One summer during his high school years, Jack Li decided to work as a summer camp counselor at a YMCA youth camp. It was during that summer that his interest in becoming a dentist first came about. "We had to check out the kids to make sure that they weren't hurt. We also made sure they didn't have any bruises, and we had to check their teeth." A few years later, he enrolled in the pre-dentistry program at University of Illinois at Chicago and Urbana-Champaign and later attended the UIC Dental School. After seven years of higher education and receiving his D.D.S., Dr. Li went into private dental practice.

This is the case with the majority of dentists, as Dr. Li states, "The majority of dentists are in solo private practice." Specifically, the Department of Labor states that about 9 out of 10 dentists are in private practice. Even so, there is much variation between private practices, depending on the dentist's personal preferences. "I've worked at a large practice with my brother. We had a few dental assistants and a large number of patients. But I've also worked by myself, at my own practice. There are a lot of options available in the profession, depending on what you want to do," said Dr. Li, reflecting on his experiences.

Presently, a typical day for Dr. Li runs from about 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. He gives himself a one- hour break for lunch, and a half-hour break in the late afternoon. Once again, these hours are self-imposed, as are the number of days per week a dentist works. Dr. Li works five days a week, as do the majority of other dentists. However, some practices are open four days, and some large ones are open six days a week. Most days, Dr. Li's schedule is fully packed and can be very hectic, especially if an emergency case comes in. Since Dr. Li spends about thirty minutes to one hour on the average patient, he sees about seven to nine patients per day. "Some dentists can see up to eighteen patients a day. It all depends on how much time you spend on a patient," Dr. Li explains. Moreover, the number of patients can vary from day to day due to the many treatments that a dentist can administer. "Every patient has a different situation; I can do dental cleanings (dental prophy), fillings, X-rays, and extractions. Also, I've done root canal treatments, false teeth, crowns, partial dentures, and pediatric dentistry," said Dr. Li. All these procedures take a different amount of time. Some can last twenty minutes, while a root canal treatment can take up two hours per visit.

When asked what is appealing about dentistry, Dr. Li responds with several reasons: First, "I really like the various options that are available in practicing dentistry. Also, dentistry is a very detail-orientated profession. I like dealing with details. Another reason is that I like the challenge the profession offers. Each case is different, and every case has a unique situation and solution. It's a challenge to figure each patient's problem out." But the most significant reason Dr. Li practices dentistry is his love of working with people. "You have to really love to meet and interact with all different types of people. My patients run the gamut in their personalities. They can be very easygoing or high-strung and from all walks of life." Even with all the differences that exist among dentists, perhaps this is the one aspect of the profession that unifies them all.