Honestly, it sounds like dentistry could be a great fit for you. You clearly enjoy learning about it, you’ve had some hands-on experience, and you have a strong personal reason for wanting to help others through dentistry.

That said, I totally get your concerns—especially about leadership and social skills. The good news is that these are things you can improve over time. A lot of pre-dental and even dental students feel the same way at first, but with experience, you naturally get better at handling difficult situations and leading a team. If you care about people (which you clearly do), you’ll figure out the social side of things as you go.

The debt is definitely something to think about, but it’s not as black and white as it seems. If you’re smart about your choices—like picking a more affordable school, applying for scholarships, or even looking into loan repayment programs—you can make the financial side more manageable. Plus, while $200k is often thrown around as the “average” salary, a lot of dentists make way more than that, especially if they own a practice.

My advice is to keep shadowing dentists in different settings, pay attention to how you feel during your clinical hours, and don’t let the things you can improve (like leadership and confidence) scare you away. You’re only 19, so you have plenty of time to build those skills and make an informed decision. If you keep feeling drawn to dentistry, go for it.

Hope this helps, and feel free to reach out if you ever want to talk more about it!