But many future dentists choose to have a specialty so they can focus on one area, and that can add years to your educational pursuits.
How hard is dental school? Dental school is very hard. The difficulty of dental school is relative and has more to do with the student than it does with the school. Suffice it to say that becoming a doctor of any kind, including a doctor of dental surgery or a doctor of dental medicine, is very difficult.
Is it too late to become a dentist? No, it is not too late to become a dentist. No school is going to discriminate against you because of your age. So if becoming a dentist is something you really want to do, then you should do it — at any age. This is not to discourage anyone, but so you can better gauge how long it will take. How useful was this post? Vote count:. No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.
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See My Jobs. Create My Resume Now. The completion of a bachelor's degree is required before applying to any dental school. Some dental programs combine a bachelor's degree with a Doctorate of Dentistry, which can decrease a student's time in school by two years.
After completing a bachelor's degree, students will need to complete the Dental Admissions Test and begin applying for dentistry programs. After completing a bachelor's degree, aspiring dentists will need to complete a dental program. Dental program students can expect to take courses in dental anatomy, biology, oral microbiology and dental radiology. Students will also complete multiple internships and residencies during their dental program to receive on-the-job dental training.
Students who want to specialize in a specific area of dentistry will need to complete additional training. This training usually takes place in the form of a residency, which often takes between one and two years to complete.
More in-depth specializations can require even more time to complete. Oral surgery, for example, requires a four-year residency or a six-year program to become a medical doctor. All dentists must be licensed in the state in which they want to practice. This requires the successful completion of the National Board Dental Exam.
The National Board Exam for dentists consists of a two-part written exam with questions. Dental students who have completed additional training in a dental specialization will also need to complete a board exam in that specialization. Related: Definitive Guide to Internships. Two types of degrees will qualify you to work as a dentist. The educational and licensing requirements for each one are the same. While they might sound like different degrees, the only difference is the dentistry program that you attend.
Your job opportunities as a dentist should not be affected by which type of dental degree you have. There are many careers to consider if you're interested in becoming a dentist or entering the medical field. Here's a list of 10 jobs that are similar to dentists:. Dental hygienist. Medical biller. Dental assistant. Oral surgeon. Medical receptionist. You cannot legally practice dentistry if you've completed dental school but have not passed your state's approved written and clinical exams.
Your state dental board will have all the information you need about what exams you must take to become a dentist. As mentioned above, the first requirement for licensure is the completion of a four-year dental school program at a CODA-accredited institution.
Part I is a comprehensive examination covering the basic biomedical sciences, dental anatomy and ethics testlets. Part II is a comprehensive examination covering clinical dental subjects, including patient management.
Students typically take the written exam during the last two years of dental school , with advice and prep support from their program. The final requirement for licensure is the passing of a clinical examination, which is required by most, but not all, states. The actual test varies by region but is usually a live-patient exam. Once you meet all three of these requirements, you'll be officially licensed to practice dentistry in your state.
Though most aspiring dentists go on to become general dentist practitioners, some might want to specialize in a particular field , such as pediatric dentistry or periodontics. In this case, you'll usually need to spend at least a couple of more years in school or in a residency and get state licensure for your chosen specialization this is in addition to the basic education and licensure requirements detailed above.
Again, exact requirements for this vary by state, so be sure to check directly with your state dental board for more information. It might sound strange to start your journey toward dentistry in high school, but doing this can help you get a head start on the whole process and make you even more prepared for what to expect in dental school. The field of dentistry requires high-level knowledge of science and math , so try to take and of course, do well in!
The math and science classes you're able to take will naturally depend on what is offered at your high school, but here are some examples of courses that would work well for students hoping to eventually establish a career in dentistry:.
Below are all the AP science and math classes and exams available to high school students what your school offers might be different! You should take a solid number of these courses, sure—but you should only take the advanced versions if you're pretty confident you can perform well in them; otherwise, you might struggle to keep up your GPA. Got braces? Then you probably know an orthodontist or dentist you can talk with.
As a high school student, you likely go to the dentist or orthodontist fairly often and are therefore familiar with at least one dental professional in your area. A local dentist can be an excellent resource for teaching you more about dentistry and what kind of career you're envisioning for yourself. See whether you can email or call your local dentist to ask questions you have about the profession and their own personal career path.
For example, maybe you're curious about what led this person to pursue dentistry and want to know what they felt was the hardest part of becoming a dentist. Job shadowing can be useful if you don't know a lot about the field you're interested in. To shadow someone is to spend a day observing them performing their everyday work duties.
Job shadowing a dentist means you'd get to watch them consult patients, perform oral exams, drill teeth with cavities, etc. The best time to shadow a dentist is during the summer when you're not in school and can freely go to your local dental office on a weekday. For more information about job shadowing in high school, check out our in-depth guide. You don't need to go to any particular college to be a great dentist or an impressive dental school candidate, but you should still make an effort to put forward a stellar college application so you can get into a good school.
Here are the most important qualities that make for a superb college application:. Give yourself plenty of time to work on your applications and to write your essay s while also keeping an eye on your college application deadlines. What not to do when you're stressed in college and planning to work with teeth. Once you've graduated from high school, it's time to start seriously thinking about what steps you can take as a college student to help you forge a steady path to becoming a dentist.
It doesn't matter where you go to college if you're planning on becoming a dentist, just as long as you take and excel in as many science- and health-oriented classes as you can. These may include classes such as organic chemistry, anatomy, and biology. While you don't need any particular major for dental school, it's a good idea to choose a science major, such as chemistry, biology, or physics. This way you'll get done a lot of the prerequisites you'll need in order to excel in dental school.
General prerequisites for dental school are as follows:. If you're struggling to figure out which classes to take or what you should major in to prepare you for dental school, you can consult your school's Prehealth Professions Advisor whom you can find through the National Association of Advisors to the Health Professions. Of course, make sure you're performing well in your science, math, and pre-health courses.
Your grades in these will be most important to dental schools, which are notoriously competitive. So definitely do your best and try not to overwhelm yourself! The American Student Dental Association ASDA is a group that gives out free advice and publications for dental school students and college and high school students who are interested in becoming dentists.
Becoming a dentist requires a significant investment in your education. Of the 68 currently-accredited dental schools in the United States, all are four-year programs with the exception of the University of the Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry, a three-year program in San Francisco.
However, you will need to complete dental school requirements , which include certain courses primarily in the sciences , a Dental Admissions Test DAT score, letters of recommendation , a dental school personal statement , and relevant extracurriculars. These degrees are in all aspects equivalent, having the same accreditation body and curriculum requirements.
A quick history lesson explains the difference between the two. Harvard founded a dental school shortly thereafter. Since then, universities choose which degree to grant, with two thirds currently offering the DDS.
Becoming a dentist is challenging in a number of ways, including the years of schooling required, the financial cost of education and setting up a dental practice, and the competitive dental school application process. In recent years, the average college GPA and DAT score for successful dental school applicants have stayed steady at approximately 3. For high schoolers who are percent committed to the field, there is another path towards dentistry that may shorten the time commitment needed.
These programs typically take seven or eight years to complete, though there are a few that can be completed in as few as six or even five years. Dentistry is a diverse field. Career opportunities in dentistry include academics, private practice, public health, and more.
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