Is becoming a dentist right for me?
The first step to choosing a career is to make sure you are actually willing to commit to pursuing the career. You don’t want to waste your time doing something you don’t want to do. If you’re new here, you should read about:
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How to become a Dentist
Individuals are required to hold a bachelor's degree before gaining admission to dental school. Some schools admit students after two to three years and allow them to earn a bachelor's degree as part of the dental program.
Biology, physics and chemistry degrees can provide relevant preparation for dentistry school.
Most countries performing western medicine require a dentist to have completed four years of postgraduate study to qualify as either a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine). Other dental degrees valid in various countries include: BDent (Bachelor of Dentistry); BDSc (Bachelor of Dental Science); MDent (Master of Dentistry); and DD (Doctor of Dentistry). There are others that are accepted in various countries, but these are the most common.
After the academic qualifications have been obtained, clinical training is undertaken. In most places, this is at least two years and then certification exams are required. Once fully qualified, further study can be undertaken in order to train in a specific specialty.