Most dentists have their own practices, whilst some work as associates or partners in big dental offices according to dentistry industry experts. Irrespective of their places of work, they share certain characteristics; they work closely and at a personal level with their clients, probing their mouths, giving them injections and fixing their teeth.
Depending on the size of the office, a dentist may also supervise office assistants and staff. In order to be able to do all these, a dentist requires an undergraduate college education and a professional post-graduate degree before being licensed. Nevertheless, this job also requires that you have good personal qualities and special skills too.
Undergraduate Requirements
According to American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and Family Feeding for Dental Health, there are no certain specific requirements. But in general you must at least have taken the essential prerequisites that are also dependent on your dental program. You require 3 quarters or 2 semesters each of general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, and physics, including the lab sections.
Certain colleges or universities also require biochemistry, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, while others require social sciences, English or art. These provide the necessary background for succeeding in the Dental Admission test, normally taken by students before their senior year.
Dental School
This takes 4 years, including clinical work and class, and typically leads to The Dr. of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree. During the first 2 years, you take classes in pharmacology, human anatomy, pathology, oral anatomy, microbiology and physiology. In the third and fourth years, you treat patients under close supervision of experienced dentists in Mt Pleasant and other areas that work in clinics, health centers or hospitals.
Post-Doctoral Requirements
In certain states dentists take licensing exams immediately after they complete dental school, while in others you must first go through post-doctoral education. Such states, according to ADEA, require one year of advanced educational program or general practice residency. However, to qualify for state licensing, you must pass written and clinical examination.
Specialty Training
To qualify as a special dentist, you must take additional post-doctoral training, which normally lasts for two or more years. Certain states also require residency of at least 2 years and one more exam for specialty licensing. Included among the nine dental specialties with ADEA recognition are periodontics, endodontics, pediatric dentistry, and oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Additional Skills
You must also have good physical coordination, stamina to stand over the patients for several hours, and superior manual dexterity. You also require strong problem-solving skills in order to diagnose abnormalities and establish the most effective treatments. You therefore need to be attentive to details in order to perfectly match restorations. If you own or plan to own a practice, business and leadership skills are essential to help you manage the business and supervise employees.
Dentistry and You 