One of the reasons why a person would choose a line of work is because of the pay. So if you are in Ghana and you are asking about dentists’ salary in Ghana, it is not strange.
There are several reasons why people seek this sort of information. One of these is the fact that you may be attending an interview and you need to negotiate your salary.
In this post, we will learn a lot about how much dentists in Ghana earn, who they are, and how to become one. This should be an interesting read so let’s get straight to business.
How much do dentists earn in Ghana?
This is a very important question. Dentistry is one of the most prestigious occupations in the world. With this fact, it is expected that they should be earning a substantial amount of money every month.
The salary of dentists in Ghana varies by region so it might be difficult to state a generally fixed salary. However, we were able to get an average amount.
The average amount of a dentist takes home per month in Ghana is GHS3000. This amount translates to GHS36000 every year. Note that this amount could be more based on several factors. Some of these factors include experience and qualification among others.
Defining who a dentist is
Having known how much a dentist in Ghana earns, it is wise to learn who a dentist is as well. So who is a dentist? A dentist is also known as a dental surgeon. These doctors focus on dental or oral health.
To attain this position you must have acquired a Bachelor’s Degree in Dental Surgery or an equivalent. These days, a dentist’s work scope is far wider than what it used to be. Today, a dentist has to diagnose, treat, and manage overall dental health.
Generally, a dental program takes about six years to complete. However, to attain specialties which include periodontics, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, etc., you can spend between 3 to 5 years.
After gaining this education, a whole new world of possibilities opens up to you. Some of these are private practice, research, working in a hospital, lecturing, to mention a few.
Responsibilities of dentists
As we told you earlier, as a dentist you have a plethora of responsibilities these days. In this section, we will describe some of these responsibilities, or services as some people describe them.
- Providing health care. They play a very important role in every team of medics. Usually, dentists will receive referrals from or make referrals to other health care professionals.
- Dentists provide knowledge to the general public as well as patients about several sensitive issues. Some of these include carrying out dental exams and their importance as well as good dental hygiene. They intimate patients on what could be dangerous to their oral health such as alcohol, sugary diets, and tobacco products. Following this, they provide necessary information on how to improve dental health through proper nutrition. Added to this, certain dentists take time to address whole communities at outreaches. They also write journals posted in magazines and newspapers as well as blogs.
- Research and Teaching. Some dentists love to impart knowledge so, in their spare time, they work as lecturers in higher institutions. This gives them the opportunity to help young and budding dental practitioners. Asides this, many dentists work as researchers servicing both corporate and academic organizations.
- Community service. There is so much to be done on the community front. Dentists are obligated to offer such services in their spare time.
- Criminal investigation. This isn’t so common, however, dentists play an important role in forensic investigation.
- Continual professional development. It is imperative that dentists continual get updated with the latest trends in dentistry. It involves researching and reading materials that are accessible online. There are also workshops and conferences that are held throughout the year for this purpose.
How to become a dentist in Ghana
You are probably motivated to become a dentist in Ghana. In case you are, let’s take a look at how you can become a dentist. The first thing is to be sure that you really want to be a dentist, not because of the money alone.
It is important that you have great communication skills and an eye for detail. Asides these, find out if you have the dexterity to handle dental procedures. It will be a great idea to speak to practicing dentists to know about their experiences and be sure you can handle such.
Regarding studying dentistry in Ghana, each institution has its own specific requirements. It is wise that you find out from their different websites to be sure that you satisfy these requirements.
To practice as a dentist in Ghana, you have to get a license from the Ghana Medical and Dental Council. This body oversees the activities of all medical practitioners in Ghana.
Conclusion
We have provided you information about how much dentists in Ghana earn in this post. If you want to be a dentist in Ghana, we have added how you can be one. Good luck.