The Steps to Becoming a Dentist
If you’ve ever thought that a career in dentistry might be right for you, then read this!
To become a dentist, you have to be willing to complete multiple years of school and be patient enough to work with people.
How it starts:
Complete a bachelors degree
Completing a bachelor’s degree is step one in becoming a dentist. Each dental school has its own list of prerequisites, and because of this, it narrows down the list of things that you can major in during your time in undergrad. Common majors include:
- Chemistry
- Organic chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Statistics
- Physics
So, if any of these degrees are interesting to you, then pursuing them to attend dental school may be a good fit.
Take the Dental Acceptance Test
Admission to dental school is very competitive. The results of this test are one factor used in determining good candidates. The test is comprised of four multiple-choice tests that cover natural sciences, reading comprehension, quantitative reasoning, and perceptual ability.It is typically taken during the junior year of your undergraduate studies and can be retaken up to three times if you are unhappy with your score.
Complete a DDS or DMD degree
Depending on the dental school, each program is different and includes a mixture of coursework. Topics that may be covered include anatomy, endodontics, biochemistry, oral surgery, along with other related topics.
Pass national and state licensing exams
After you pass the dental boards then you have done it, you’re a dentist! The national board exam is broken into two parts, a basic sciences section and a second section focused on dental topics.
If you are interested in pursuing dentistry, then ask your dentist about their journey to becoming a DMD!
