What It Takes To Become A Dentist

By : Sambriddi Adhikari

There are a variety of jobs available in the healthcare field and though they all have their own set of cons they also have many benefits. One of the more stable and influential careers is the one of a dentist. Being a dentist provides you with financial stability as well as the capability to positively impact the lives of their patients.

Dentists are a type of doctor that are specifically trained in treating oral health conditions. They help maintain the teeth and overall mouth health of their patients which leads to the rest of their body health also improving. On top of that dentists also provide their patients with preventive care so they can continue their healthy lifestyle while avoiding any oral diseases or infections.  

Now you must be wondering ‘how does one become a dentist’? Well, it is definitely  not a simple journey by any means. A minimum of 8 years of schooling with additional years of training is required to become a dentist. During the first four years of that, aspiring dentists need to get their bachelors degree in a field that is related to their career such as biology, chemistry or physics. After that they are required to go to dental school for four years to obtain their DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine- Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry). Once their required schooling is complete aspiring dentists have to receive around 4 more years of clinical experience showcasing their ability to work with patients in hospitals. This does slightly change for those who want to become a dental specialist. They need to go through residency, after they complete dental school, for a specific amount of years, which varies depending on your specific specialty. 

There are a variety of different dentists based on their specialties and education. The majority of them are usually general dentists as they provide their patients with a diverse range of services such as dental implants, teeth cleaning, X-rays and many more. While on the other hand dental specialists such as oral surgeons perform surgeries and extractions in the mouth.

It is usually expected for an individual to visit the dentist twice a year for checkups, though visitations should increase depending on if someone has cavities, braces or any infections.  Though the job of a dentist varies, their utmost goal is always to promote the overall dental hygiene of their patients.

Work Cited

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Brennan, Dan. “What Is a Dentist?” WebMD, 23 June 2021, www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-a-dentist.

Cleveland Clinic. “What Is a Dentist?” Cleveland Clinic, 15 Nov. 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24448-dentist.

“Regularly Going to the Dentist Is Necessary.” Penn Dental Medicine, 15 Nov. 2022, penndentalmedicine.org/blog/how-often-should-you-go-to-the-dentist/.

Gross, Dra Concha. “What Should You Know about Dental Curettage? We Tell You!” Gross Dentistas, 27 Jan. 2023, www.clinicadentalgrossdentistas.com/en/dental-curettage/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2024.