Dr. Jeremy Chau’s suspenseful trek through dental school started out normally. He was a typical high-achieving student, always getting good grades, and had the accolades and
achievements to match his remarkable academic performance. Dr. Chau had a passion:
orthodontics. Pursuing orthodontics means to not only achieve a high level of success, but to go above and beyond and to surpass the highest of expectations. Dr. Chau was up for the task, he was meant for orthodontics, and orthodontics was meant for him. So why, after years of hard work, dedication, and commitment to orthodontics did he admit, with a quivering voice and apprehensive tone, “I almost did endo to be honest with you...some days I do wonder if I would have had as much fun doing endo.” It doesn’t quite make sense and it certainly does not add up - endo? Endodontics and orthodontics, for all their merits, are complete opposites in the realm of dental specialties. Orthodontists typically treat healthy patients and focus on the whole mouth and the overall dynamics of how the teeth intercuspate and relate to each other. Endodontists, on the other hand, will usually treat patients in severe pain and will focus on a single tooth. From the patient population, the procedural rather than observational focus, and the patient interaction and goals of treatment - the two are radically different. As will be elucidated in this article, Dr. Chau’s story of how he made his decision contains important lessons for any dental student, no
matter where you find yourself in your dental journey.
It’s the middle of 2016 and the NYUCD orthodontics residency program is preparing to
introduce a new set of residents into the program. Walking down the halls of the 6th floor of the Weissman building is the newest resident in the program, and although Dr. Jeremy Chau came a long way from UCLA to be a part of the NYUCD orthodontics residency program, it was his determination that got him there. Just a few months prior, Dr. Chau may have envisioned a completely different scene, not one where he would be walking down the halls of the 6th floor, but perhaps one in which he would be walking down the halls of the 7th floor, the endodontics clinic. It’s important to note that Dr. Chau was truly torn between the two specialties, even going as far as meeting with the Dean of Student Affairs to make his decision. Ultimately, the reason Dr. Chau chose orthodontics, and ended up on the 6th floor, is because after a good deal of self reflection. Dr. Chau could not see himself practicing endodontics for the next 20-30 years. As he explains it “pick something you can see yourself waking up for the next 20-30 years and going to work and enjoying...that’s why I chose ortho.” This is not to make a generalization regarding endodontics, but as a lesson here, every student should self-reflect, and take their rotations seriously in order to determine their true passion. Making the decision to pursue a certain specialty or to become a GP will likely have the greatest impact on your dental career. Therefore, Dr. Chau advises students with the following: “when you’re doing rotations, be open to everything, take it in for what it is and enjoy being in that moment.”
In the months leading up to Dr. Chau’s decision between orthodontics and endodontics, this question likely was a major factor in his decision: What is the future of the orthodontics specialty? With all the change, innovation, new ideas, and aligner companies popping up in orthodontics, the field has seen a rapid development of new technologies in recent years. As Dr. Chau puts it, “technology has definitely changed a lot of things,” referring to aligner companies and the impact they have had on the market and the way the specialty is practiced. Despite the changes in the field, Dr. Chau still believes that orthodontics is a great profession to get into and that it’s trending in a good direction, but he’s not alone in thinking this. He also mentioned that his colleagues, mentors, and other orthodontists on various forums would still recommend that students pursue orthodontics. However, a significant question still persists despite these assurances - should prospective orthodontists be concerned? Dr. Chau acknowledged the uneasiness surrounding the specialty, that “everyone is always worried about the aligner companies taking patients and GPs doing Invisalign.” However, he affirms that the patients seeking those options are not the typical patients an orthodontist would see, “[aligner companies]
take a large chunk [of the patient population] but they take the patient population that wouldn't have come to me in the first place.” So how can orthodontists, or dentists in general, differentiate themselves in their practice amid all this change? Dr. Chau’s answer is simple - “at the end of the day if you know your target population and you provide good work and you take care of them the same way you would take care of your family, word of mouth is so strong.”
Dr. Chau is a rising star in dentistry. He has amassed an impressive list of accolades and
achievements and with an Instagram following approaching 10,000 followers, he is also one of the most influential voices in orthodontics. Therefore his advice should be heeded by all dental students, and when he emphasizes that students should “be open to all of the specialties and GP right when you enter clinic, don’t close anything off...you don’t know what you’re actually good at” - all dental students should listen. Dr. Chau would have never discovered his talent for endodontics without being open to everything dentistry has to offer, and although he did end up going a different route, he discovered something about himself along the way. As Dr. Chau further explains: “I was really good at endo, but I would have never known that if I didn’t take endo seriously during my rotations”. No matter where you find yourself in dental, whether you are a D1 or a D4, make sure to take advantage of every opportunity and to appreciate the process, because doing so can quite literally change the trajectory of your career.
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