How to Become a Career Dentist

A dentist is a medical professional who works in the treatment and prevention of diseases of the teeth and mouth. Dentists get at least five years of post-baccalaureate training, which includes four years of dental school after which they receive the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DDM) degrees. This is followed by at least one year of general dentistry residency. Those who decide to go into specialties like oral and maxillofacial surgery spend up to an additional four years in training.

Instructions

1. Get an undergraduate degree. Dental schools like students who are well-rounded, so it does not matter what your major is as long as you have taken the required classes in physics, chemistry, biology and math. If you decide to to go to dental school as a career change you can enroll in a community or local college to take the prerequisite classes.

2. Take and pass the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). The DAT is an admissions test much like MCAT (for medical school applicants) and LSAT (law school applicants). A good DAT score in combination with other good credentials gives you a better chance of getting into dental school.

3. Apply to dental school. Getting into dental school is a very competitive process, so apply to as many schools with varying degrees of entry difficulty as possible.

4. Survive dental school and become a dentist. Once you cross this hurdle, you have handled the most difficult part. While in dental school take note of your areas of interest as this will help you make decisions about internship, residency and specialization training.

5. Take and pass the National Board Dental Examination administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. Also investigate and make sure you meet any additional licensing requirements of the state in which you intend to practice or begin your residency training.

6. Begin your post-dental school training. A majority of dentists go into general dentistry while others go into one of the dental specialties such oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral and maxillofacial radiology, orthodontics, prosthodontics and pediatric dentistry. See Resources below for a link to residency and post-doctoral training programs in the U.S.

Resources

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Dentists
• Dental Schools in the United States
• Specialty and Post Doctoral Training Programs