How to become a dentist

"There are different routes to becoming a dentist depending on which the country one lives. In some countries, high school graduates enroll in dental school. Some countries train medical school graduates to specialize in dentistry.

Here in the United States, dental schools choose top graduates of 4-year colleges for admission to dental school. These college students may choose any major course of study such as mathematics, chemistry, English, Music, or Art History. However, they must take a series of courses or prerequisites to prepare for dental school."


For the full story see Al Dente: How to become a dentist - Malden, MA - Malden Observer

hi,

In the uk you usually have to study at dental school for 5 years. This usually includes both classroom and clinical studies throughout the time.

Prior to entering dental school, you need to pass your A levels with very high grades. Dentistry as a course is one of the most, if not the most competitive courses to get accepted on in the UK.

You will need excellent A level grades but because its so competitive you will also need to demonstrate why you think you will be suited to become a dentist.

If you are interested I have written a guide on 'how to become a dentist', this is for the UK but the principles are the same througout the world.

you can find it at Learn How To Become A Dentist UK

kind regards
Dr Alka

In the Philippines it takes six or seven years to become a dentist and longer to become a specialist.
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If you think becoming a Dentist is the career path for you, your pursuit would have to begin with a bachelor’s degree once you’re finished with high school. It is highly recommended that you take plenty of science courses such as biology, chemistry, and physics while completing your undergraduate studies. This will be quite helpful when applying for dental colleges after completing your bachelor’s degree. Once you complete your undergraduate studies and receive a bachelor’s degree you would have to undergo a dental admissions test. The dental admissions test is somewhat like an SAT test for dental students to undergo and determine whether they have the skill set to study this profession. The score you receive for this test will determine which dental college you will get accepted into.

Some of the top dental colleges include Western School of Health & Business, Argosy University, Missouri College and Sanford Brown Institute.

Becoming a dentist is a long road. In the US, you have to get at least an undergraduate college degree with certain prerequisite course. Following that, you have to apply to dental school which is very competitive. You will need excellent grades, write an admission test and interviews. After getting in, its another 4 years of training in dental school. It is a long process, but it is a well rewarding career for those that put in the effort.

1.
Take high school biology, chemistry, physics, health and mathematics courses. Maintain a high grade point average.
2
Ask your guidance counselor for information on colleges that have a two-year pre-dental program that emphasizes the sciences. Most pre-dental students complete a bachelor's degree.
3
Send for college catalogs and applications. Apply well before the deadline date.
4
Commit yourself to receiving high grades in college, especially in your science courses.
5
Contact the Karnavati School of Dentistry Make certain you'll meet the admission requirements. (See the ksd Web site at Karnavati School of Dentistry | KSD | BDS)
6
Take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). Your test scores, overall grade point average, science average and recommendations will all weigh heavily in the decision to admit you to a dental school.
7
Understand that the first two years in dental school will consist of classroom and lab courses. The final two years are spent in clinics under the supervision of licensed dentists.
8
Obtain your license by passing additional written and practical state examinations after you've graduated from dental school. Make certain you know what your state's licensing requirements are well before you get to this point.
9
Check on your state's requirements for specialty licenses in the dental field. An additional two to five years of study is required.

Dentistry is super cool, in my opinion. Dental health is incredibly important, and the technology for dentists and their assistants is always evolving. they're doing something good in the world by helping the person with the problem teeth. They are all kinds of cool procedures in dentistry.

Take a dental assisting course. This is a short technical course that will teach you to be a dental assistant. That gives you an even closer look at what it is like to be a dentist. It's also much cheaper than dental school, so if you don't like it while you're an assistant, you certainly won't like the work while you're a dentist.

In order to practice dentistry in Australia (as of July 2010) you must obtain registration and licensing from the nationalized Dental Board of Australia. Generally, the only persons immediately entitled to apply to be registered as dentists are persons holding the qualifications of DDS, BDS, BDSc, BDent, BDentSc, DMD, MDent, or GradDipDent from an accredited Australian and New Zealand university. Usually registration will not be granted to a foreign graduate until he or she has passed the ADC examinations and/or completed a 2-year advance standing program in order to obtain a locally accredited dental qualification.
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thnx 4 yr post, i'm one of those dentists overseas who dreamed in workin in Australia at least once.

may i know more especially on a solid information base. I'd b grateful