A Dentist's Code: My move to Software Development
Tags: careerchange, dentisttodev, softwaredevelopment, healthtotech
Published: 2024-06-07 17:23:15

Hello everyone, I want to share a personal journey that transformed my life in ways I never imagined. My professional background is in dentistry. I spent years mastering the art and science of dental care, but I always had a persistent interest in technology simmering beneath the surface. This fascination inspired me to take a bold step and venture into the world of software development.

Transitioning from dentistry to software development was definitely a challenge for me. It involved countless hours of self-study, facing a steep learning curve, and often feeling like a beginner all over again. Even though skills like precision, problem-solving, and attention to detail that I learned during dental practice came in handy, I had to master a whole new set of tools and technologies.

Our passion for something gives us the strength to overcome obstacles in a rewarding manner. When we are deeply committed to a task, even the most difficult challenges become surmountable. My dedication to coding and creativity has been my driving force during tough times.

![Tech Dental Office](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/luadtzgl4ox1t469k6qx.png)

One of the most rewarding projects I have worked on is called 'Dental Procs'.  It is a tool made specifically for dentists. This project demonstrates the possibility of combining my two experiences in life (Health Dentistry and Software Engineering) to make something very useful.

**Dental Procs** is a specialized application designed for dentists to monitor the most performed procedures in their clinics and track performance trends over time. The app permits dentists to create new procedures, associating them with specific days of the week, and provides a comprehensive chart that offers an overview of procedure frequency.

Dental Procs is built using a modern tech stack:

- Frontend (Web): React, Vite, TypeScript, TailwindCSS, RadixUI
- Frontend (Mobile): React-Native
- Backend: Node.js, Fastify, Prisma, Zod
- Database: MySQL
- Charts and Analytics: ApexCharts


![Dental Procs App](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/pd3246fb3qh5t69jy35p.png)

This project not only bridges my past and present careers but also demonstrates the importance of pursuing your interests.. Each challenge faced and overcome during this journey has led to a product that I am incredibly proud of and excited to share with the dental community.

You can find the source code [here](https://github.com/gabrielpenteado/dentalprocs), watch a [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X3PRdZceBo) presentation, and also try it on the [website](https://dentalprocs.onrender.com/). Furthermore, feel free to visit my [**personal website**](https://gabrielpenteado.vercel.app/) to discover more about my work.

_Website_: To use the website, please note that Render web services have a delay of about 50 seconds in responding to the first request after a period of inactivity while the instance spins up.

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To anyone considering a major career shift, I encourage you to embrace the difficulties and trust in your passion. The road may be tough, but the reward at the end makes it all worthwhile.

Thank you for reading my story. I am looking forward to the future and the countless opportunities that are waiting for me.