To become a dentist, you will need to complete a bachelor’s degree (general undergraduate) and four years of dental school. In the end, you will receive a Doctor of Dental Surgery or a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree. Depending on your specialization, you may also need to complete an additional residency.
Are you considering a career in dentistry? Discover the intricate journey and educational commitment necessary to become a dentist including the vital role of microfill technology in modern dental practices.
Bachelor’s Degree
A bachelor’s degree (or baccalaureate) is an undergraduate academic degree in a field of study that typically takes four school years to complete. It also requires a minimum of 120 college credits.
Students who earn an associate degree at a community college may be able to transfer those credits towards their bachelor’s program, shortening the overall length of their degree. Students can also pursue accelerated programs that allow them to take more courses each semester and can even earn equivalency credits from standardized tests, AP classes, work experience, military service, life experience and more.
Many full-time students graduate with their bachelor’s in about four years. However, it can take longer for part-time students to finish their degrees or students who transfer in with previous college credit. Taking extra classes, missing classes due to illness or family obligations, and repeating courses can all add up and slow down a student’s graduation timeframe. Talking to an academic advisor can help students create a plan to graduate in a reasonable timeframe.
Dental School
Many dental schools require students to have a bachelor’s degree and pass the Dental Admission Test (DAT), so it is important for students interested in this career path to start preparing early. During their undergraduate degree, students should focus on taking prerequisites that will help them prepare for dental school, such as biology, chemistry, and physics. Additionally, students should seek out job shadowing and network with dentists to gain exposure to the field.
After earning their undergraduate degrees, students must attend dental school, which takes four years to complete. During this time, they must take and pass a national written exam and a clinical exam. In addition, if they choose to pursue a specialty in dentistry, such as oral surgery or orthodontics, they will need to enroll in a residency program that adds three more years of education and training to their overall career length. Dental residency programs are available at all dental schools in the United States.
Residency
Depending on the specialization, a dentist can spend one to two years in a residency before being licensed to practice. The process also requires passing the National Board Dental Examination, which is split into two parts. Some dental specialties, such as oral and maxillofacial surgery, take longer.
In addition to the requirements of undergraduate school, a future dentist must have excellent grades, experience shadowing or volunteering, and strong recommendation letters. Applicants may also be required to complete certain courses in science, chemistry, and math.
Unlike medical students, dentistry students don’t take the MCAT for admission to school. However, they do take the Dental Admission Test, which is usually taken during undergraduate studies. Some schools offer a bachelor’s degree to students who plan to attend dental school, while others allow a student to finish their undergraduate studies concomitantly with their dental school coursework. Both degrees, a Doctor of Dental Surgery or a Doctor of Dental Medicine, are considered equal by the ADA.
Licensing
Getting licensed as a dentist requires a lot more than just graduating college and going to dental school. Obtaining your state’s license to practice dentistry also requires passing national written and clinical exam requirements.
To get started, you must pass the Dental Admission Test (DAT). From there, you must find and apply to dental school, which is a four-year program with the focus being solely on dentistry. Depending on the school, you may graduate with a Doctor of Dental Surgery or a Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry degree.
Those that want to go on and specialize in a specific type of dentistry will need to complete a residency for additional training. Residency programs vary from one to two years. After completing your residency, you must pass the NBDE or the newer INDBE written exam and your state’s clinical boards. You must then complete a set number of continuing education courses each year to keep your license.