Thinking About Teaching Dentistry? Here’s What You Need to Know First - IC076

Ever fancied teaching dental students part time… but no real idea how you’d actually get in? Are you the kind of person teaching would energise — or quietly drain? Is a PGCert in dental education actually worth it, or just wishy-washy theory? And the honest question nobody asks out loud: does it pay anything? This is an Interference Cast — the non-clinical arm of the podcast — with Dr Rima Hussain (  / rimasadhia  , a general dentist who teaches restorative dentistry to undergraduates at King’s a couple of days a week. It’s a candid look at what a career in dental education actually involves: how to get in, who thrives and who burns out, what the work is really like, and the honest truth about the pay and the rewards. The bigger theme: dentistry is a career you can mould in endless directions — and for the right person, teaching is one of the most energising of them. What You’ll Take From This Episode The full self-assessment and the step-by-step route into a teaching role are in the Premium Notes. Here’s the shape of what we cover: Are you built for the classroom? — the two-camp self-check (energised vs drained) that predicts whether teaching will recharge you or wear you down. How to actually land a role — the 'BDJ Jobs' plus pick-up-the-phone route, and why “who you know” so often cuts through the application process. Relatability as a strength — why being closer to a student’s level can beat decades of experience for an absolute beginner. Back to basics — the “monkey see, monkey do” risk from YouTube and AI, and what the tutor’s real job becomes. The honest pay-and-balance picture — why you don’t do it for the money, what you do get, and how teaching and practice keep each other fresh. Highlights of This Episode: 00:00 Teaser 01:08 Should You Teach Dentistry? How to Know If It's for You 04:39 How a General Dentist Gets Into Dental Education 06:15 Signs You're Suited to Teaching Dentistry 08:52 Is a PGCert in Dental Education Worth It? 12:07 How to Land a Clinical Teaching Post at a Dental School 14:38 Why a Relatable Tutor Beats Decades of Experience 16:52 How Dental Students Have Changed Since COVID 19:20 Is Social Media and AI Helping or Hurting Dental Students? 21:55 Midroll 26:43 Why "Back to Basics" Beats Chasing Advanced Techniques 29:20 How to Get a Teaching (or Associate) Job: Pick Up the Phone 31:50 Why Dental Tutors Quit After Six Months 36:29 The Most Rewarding Part of Teaching Dentistry 38:46 Teaching, Practice and Pay: How to Avoid Burnout 44:39 Outro Dr Rima Hussain is a general dentist who also teaches restorative (conservative) dentistry to undergraduates at King’s College London — a route she fell into via tutoring as a teenager and has been in since 2019. Her advice for anyone curious: you’re probably already teaching in some form, so try it; the worst case is you find it isn’t for you. 👉 Reach Rima on Instagram (  / rimasadhia  ) Mentioned in this episode: Rath T. StrengthsFinder 2.0. Gallup Press, 2007. The strengths-assessment book referenced for the “Learner” theme and the idea of building your career around your natural strengths. “Learner” is one of its 34 themes; the assessment is now delivered as CliftonStrengths. BDJ Jobs (https://bdjjobs.com). The British Dental Journal jobs board where clinical tutor and academic posts are advertised, usually with short application windows. Want more? If you enjoyed this episode, check out: 2 Years Out of Dental School – Insights for New Grads – IC066 (   • 2 Years Out of Dental School - Insights fo...  ) #InterferenceCast #CareerDevelopment #beyonddentistry This episode is eligible for 0.5 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance. ----------------------------------- Apply for FREE access to the Nicest and Geekiest Dental Community in the World 🌍 https://protrusive.app - it’s absolutely Free We also have paid plans so you can Claim Verifiable CPD/CE + EXCLUSIVE content: https://protrusive.app 🔊 Subscribe on Apple: https://protrusive.co.uk/apple 🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://protrusive.co.uk/spotify 📷 Instagram:   / protrusivedental   Online Courses: 😬 Learn Occlusion Online: https://occlusion.online/ 📚 Learn TMD and Occlusal Appliances: https://www.splintcourse.com 🦷 Gain Confidence with Resin Bonded Bridges: https://rbbmasterclass.com 🎒 Learn Vertipreps, Rubber Dam and More: https://protrusive.co.uk/ultimate Life by KV /kvmusicprod Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/kv/life Music promoted by Audio Library Life – KV (No Copyright Music)