How To Become A Dentist
by Lonnie Bryant
If you're wondering what it takes to become a dentist and you are interested in following dentistry as a career option, you may enjoy the following information on what skills you need to become a dentist.
Qualifications
You will need to be good at maths and science subjects while you're at school. Focus on subjects such as algebra, organic and inorganic chemistry and biology in particular. Physics would also be a useful study option.
Once you've finished school, you could take a basic dental admission exam at college. This is usually required before you can hope to get a place at a dental school. You will also need to have an undergraduate degree of some sort in order to be considered for dental school. This degree should be in a science subject.
Once at dental school, you will study for four years towards your official qualification. The first couple of years are spent in the classroom and laboratory learning basic health practices. The remainder of the course is spent working as a student dentist under supervision at a local dental clinic.
Other experience
In addition to your academic qualifications, you should arrange to volunteer or observe practice at your local family dental clinic.
Spending time at a dental clinic will enable you to see what happens during the day to day running of the practice so you can decide whether becoming a dentist is something that you think you would enjoy. Observing a qualified dentist at work will also give you an idea of what area of dentistry you might like to specialise in.
Other skills
As a dentist, you will be dealing with people face-to-face in what are stressful situations for many people, including children. You must therefore be good at dealing with people from all walks of life and be a good communicator.
You must be able to work under pressure and remain cool in a crisis. Attention to detail is very important and an eye for design is also useful if you want to specialise in cosmetic dentistry.
A basic knowledge of accounting and management skills would also be useful if you hope to run your own practice in the future.
A career as a dentist can be very rewarding, both from a job satisfaction perspective and financially. If you are prepared to work hard, you have an interest in science and maths and you enjoy working with many different kinds of people in a medical setting, a career as a dentist could be for you. Talk with professional dentist to learn more.
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About Me
There are more than two ways to straighten a smile, and in this blog, I plan to discuss them all. I plan to look at the differences between braces and retainers and explain why sometimes you may need them both. I look at the differences in cost, time commitment and efficacy. Personally, I have had a bit of experience with this subject – I had braces as a young teen, and I had a permanent retainer. In this blog, I discuss what I have learned, and I present all kinds of new information on the topic. Whether you are trying to make decisions for yourself or your child. I hope you find this information useful.