So You Want To Be A Dentist

A dentist is an oral health care provider. This is a lucrative and much needed professional service as well as a great career. If a person wants to work in this field, they will have to be dedicated and intelligent because it’s a long road to becoming a dentist.

A dentist is an oral health care provider. This is a lucrative and much needed professional service as well as a great career. If a person wants to work in this field, they will have to be dedicated and intelligent because it’s a long road to getting the DDS initials behind one’s name. But once a person becomes a dental professional, the employment picture is extremely rosy. Here are some things to think about:

- These professionals diagnose and perform preventative measures involving their patients’ mouths. They treat problems, diseases, and conditions present in the teeth, gums and mouth region.

- They are also teachers. They teach their patients how to properly brush, floss and use fluoride products.

- Common treatments include the filling of cavities, checking out x-rays, repairing fractures, straightening crooked smiles and applying sealants or whiteners to protect and brighten tooth enamel.

- Dentists are doctors and are therefore able to prescribe medicine. Sedatives to aid in anxiety reduction during procedures or antibiotics for infections are common prescriptions they write. Anesthetics are also given for pain reduction during procedures.

- Some are also surgeons. Gum surgery, root canals, and extractions are some of the dental surgeries that may be performed.

In order to become a dental professional, a person must complete high school and college with good grades and have a strong aptitude in science and mathematics. The education of a DDS includes:

- Undergraduate work in classes such as biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and communications.

- In order to be admitted to a dental college, an applicant must pass an admissions test called the DAT. Scores on the DAT, grades earned during undergrad work, face-to-face interviews and recommendations of past instructors and other reputable citizens are all taken into consideration.

- Many applicants compete for a sparse number of slots in dental colleges.

- Once admitted into a program, the student must take a heavy load of academic coursework including those in subjects such as anatomy, physiology, biology, mathematics and health. Clinics enable the students to experience many hours of hands-on practice with actual patients.

- It takes approximately four years to complete dentistry training. After completion of studies, a written examination must be passed with flying colors.

- Specialization is also possible. Further training will be necessary in order to become certified in various specializations. Some examples are pediatric, cosmetic, orthodontic, endodontic practitioners. Pediatrics entails working with children; cosmetic entails working in the area of beautifying smiles with products such as veneers, caps and whiteners; orthodontists are tooth straighteners, endodontists deal with the root and tissue surrounding it.

- After all of this hard work, a licensing exam must be undertaken; if completed successfully, the DDS is earned.

It’s a long and winding road to becoming a dentist, but it will be well worth it. Being a professional in this field means steady employment, lucrative salaries and a career of helping people. Most professionals work in solo offices with staffs that include assistants, clerical personnel and hygienists.

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