A Dentist’s Code: My move to Software Development

Gabriel Penteado
3 min readJun 7, 2024

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.

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

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, watch a video presentation, and also try it on the website. Furthermore, feel free to visit my personal website to discover more about my work.

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.

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Gabriel Penteado
Gabriel Penteado

Written by Gabriel Penteado

Hello, I am a software developer in constant progress, dedicated to creating solutions through projects that improve people’s lives.