What does it take to become a dentist?

Question

Hey i am a junior in high school, i am interested in doing Dentistry. I have alot of questions like, what do i need to study and major in college? what degree do i need to get in college? how many years of school does it take to become a dentist? what do i do after college? and what do i do after dental school?

please help me and my curiousity out i wanna know so i can start a little bit now if i can.

Answer 1

I've been a dentist for 7 years now.  As far as I know, the basic requirements haven't changed to get into dental school but check with your guidance counselor.

Contrary to belief, you do not have to major in pre-med (dentistry falls into this field) in college.  Some of my friends that became oral surgeons did not major in premed.  (one majored in food science).  You DO need the basic requirements such as biology, chemistry, physics and calculus courses.  Other courses will be recommended like gross anatomy, histology, biochemistry, etc.  When you get into college, you should be assigned a counselor/professor that will aid you in your course choices.  MOST students will prefer to take the premed course track.

I graduated from a liberal arts school that offers a BA (bachelor of afts) and a BS (bachelor of science).  I got a BS but don't think either matters since most people will get accepted to their graduate/dental school before graduation.  

Dental school is highly competitive.  You need a college GPA of at least 3.4 or better but I would strive for 3.6 or more.  When I applied there were 5000 applicants for 110 seats.  You also need an excellent DAT (dental admission test) score.    They are NOT looking for an average GPA score but rather for your specific classes to have a great grade.  So don't count on non-science cake classes to improve your GPA.  

3-4 years of college.  SOME colleges offer three-four programs with a specific dental school.  If you achieve a certain GPA and take specific classes, you can skip your fourth year of college and enter into the first year of dental school.  Most students do four years of college.

Dental school is 4 years.   Depending on the state you live in, you may be required to do one year of a GPR (General Practice Residency) program.  Delaware is like this.  You can not be a dentist in the state of Delaware without doing one year of GPR.  This is one year of "schooling"/practice at a hospital with other residents.  Even if your state does not require a GPR program, it is highly recommended that you do one because most prospective employers will want you to have this especially if they are on the cutting edge of dentistry.  Don't worry about a GPR program until you are in your 3rd or 4th year of dentistry.

If you want to specialize, you will need to put in extra years.

orthodontics (braces): 2-3 years more

oral surgeon: 4-6 years more

endodontist: 2-3 years more

Your dental school will offer business classes and help you decide to be a sole propietor (single dentist/business owner) or join a group practice.    Though I believe most general practices are going toward group practice to cut down on costs.  

I love the dental field.  It's fun and challenging, financially and mentally rewarding.  Good luck and study hard.  You have many years before you enter dental school and it's important to stay focused.  

  

Answer 2

A undergrad degree, doesn't really matter what kind... But you have to receive a decent score on the DAT, so you need to have a good understanding of biology.  After undergrad and the DAT you go to a school offering you a D.D.S degree, it's changing from DMD.... So you if can knock everything out in a row, you can start practicing as early at 26  because you are not required to do a residency...  

Answer 3

you have to go to a special dentistry school to get a DMD, im pretty sure its called that. its like a doctor of medical dentistry or something..

youll need tot ake all 3 sciences in highschool.

well its similar to becomming a dcotor..so itll take a while. i know that med students must have a major and graduate with it before they actually get into med school. for your major, im pretty sure any science: biology, chemistry or physics would be perfectly fine. alot of people who go to be a doctor choose a major like psychology instead, all depends on what your most interested in!

so im id guess maybe atleast 6 yrs to become one?? this really is just an educated guess.

if you know what universirt you might be going to, get onto their website. youll be able to find some good information there. also, i remmeber during highschool they always had these career and university fairs going on, so you can ask tons of questions there.

but for right now, just make sure you take all 3 sciences