Dentistry refers to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of teeth, gums, and other mouth disorders. The increasing use of technology in this field is introducing new advanced treatments to treat and diagnose oral disorders. The use of potentially hazardous machinery may show side effects to the patient. That’s why this field requires professional experience and specialization. Many healthcare centers and dental healthcare offer jobs to both fresher and professionals. As dentistry is a technical field; so, your interviewers can ask most of the technical questions related to dentistry.
We present you with the most important interview questions and the suggested answers that an interviewer can ask. You can go through these for an idea about dentistry interview questions and prepare for your interview.
1. How Will You Define Dentistry As A Field?
As per my knowledge, dentistry treats oral disorders along with teeth, gums, and mouth tissue diseases. It is a study of different mouth, teeth, and oral diseases, treatment, diagnosis, and prevention. To prevent patients from diseases, it presents many dental practices. The world is constantly advancing in this field through advanced technology. In short, dentistry provides the treatment, guidance, and instruction to improve patient oral and dental health. It doesn’t only provide treatment but also assists in maintaining our good dental health and preventing our oral cavities, teeth, and gums from getting damaged.
2. Tell Us About Your Education And Experience Related To This Field?
My qualification includes a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of California, San Francisco. I have also done a Master of Science in dentistry. After many practice sessions and internships, I got my first job in a well-known dental health care centre. There I applied my skills, knowledge, and practices related to this field for the betterment of the centre. I learned lot of things to master my skills. After two years of successful experience, I got my second job in a dental hospital. Working there for hospitals and patients helped me to upgrade my skills to be more professional.
3. What Motivated You To Apply In This Organization/Dental Health Care?
I have heard a lot about the health service provided by this organization. I have also read about the goals of this dental health care centre and am inspired by its goals. It has been working exceptionally in providing dental health services for decades. This dental health care centre is utilizing advanced technology to enhance its services. So, it motivated me to play my part as a health care worker in this centre. This position will help me to advance my skills and apply them for the betterment of the organization.
4. Which Skills Are Required To Be Successful In Dentistry?
For success in this field, skills other than technical skills are also essential. These skills include management, stress control, and problem-solving skills. The healthcare worker has to work as a team with the co-worker for the safe and smooth health service. Communication skills play a key role in health service as a good communicator can understand the issue of the patient more precisely. Secondly, he should also have useful experience related to this field. He must be aware of advanced machinery and technology that an organization uses so he can make the best use of available equipment. So, a worker should have the said skills to be successful in this field.
5. What Is Your Greatest Strength? What Made You Think So?
My greatest strength is my management skill. I can manage a large amount of workload in a good way. First, I analyze the work, set priorities, and perform my duty. It has helped me handle a heavy workload in stressful conditions in the past. In my previous dental health care, I managed a large number of patients in the absence of fellow workers. It gave me the confidence that I can manage things easily even in stressful conditions.
6. Why Did You Left Your Last Job?
I have worked for two years in previous health care and gained a lot of skills and experience. That experience has upgraded my skills and made me a professional dentist. Now I am looking for the opportunity to gain more professional experience to work for the enhancement of my dental health service with the use of the latest technology. That is why I left my previous position.
7. Why Do You Think You Are Suitable For This Position?
My two family members are doctors with specializations in different fields. My upbringing developed my interest in healthcare practices since my childhood. It motivated me to excel in this field. I love to work for the betterment of the organization and patients. Secondly, I have experienced these practices in previous positions and provided exceptional dental health services. I have upgraded my dentistry skills to the next level through these experiences and also have learned new things. Now, I am excited to apply these professional skills for the betterment of an organization and also to learn new things which I haven’t experienced before.
8. Define Malocclusion, Its Symptoms, And Causes?
Malocclusion refers to crooked teeth or an abnormal bite. It is a bite that is not aligned from front to back. It has three types depending upon the bite and alignment of teeth. We can treat these types in different ways to realign the teeth properly. It is often heredity. It is also caused by the size and shape difference between the upper and lower jaws. Other causes include abnormal teeth shape, extra teeth, losing teeth, braces, improper dental treatment such as dental filling, and mouth tumours. There are many symptoms of malocclusion. These include:
- The lower and upper teeth are not aligned properly
- Abnormal facial appearance
- Difficulty in chewing
- Frequent biting tongue
9. What Is Tooth Extraction?
It is a dental treatment in which a dentist removes a tooth from your mouth. It is also known as the “pulling of tooth”. The bacteria or any other organism enters the pulp and severely infects the tooth. To save the other teeth from getting infected or for many reasons, we need to extract a tooth. Dentists or surgeons check whether the patient can have root canal therapy rather than a tooth extraction. Tooth extraction has some risks and the hole in the bone from where the tooth is pulled. The symptoms for which the dentist performs tooth extraction are tooth decay, tooth injury, and infection in the gums.
10. What Is Root Canal Therapy? What Is Its Alternative?
When bacteria enter the pulp, they infect our teeth. Root Canal Therapy is performed to save the infected teeth. Dentists use this treatment to eliminate the infected pulp from the tooth and then fill the cavity. It saves the natural teeth from frequent infection. The symptoms like swelling of gums, pain in the tooth while chewing, and discoloration require Root Canal therapy. The alternative to Root Canal Therapy is Tooth Extraction. In tooth extraction, the tooth is extracted, but in the root canal, the natural tooth is safe by removing the infected pulp. It depends on the patient which treatment is suitable for him.
11. What Is Dental Pulp And Why It Should Be Removed?
The dental pulp is the soft part between the teeth. It is composed of connective tissues, nerves, and blood vessels. These provide the nutrients to the teeth for proper functioning and development. There can be many reasons for the dental pulp to be removed. When the infections enter the pulp via damaged nerve tissues, it infects the tooth. This condition affects dental health, so to overcome the infection, root canal therapy is used to disinfect. If it is left untreated, it can cause a bone to lose at tips, swelling gums, and holes in the teeth.
12. How Will You Define Bruxism?
Bruxism is an unconscious grinding of teeth while sleeping and awake. In this, a patient clenches his teeth. It has two types; Sleep and awake bruxism. If he grinds his teeth during sleep, it is sleep bruxism. But, if he does that during awake, it is awake bruxism. Sleep bruxism is mainly caused by sleep disorders. Awake bruxism is caused by emotional stress, anxiety, depression, and anger. The symptoms of bruxism include teeth grinding, tooth pain, tired jaw muscle, headache, sleep disruption, and damaged teeth. If a person finds these symptoms, he should visit dental health care to treat them as early as possible.
13. What Is Air Abrasion Technology And How Does It Works?
Air abrasion is a technology that provides a drills-less way to remove tooth decay. In this process, we spray on the infected part. The spray contains aluminium oxide or silica. It slowly removes tooth decay. It is also used to prepare the tooth for filling and to remove the decay stain from the tooth. Air abrasion is safe, but the spray can cause eye irritation. But there are some disadvantages of air abrasion. These include not being suitable for deep cavities, only being suitable for the small cavity, and cannot remove access tooth decay.
14. Do You Thin The Dental X-Ray Is Safe?
Dental X-rays are safer than exposure to other radiations. The amount of radiation in dental X-rays is kept small, so it can not harm the patient as other radiations do. The field is advancing towards dental X-ray by reducing the impact of radiation. Now, the digital X-ray machine has made dental X-ray safe by limiting the radiation beams.
15. Tell Us The Steps To Disinfect The Dental Equipment?
The dental equipment must be handled carefully for their safe and proper functioning. There are guidelines for infection control in dental healthcare settings published by The Centre for Disease control. This standard helps us to prevent the spreading of infection. The steps to disinfect dental equipment are:
- Spray Enzymatic spray gel to soiled instruments to break down biological debris.
- Ultrasonic cleaning of instruments.
- In less time, washing the instrument with an automated instruments washer.
- Dry the instrument after washing.
- Packing of the instruments with a sterilizing agent.
- Loading of the instruments carefully.
16. What Tip Will You Give Your Patient To Maintain Good Dental Health?
To maintain good oral health, I will suggest taking care of oral hygiene. Brushing teeth twice a day and removing plaque from your teeth prevents decay. Avoid alcohol, smoking, and tobacco. Drink fluoridated water, and it is good to practice using fluoride toothpaste. A patient should keep visiting dental health care for prevention. At last, I suggest, if he finds any change in taste and mouth smell, then visit there.
17. Explain The Procedure Of The Root Canal Step By Step And The
- Instruments Used In It.
First, the dentist gives anesthesia to numb the tooth. Secondly, the hole is made in a part where there is tooth decay. Then we remove the infected tissue around the tooth. Then dentist shape and fill the canal with filling material. We use the instruments like paste filler, plugger, material sealer, and finger spreader.
18. Why Fluoride Toothpaste Is Beneficial For The Teeth?
Fluoride improves the dental health of teeth by strengthening enamel. It prevents the teeth from tooth decay. Fluoride removes the plaque easily from the gum line. Most toothpaste now contains fluoride. The fluoride in the toothpaste is enough to prevent tooth decay and improve dental health. But the excess amount of fluoride may cause ‘Dental fluorosis in children under seven if they have fluoridated water supply.
19. How Endodontics And Orthodontics Are Different?
Endodontics deals with the physiology, morphology, and pathology of human dental pulp and tissue. It only treats pulp and tissue disorders. While Orthodontics deals with the treatment and alignment of teeth only.
20. Which Instruments Are Used In Laser Therapy And Why Laser
- Therapy Performed?
Dental Laser therapy has been used to solve many dental problems since 1994. It is performed to treat disorders like tooth decay, gum diseases, biopsy removal, and whitening teeth. The laser vaporizes the tissue, which comes in contact to remove the biopsy while it enhances the bleaching effect of teeth whitening. The tools used in Dental Laser therapy are laser light, micro-ultrasonic laser, and hand instrument.
21. What Is Glass Ionomer Filling, And Where It Is Used?
Glass ionomer is known as cement made of silicate glass powder. It is a paste used to form a tight bond between teeth and their environment. Protect the teeth and act as a sealant. The paste also includes fluoride, which releases over time. It prevents the teeth from future dental disorders. It is used in conditions like the base for the cavity, for baby and children’s teeth, and for front teeth.
22. What Are The Causes Of Bleeding Gums?
Gingivitis or flamed gums is caused by the formation of plaque in the gums. It is a very serious condition, and if not treated can cause periodontitis which is jaw bone disease. The diseases like Scurvy and Leukemia may also lead to bleeding gums. Some other causes include deficiency of vitamin K, brushing hard, bleeding disorders, and tooth or gum infections.
23. Do You Think Alcohol Affects Dental Health?
Alcohol contains sugar content which indirectly forms acid in the mouth. It causes tooth decay. The more sugar content, the more tooth decay. Alcohol dries out the mouth, which stops the saliva flow. The saliva is essential for the oral cavity and prevents bacterial decay. At last, Alcohol contains many hues which turn the teeth color and decolorizes them for a long time. So, if you are having a drink, you should take one which less sugar content and drink a glass of water to normalize the saliva.
24. How Will You Come To Know That The Patient Needs Dental
- X-Ray?
There is a need to perform a dental X-ray of the patient to find out the dental health of the patient. The dental X-ray is performed when the dentist is treating or diagnosing any defect in the teeth. If the patient’s issue is not recognized, a dental X-ray is performed. It provides a complete picture of your interior teeth which helps the dentist check the progress of the treatment. But there is some risk in which dentists avoid performing X-rays but in many cases it is safe.
25. How Do You Deal With New Patients With Bleeding Gums?
I care about my customer. If a new customer comes to me with such an issue, I will warmly treat him. First, I will ask him about the symptoms he is feeling. Then for how long is feeling this condition? After analyzing the patient issue, I will implement my knowledge of dentistry based on the features established by The Centre for Disease Control. At last, I will suggest the treatment suitable for him and its conditions to fulfill.
Conclusion:
These are the top 25 dentistry interview questions that the interviewer may ask. It is good practice to learn and remember the technical terminologies, treatments, diseases, diagnoses of dentistry, and interests of dental health care or organization. These will help you to prepare for a job interview. It raises your confidence in front of the interviewer and increases your chance of getting the position.