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[deleted1164909]

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[deleted1164909]

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[Big Time Hoosier]

Big Hoss

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

OP, there is no dental “specialty” directed at patients with HIV or cancer.

Big Hoss

 

[deleted1164909]

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[deleted1164909]

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[Big Time Hoosier]

Advanced Dental Education Programs

Finished dental school and thinking about a career beyond general practice? Learn more here about the nine specialty options available to you.

www.adea.org

Big Hoss

 

[stealyoface]

How do people specialize? I've seen dentists work in HIV centers.

You become a dentist and then you apply for a job at an HIV center

 

[deleted1164909]

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[deleted1164909]

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[Big Time Hoosier]

What about the cancer specialty?

Again, there is no recognized “cancer specialty” in dentistry. Something like this is as close as you’ll probably get.

Dental Oncology Fellowship

The Dental Service in the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center offers a one-year fellowship in Dental Oncology.

www.mskcc.org

Big Hoss

 

[deleted1164909]

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[stealyoface]

What about the cancer specialty?

What are you expecting? Dentists don’t treat cancer. Oncologists treat medically and typically OMFS/ENT/PRS treat surgically as far as head and neck goes. What exactly are you looking to do? Become proficient in providing dental care to immunocompromised patients?

 

[deleted1164909]

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[Big Time Hoosier]

Yes, I am.

Then just do an intense hospital based GPR after dental school.

Big Hoss

 

[Faefly]

oral pathologists deal with diagnosing cancer ( among other oral diseases)
oral surgeonss deal with treating oral cancer ( among other things, like extractions, surgeries, etc)
All dentists can treat HIV patients.
All dentists should check for oral cencer on routine visits in head and neck exam and if they are supspicious, should refer out to (oral pathology/oral surgery department)

 

[deleted1164909]

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[deleted1164909]

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[Big Time Hoosier]

Oral surgeon seems to be the way to go.

And only around half of those applying to oral surgery will make it. If you won’t be happy as a general dentist, absolutely do not go to dental school.

Big Hoss

 

[Ryxndek]

Big Hoss will find out the hard way. If Big Hoss can get into dental school to begin with

Lol. Might wanna take a little time to read his profile. He’s been through the wringer. Heed advice of those who’ve paved the path for us to succeed.

 

[Ryxndek]

Wannabeapriness has been through the wringer?

Think you got the people mixed up.

Wannabe princess is a Predental student, the OP. Big Hoss is BigtimeHoosier, a dentist.

 

[stealyoface]

Oral surgeon seems to be the way to go.

The typical route for an oral surgeon treating cancer is 4 years of dental school where it’s important to perform at the top of your class, 6 years of OMFS residency which includes med school, and then a 1-2 year head and neck fellowship where you learn to resect cancer and reconstruct with fibula flaps etc. Just make sure you understand what you’re getting into if that’s the path you so desire

 

[yappy]

It seems like your interests are not primarily in dentistry. Why not change from predent to premed? If you want to treat cancer, you will not be satisfied in dentistry. Even fellowship trained academic OMS do things other than cancer, because their specialty is primarily OMS.

Why not go to medical school and do a residency that will set you up to be an expert in treating cancer, if that is your interest? Based on your name you have a physics background, have you looked into the medical specialty Radiation Oncology? If your interest is HIV, look into infectious disease

 

[gryffindor]

You can do a GPR in a cancer hospital.

General Practice Residency - Dentistry

You can also specialize in Maxillofacial Prosthetics but you have to first complete a Prosthodontics residency.

Maxillofacial Prosthetics Fellowship - Careers | ECMC Hospital | Buffalo, NY

 

[P7898]

OP maybe look into oral medicine. You can see HIV and oral cancer manifestations and help treat these patients in a hospital setting. Maybe run a GPR program or something. Just thinking out loud.

 

[deleted1164909]

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[deleted1164909]

It seems like your interests are not primarily in dentistry. Why not change from predent to premed? If you want to treat cancer, you will not be satisfied in dentistry. Even fellowship trained academic OMS do things other than cancer, because their specialty is primarily OMS.

Why not go to medical school and do a residency that will set you up to be an expert in treating cancer, if that is your interest? Based on your name you have a physics background, have you looked into the medical specialty Radiation Oncology? If your interest is HIV, look into infectious disease

I like the office environment and for some reason, dentistry offices have a better environment like the receptionists, dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants. The downside of dentistry is the small chance of someone passing away in the chair or my interest in having patients be fine one day and then gone the next from this disease. The medical field is so rude, I can't take it. Sure, there is a small percentage that they are nice and vice versa of dental offices that are mean. If I go into the dental field, I can also go into research to hopefully help my area of interest.

 

[deleted1164909]

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[Big Time Hoosier]

I didn't think about joining a cancer hospital. It would be great to work at a cancer hospital some days and then at an HIV center the other days or think of research outside of work.

I don’t know if you have realistic expectations of life as a dentist or dental specialist even. You’re envisioning a future that is not likely to materialize. I think you need to do some serious shadowing to see what this job is really like.

Big Hoss