Pursuing a Career in Dentistry

Just a decade ago small dental clinics in India usually treated their patients without any anesthesia. My first visit to the dentist office was predictably painful: I had two of my primary teeth taken out without any anesthesia. I vowed never to return to a dentist’s office ever in my life. For the next ten years, my fear of being in pain prevented me from going to the dentist and my parents were no help since they did not believe in going to clinic for their own checkups. After moving to US, I was still reluctant to go to a dentist because of my initial fear. I finally went when my mother visited the office to get her infections treated. That second visit to a dentist transformed my fear of dentists into a sincere appreciation of their work. The elegance and dexterity that the dentist exhibited when she took three of my mother’s teeth out both astonished and impressed me. The entire experience made me feel that my mother was in competent hands. As my visits to the dentist became more constant, I started to understand the importance of oral health to a greater extent. My initial hesitation and fear changed into willingness to keep myself healthy.

My first experience with a dental patient was with my own mother. While in India, she got a bridge placed, but her cavities were not filled; this led to an infection and the removal of six of her teeth. As a result, she has been in pain for the past five years, and it has been frustrating for me because I am unable to do anything for her. Hence, between my mother’s daily trips to the dentist and a curiosity to learn more about her problems, I decided to shadow Dr. Lisa Veiga, my dentist in Waterbury, CT. Shadowing her was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. She introduce...

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...earning languages, and I presently speak Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. Living in a multicultural society, being bilingual will allow me to serve my patients better. I plan to become proficient in speaking Italian by the end of my senior year.

Even before I knew I wanted to be a dentist, I knew that I wanted to be exceptionally good at any profession I chose. I know that becoming a dentist will involve hard work and commitment, but being a good dentist will also involve establishing a relationship of trust and attending to a patient’s needs and worries. I will bring my experiences, knowledge, penchant for hard work and social skills to dentistry, my chosen profession. Dentistry will allow me to help people in both physically and emotionally significant ways, and to have the balance I need to be able to spend time with my family. In essence, dentistry is my dream job.