College. The very word strikes fear into the hearts of high school seniors everywhere. But perhaps even more daunting then college is deciding on what you want to become after college. For some, the decision is dentistry. That's the choice that faced Dr. Larry Russell, a former Fresno resident who now lives in Phoenix and has been a dentist for the past 23 years.
Question: Is dentistry what you've always wanted to do?
Answer: I always wanted to become a doctor of some sort. I decided to become a dentist when I met Dr. Robert Turpin, the first African-American dentist that I ever met. Plus, I thought going into dentistry, I'd have more time to myself, but that's not the case.
What caused you to change your mind from being a [medical] doctor to dentist?
Dr. Robert T. I'd never seen an African-American dentist before and I was impressed. I was his paperboy and did yardwork for him, but I never knew what he did. One day, he invited me to his office, and I found out what he did. Told me if I came back, I'd become a dentist, too.
What major did you pursue in college?
I was a biochem major during college. Biochemistry is one of several majors for students who want to become a dentist. I took it just in case I didn't get into dental school.
With some medical fields, you have to take a residency year. Did you have one?
In medicine, you only have to take a residency year if you choose to. It also depends on your specialty. I didn't do a residency year. I studied under a dentist for two years.
How many years does it take before you receive your credentials?
With four years of college, two of dental school and two residency years, it takes eight years total.
What is your specialty? Do you have one?
I started to become a surgical dentist but decided to become a general-practice instead. In general practice, you can do all types of dental work if you've trained for it. I'm allowed to practice everything.
What do you love most about your job?
People. People and dentistry are one and the same. You have to be comfortable being around different types of people. It's a people's business. You can't do dentistry if you don't like people.
Do you think dentistry is an important field of practice?
It's extremely important because everything that goes into the mouth affects the body. Also, as a dentist, when you're working in a mouth, you're very close to the brain, so you have to know every body part from the shoulders up extremely well.
Are there any qualities or personality traits that a person should have before going into dentistry?
Anyone who becomes a dentist should be a hard worker. You also have to have determination, a sense of stick-to-it-ness, dedication, and they should be comfortable with themselves because dentistry is hard work. It's like anything else in life.
What would you say to students looking at dentistry as a possible career?
It's a good choice. Think about everybody you see throughout the day. They all have teeth. Everybody has teeth for smiling, for their health and their self- esteem. I always tell young people to go into something the world needs. Dentists are very much needed, and there is a shortage of minority dentists.
Do you think there are any myths or preconceived notions about dentistry?
Dentistry must be painful, and that's not true at all. You may also have patients who want to judge you on the quality of your work before they've actually seen it.
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