Dentists and Their Education Requirements

Many aspiring dentists become confused when they consider what type of educational requirements are necessary for going into practice. Though these requirements may differ slightly from state to state, the basic prerequisites are the same and will not vary much. Dentists will fall into two categories as it pertains to what advanced degree they hold. Some will be Doctors of Dental Surgery (DDS) while others will hold a DMD, which means Doctor of Dental Medicine. These degrees are identical in almost every way, it is just that different schools have different names for the degree.

Before being accepted into an accredited dental school, an individual must complete an undergraduate degree. This degree can technically be in any field, as few schools have a requirement on the particular major. There are certain classes, however, (mostly math and science) that most schools want you to have taken. Schools will obviously differ as it pertains to which classes these might be, but generally they will include organic chemistry, biology, calculus, and others. Other factors that will play a part in acceptance are the overall GPA obtained and the reputation of the university itself.

As another prerequisite for getting into dental school, aspiring attendees must take what’s called the Dental Admissions Test. This test, much like the SAT and the ACT, is used by schools as a predictive measure. Studies have shown that those who do well on the test will do well in dental school and vice versa. The test itself measures the abilities of the student in a number of areas, including the ability to process and remember facts of a scientific nature, problem solving, and other general indicators of academic success. The test is scored with a point scale of 1-30.

If the student passes the test and is accepted into dental school, a four year plan of study awaits them. As a general rule, the first two years will focus primarily on theoretical training and learning about the anatomy of the mouth and various oral diseases and concepts. The final two years will be more focused on actual clinical training, giving the student all the preparation they need to get their license and practice oral medicine. The student will be required to pass the National Board Dental Examination, a test which comes in two parts, in order to obtain their license and begin a practice. Some dentists choose to move on to a specialist residency if they want to go into advanced study such as orthodontics.