in terms of location, queen marys is in East London, which is a very diverse region of the country. Being a person of colour and someone who takes a lot of pride in Sikh, I can see it would be a very comfortable place for me to settle into and enjoy my time while at the university. The diversity also means there’s a range of dental conditions you’ll be able to see and treat as a dental student. Queen Mary’s also has a range of societies to help me further settle into the university for example Punjabi society and baking society as it is one of my hobbies that I do regularly to relax. The cohort for dentistry is also quite small, so you get know everyone in depth which I like. After researching the university I was able to see that queen Mary’s prioritises it’s students mental health. Dentistry is obviously a very content heavy and demanding course, so having these pastoral services is definitely something good to have while studying and would ensue that queen Mary’s would be a positive experience for me. In terms of the course, queen Mary’s has very good resources for learning. It has the highest number of haptic dental trainers in the country and is one of the few universities that has a prosthodontics lab so you can see how things like dentures are made, which I would be really excited to see if I had the opportunity to study at queen mary’s. Lastly, I’d like that queen Mary’s has the opportunity to intercalate and do a bit of further research on things like dental materials and oral biology. Not many other universities offer this, and definitely something I would be interested in, as I have considered doing research linking oral health and systemic health.
What area do you think you will specialise in?
An area of dentistry that particularly interests me is paediatric dentistry. Paediatric dentistry interests me due to working with children at my tuition centre. Obviously the environment is very different but it is very emotionally rewarding seeing the appreciation from young patients and also allowing them to have a good first exposure to dentistry rather than fearing to go to the dentist. Dentistry has many fields such as endodontics and restorative dentistry as well, and I am still only at the beginning of the journey with limited exposure to specialities so even though these paediatrics interest me the most right now, it’s likely to change as I become more exposed to the field.
What are your hobbies?
I have a few hobbies that I really enjoy. One of my favourite pastimes is baking. It’s a fun way for me to experiment with new recipes and I enjoy sharing my baked goods with my friends and family. I enjoy when other people like the things I’ve made and like learning new baking techniques such as piping with different piping tips which I learnt recently when I made cupcakes for a friend’s birthday.
In addition to baking, I enjoy cross stitching. My mum taught me cross stitching during the second pandemic since she loved to do it and we had lots of spare time. I find it very relaxing and one canvas frame tends to take long periods of time so it’s rewarding to finish a piece.
I also priotise going to the gym as part of my routine. It not only helps me stay physically fit but also acts as a stress reliever. I enjoy setting fitness goals and working to achieve them, and this has improved my mental health too.
What did you learn from your MOOC?
I learnt about the different members of the dental team, such as the dental nurse, dental hygienists, technician and pratice managers and how they have different roles in delivering patient care.
I also learnt about the different aspects of tooth anatomy and the different dental tissues such as enamel and dentine. I also learnt a Little Bit about how to carry out dental charting. I also learnt about certain dental specialisms such as paediatric dentistry, periodontics and oral surgery.
It also touched upon different dental materials used for dentures and how dentures are made.
What is the role of a dentist?
Firstly a dentist’s primary role is to ensure the well being of their patients. They should consistently provide excellent patient care and improves people’s physical and mental health, in turn improving their quality of life. Primarily dentist diagnose and treat various dental conditions such as caries, gum disease and oral infections. They perform procedures such as root canals, fillings and extractions which require additional training compared to dental hygienists and therapists.
They are also responsible for promoting good oral hygiene to their patients and highlighting the importance of regular dental visits. They also tailor treatment plans dependant on the patients needs and take into accounts things such as the patinet’s medical history.
In addition to clinical tasks, the dentist acts as a leader to the dental team and works alongside dental nurses and other healthcare professionals to ensure holistic patient care and prevent future problems.
What is the role of the dental nurse?
1) the dental nurse plays a vital role in delivering patient care. Firstly , dental nurses prepare and maintain the dental environment. They sterilise everything and the main individuals ensuring the safety of the patients in the practice in terms of infection control procedures. All the dental instruments that can be reused, have to be completely sterilised and all organisms must be killed. They also package the sterilised equipment to ensure dentists have access to all of it. They also clean the whole environment between each patient so they wipe down the chair and the glasses that the patient wears.
2) They also prepare for each patient. They know what patient is coming in and what procedure needs to happen even before the dentist does and they prepare by putting all the equipment out. If it’s something like a check up it’s a few things and complex procedures like root canals require much more equipment. This is all before the appointments. During the procedure they provide chair side support in a principle called four handed dentistry, which basically means that the dentist and dental nurse work together perfectly to deliver a good effect for the patient. They may also go to the side and prepare dental materials for example mixing alginate for impressions, which requires a lot of skill since if it sets too quickly or too slowly, you compromise the physical properties of the material.
3) another thing they made do is dental charting, so while the dentist is taking an inspection of the mouth, they called out for the dental nurse to make notes on the teeth such as if it’s missing or if there’s decay. Notes are very important as this is a massive threat of litigation, if patients have one problem and the notes are not update or clear it can lead to big problems.
4) dental nurses can also do further courses to expand their skill set so that they can perform a wider range of functions so this might include things like oral health education, or treating a load of different patients like orthodontic patients or patients who are under sedation. It’s clear to see how the dental nurse plays a key role is delivering patient care.
Why is professionalism important in dentistry + example
Prpfessionalism refers to acting with competence, have accountability and integrity. Professionalism is crucial as it leads to better patient care. Trust is the foundation of a successful dentist-patient relationship. A patient’s level of confidence in the dentist determines whether or not they will seek dental care. Furthermore a patient who believes a dentist is honest is more likely to accept the dentist’s treatment recommendation than one who is concerned about the dentist’s motive. Dentist’s who act in their patient’s best interests earn trust. It is also important dentists can accept responsibility when they are wrong so they can learn to not make the same mistake again in the future and decide the best course of action following the mistake. Professionalism also involves maintaining appropriate boundaries with patients, such as keeping information confidential. Though I feel I have demonstrated professionalism from things like being a prefect and taking part in group activities such as leading focus days, i feel I learnt the most about professionalism from my work experience. I was able to witness many instances of professionalism during my work experience where I saw the dentist listening to the patient actively and being empathetic so that a trusting relationship was built. I also saw how the dentist was truthful and respectful to all patients, no matter how the patient acted towards them, and held a commitment to providing high quality care. This maintains good reputation of not only the dental practice but also dentistry as a profession. It also meant that ethical principles like GDC principles were followed and things like patient autonomy ans patient’s interests were prioritised.
Why is problem solving important in dentistry + example?
Problem-solving skills are very important in dentistry as you treat a variety of different patients and every patient has a unique set of needs, and you need to be able to find the best solution for each one. You also have to be able to think on your feet and make quick decisions. During my work experience I was able to see how the dentist tailored the treatment plan to each individual on the spot, ensuring that the patient felt included in the process. I have demonstrated problem solving skills during an event called vaisakhi which is a Sikh festival. Every year me and my family set up a stall in south all , and there we prepare and serve free food. The main tasks I do every year are preparing the food for cooking and taking the food outside on trays so that more people are served. For the years we have done this, I have managed to do my tasks to a good standard and been able to ask my family for help when I need it. However there was a situation the last time we set up our stall, where I was given a list of tasks to do in terms of preparing the food to cook and I had just forgotten to turn the gas on to heat the water for the tea, so we had this giant pot of water that was completely cold when it needed to be boiling. I accepted full responsibility for my mistakes and came up with the solution of removing some of the water and heating in small batches in the kitchen so that all the water would heat up faster and so the tea could be served in a timely manner.
Why is empathy important in dentistry + example?
Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone’s else’s position and understand how they are feeling. Empathy is a significant thing every dentist should possess because many patients suffer with dental anxiety so displaying empathy, will allow the patients to feel understood and build more trust in the dental profession, and help get over their anxiety. It will also encourage patients to get regular dental checkups and treatments and prioritise their oral health more so than before, which is important as it allows less complex treatments later on.
As I am a prefect, I work with my assigned year 11 class to deliver presentations on different topics, lead group discussions and tasks and speaks to them individually to answer questions and act as a vessel of support. During one of my sessions, I noticed that one of girls in my class was not participating, even though she was usually one of the individuals who pit her hand up to answer questions and take part in discussions. I felt it was important to understand what was bothering her as it was affecting her mood. I approached her at the end of the session so that she was by herself and so she wouldn’t fear other people hearing our conversation. I asked her how she was feeling and if there was anything bothering her. She opened up about how her mock exams and GCSEs was causing her a lot of stress and that she was feeling extremely burnt out. I listened to her actively and reassured her that her feelings were totally valid and shared some strategies to overcome this, for example creating a revision timetable with little things to cover so that she can get the workload done but also not feel overworked. I also encouraged her that I am here to talk whenever she would like. I still Check up on her regularly just to ensure she doesn’t return to feeling very stressed, and since then, she has continued to participate in prefect sessions and also has made significant progress in her subjects too..
What is the importance of teaching in dentistry?
Teaching is linked to many areas of dentistry from learning while being a dental student, to teaching students when you become a licensed dentist. Teaching in dentistry ensures essential knoweledge about oral health. This means that future dentists can have a broader public impact by educating not only their own patients but also taking part in public health campaigns to educate the public on the importance of oral hygiene and strategies to prevent the worsening of oral health.
While being a dental student, you are taught a lot about the practical skills you will need in terms of procedures you will perform in the future. Hands on training is essential since dentistry requires a lot of manual dexterity and so there is a lot of teaching in that aspect.
Teaching is also important since dentistry is a constantly advancing field with new technologies and materials being infiltrated in practices. Teaching helps practioners stay updates with these new advancements and know how to use new equipment to provide the best possible care to their patients. Teaching also encourages research among students which can lead to new breakthroughs as well.
Can you tell me about an article you read- 2?
I recently read an article focusing on understanding the effects of dentistry on the environment and how dentistry can become more green. The climate change act introduced an environment sustainability goal for the NHS which aims to cut down on single use plastics and start using lower carbon emitting technology, especially since dentistry is one of the most carbon emitting industries in the country.
Dentistry has negative effects on the environment in many ways. Firstly, the use of amalgam has caused widespread issue since it can lead to mercury contamination. Placement and removal of amalgams can cause mercury to leech in sewage systems and water supplies, which threatens natural ecosystems and in turn affects humans in the long term. There is also a lot of plastic packaging in the dental industry, for example all sterilised dental equipment is wrapped in plastic, plastic toothbrushes are most commonly used, floss also does not biodegrade and builds up and even mouthwash containers are plastic. There is a lot of single use plastic.
Individuals are trying to introduce ways in which to make dentistry net zero however, this is not as simple as it seems as to make an industry net zero it has to go through a circular economy which is you make it, sell it, it’s used, thrown away, recycled made again. However healthcare cannot work that way and uses a linear economy where things are made, used and then thrown away, creating more landfill and environmental damage. We can’t switch to a circular economy because of patient safety concern, for example if something was used in one person’s mouth it’s not safe to use it in another persons mouth. However there ways being put into practice to make dentistry more sustainable such as creating more sustainable dental equipment for example wooden toothbrushes and water flosses. Things like water fluoridation and more preventative healthcare strategies are things that the government can enforce to make dentistry less environmentally impactful and there is still a long way to go before dentistry comes to close to becoming net zero.
How do you cope with failure?
1) I understand that failure is inevitable and that there will always be instances where I fail or make mistakes. I try not to view it as a setback, but as an opportunity to improve and learn from my mistakes.
2) When I experience failure, my first step is always to reflect on what happen to try and find out what went wrong. Then I can figure out where I need to improve.
3) I would also ask feedback from others ti help me improve and prevent this mistake in the future. For example, If I make mistakes during school work, I’ll ask for feedback from my teachers, and my classmates who got the questions right.
4) once I’ve figured out what the problem is, I’ll take steps to improve. Whether it’s extra practice or needing additional resources to develop my understanding. Ultimately, failure is a motivator to improve, and requires resilience.
Why should we choose you over other candidates?
I believe my combination of academic achievements and interpersonal skills will make me a valuebable asset to this university. I have consistently achieved high grades in all my subjects, such as biology and chemistry and am very hard working in learning environments.
I’ve been able to demonstrate my motivation for dentistry by doing work experience so I would be able to understand what a day to day would be as a dentist, and that I would actually enjoy the career. Alongside this, I was able to volunteer in a pharmacy to expose myself ti more healthcare settings, and how to interact with patients. I feel like that links really well with this dental school as dentists collaborate with other healthcare professionals while learning the course. I also think it will help me thrive in brimghamn’s diverse clinical placements.
In addition to this, I have many qualities that would make a good dentist. Teamwork, organise events for dental society and Sikh society. talk about qualities + link manual dexterity to being a hobby, and having an aspect of a hobby in my work life would definitely allow me to enjoy the career. I’m aware Birmingham has state of the art facilities like haptic machines, so i would definitely take advantage of these resources to ensure I have the best possible clinical skills before practicing on patients.
I also See dentistry as a lifelong commitment and a constant learning experience. I’m excited for the opportunities to contribute to the field of dentistry for example through participating in research. I’m aware that with Birmingham being an area with particularly high tooth decay compared to others, having the opportunity to educate the public on the importance of oral hygiene would be something I’m interested in, to help reduce this issue so I’m definitely someone who not only what’s to make a difference in this dental school, but also the public, with Birmingham offering community based placements. I feel like my values align with this dental school and so I’d think I’d make a good candidate.
Why dentistry over dental hygiene and therapy?
1) more comprehensive care, allows me to diagnose treat and manage complex cases, very fulfilling.
2) I also feel dentists can establish long term relationships with patients, which I feel differ from the short term interactions dental hygienists have.
3) being a dentist also allows for more complex problem solving and you deal with complex issues and there’s also a great aspect of leadership in being a dentist, I enjoy leadership roles.
4) I also feel long term, I like the idea of specialising in a specific field or even opening my own practice in underserved areas, and I feel dentistry offers a much broader scope to achieve those goals.
How does an ant reflect your personality?
1) ants are really hardworking. They put in consistent effort to help achieve their goals like looking for food, or defending shelter. I feel like I align with this because I believe in putting in consistent effort to accomplish goals, even when tasks are challenging.
2) I would also say ants always collaborate with other ants in the colony to achieve tasks. I also feel this links to me because I like working in team environments in order to accomplish goals, and playing to everyone’s strengths to ensure any task we complete as a group, is done to a high standard.
3) ants also never give up, no matter the obstacles they face, like dealing with harsh weather. This perseverance is something I value in myself. Whenever I face challenges or failure, I always make sure to reflect on the situation, to try and work out what went wrong and improve on it, rather than giving up.
4) ants are also known to have intense focus on their tasks, and exclude other things they have to do. I feel like sometimes this does reflect me because I can become too overindulged in doing an activity, and make sure it’s to the best of my ability, even though I should be focusing on other things at the same time. So I feel ants reflect both positives and negatives of my personality.
