My journey into dentistry was far from conventional. Compared to other undergraduate students who remained dedicated to their pursuit of well-defined career goals, I found myself unsure of the path I wanted to take. As I entered the final year of my HBSc Chemistry degree, I decided to pursue a master’s in Speech-Language Pathology, a career that intrigued me due to its unique blend of healthcare and education. Although, I must admit I made this decision the same way I made many decisions in my early twenties: rashly.
During my master’s studies, I quickly recognized that my passion did not lie in a career in speech-language pathology. However, as my knowledge of oral anatomy and physiology grew, I became excited about oral health. I consider one discovery of significant influence: the evidence that various oral factors, such as untreated dental decay and poor oral hygiene, are significant predictors of aspiration pneumonia in select populations. As I sat in my Swallowing and Dysphagia lecture, learning this fact was the first time that the relationship between oral health and overall health became clear to me. This understanding fueled my desire to seek volunteer and research opportunities in dentistry and eventually led me to my current journey as a third-year dental student at the University of Toronto.
Now, as I sit in my lectures throughout dental school, the prospect of collaboration between dental professionals and speech-language pathologists continues to excite me – whether it be discussions in Pediatrics about their teamwork in cleft lip and palate care or insights in Orthodontics about their joint roles in addressing tongue thrusting and its implications. To me, these moments represent a growing recognition of the importance of interprofessional collaboration and a more comprehensive approach to patient well-being, closing the divide between dentistry and general healthcare. In recent years, interprofessional education has become a mandatory inclusion in dental education, and dental students have the opportunity to collaborate with others from various health science programs during case-based learning. These opportunities not only inspire me personally, but they underscore the evolving nature of dentistry, where teamwork and shared knowledge are essential for advancing patient care.
As I progress through dental school, I am consistently reminded that the knowledge acquired during my master’s degree, for which I initially criticized myself for entering hastily, has proven transferrable; take, for example, verifying phonetics during denture fabrication or recognizing craniofacial anomalies as explicit illustrations of this. The education and experiences I gained have been invaluable to me as a dental student, and I am forever grateful.
In closing, I want to offer a few pivotal insights gained from my experience on the path to and (almost) through dental school:
- Take risks and embrace new opportunities: entering the unknown can lead to unexpected but fulfilling experiences.
- Value every learning experience: all education, regardless of the initial purpose, contributes to personal and professional development.
- Take advantage of opportunities for growth: both successes and setbacks should be viewed as stepping stones to new possibilities.
- Foster teamwork: in academic and future professional endeavors, teamwork is the foundation for success.
About the Author:
Lyndsay Desimone is a third-year dental student at the University of Toronto. Born and raised in Thunder Bay, her academic journey began at Lakehead University where she completed an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. She then went on to complete a Master of Clinical Sciences degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Western University. Lyndsay is interested in the intersection of oral health and overall well-being, recognizing preventive dentistry as an essential aspect of comprehensive care. Her dedication to preventive dentistry recently earned her the Dr. Howard Rocket Preventive Scholarship.