Aspiring dentists should enroll in an accredited dental school, according to Education-Portal.com. Dental schools offer programs that lead to work as a Doctor of Dental Surgery or a Doctor of Dental Medicine. These programs last four years and include classroom instruction, pre-clinical training and clinical instruction. The fourth and final year usually includes a dental rotation externship. Some dental schools also offer specialized areas of study such as pediatric dentistry, oral surgery, endodontics, prosthodontics and orthodontics. This might require two to four years of postgraduate education. A postgraduate residency term also might be required, typically lasting up to two years.
To get into a dental school, students typically need a bachelor's degree with a minimum number of credit hours in subjects such as microbiology, biology and chemistry. A few applicants are accepted after only two or three years of college and can complete their bachelor's degree while in dental school as well. Students also must submit their Dental Admission Test scores. When looking for a dental school, students should look for programs that are accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation. Also, taking high school classes in chemistry, physics, math, health and biology helps to prepare students for dental school.
Training in a dental school program prepares individuals to take two parts of the National Board Dental Examination. Usually students take these tests while in or before graduating from dental school. Students also must take regional board exams to be licensed in their particular states. In most states, licensing usually requires passing written and practical examinations, but candidates may fulfill the written part of the state test by passing the national examinations. Students in some states also must complete continuing education requirements to renew their license. Some states also offer special exams for dentists who want to practice a dental specialty.
Courses in a dental school program cover dental diagnosis and treatment as well as clinical skills and oral pathology. Students also study head and neck anatomy, oral histology, tooth morphology, dental materials and oral radiology, according to the Indiana University School of Dentistry. Other classes include studies on dentures and periodontics.
Employment of dentists was projected to grow by 16 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2009, and median annual wages of general dentists in May 2008 were $142,870, Dentists can join group practices or open their own practices.