There are numerous people out there who want to become a dentist. However, the question is, how long does it take to become a dentist in the first place? Well, the sources tell us that you need to go to a dental school. So, how long is dental school? There’s no denying the fact that dentistry is a rewarding career because you get to help people live healthier lives.
So, if you are looking for the answers to the questions like, how long is dental school, then you are at the right place. We shall discuss some key facts like how’s the process of becoming a dentist looks like and what they do in the first place. Moreover, we shall also mention the duration of becoming a dentist as well. So, if you want to know these details, then it’s time to go through this article and find out everything that you need to know.
An Overview On Becoming A Dentist School
Being a dentist is a rewarding job as we said earlier. However, the process is an essential one that one needs to go through to become a full-fledged dentist. For instance, one needs to go to dental school. So, how long is dental school? Well, as per the sources, in order to become a dentist, you need to first graduate from high school. Thereafter, it will take you around eight long years to become a dentist. It includes four years of undergrad education and 4 years of dental school.
So, if you want to know how long is dental school, then on average, it’s four years long. However, it’s also worth mentioning that accredited dental schools issue DDS or Doctor of Dental surgery and DMD or Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry. These are the equivalent certificates with the same amount of requirements that you expect.
In addition, it’s also worth noting that the specialty in oral and maxillofacial surgery takes between four to six more years and it’s one of the longest duration for any dental specialty. Now that we know how long it takes for a dental school to complete, we should add that the dental school acceptance rate in the nation is around 55%. The average college GPA for dental schools is 3.57. Coming to salary, a dentist makes around 130k dollars a year.
How Long Does It Take To Become A Proper Dentist
So, we already mentioned earlier that it takes eight years to become a dentist after you complete your high school studies. Now, how long is dental school? Well, once you graduate from high school, you need to go study undergrads for four years, and then another four years in a dental school. While it’s true that it takes around eight years to complete the dentistry course, it depends on if you are going to school full-time or not. So, assuming you are a full-time college student who’s doing well in school as well, then you should be able to complete the course earlier. Now, let’s take a look at the duration of the dental course in detail.
General Undergrad Dental School
First of all, we should mention that most dental schools require an undergrads degree before even starting. In other words, you need to attend a four-year college and get a degree. It’s one of the essentials to becoming a dentist.
How Long Is Dental School
So, the question is, how long is dental school process? Well, after you have completed your undergrads, the next step is to apply to dental school and get an acceptance letter. Going to a dental school will take another four years of the academic program. So, in this dental school, the entire focus will be on dentistry.
When you have completed the course in dental school, you will get either a DDS or DMD. In other words, you will either get a doctor of dental surgery degree or a doctor of medicine in dentistry degree. Is there any difference? Well, not quite so because they actually mean the same thing. The only difference is the school that you attend. There are some schools that provide you with DDS while some give you DMD.
Specialty Courses
Now, if you want to become a proper dentist, then you should also opt for specialty courses. Granted that it takes a bit of time, but if you are doing well, you should consider opting for it as well. As we know, it takes around eight years to complete the dentistry course. Now, if you are looking for specialization, then you should definitely opt for it. There are a lot of specialty courses available, like dental public health, endodontics, oral and maxillofacial pathology, etc.
National Board Dental Examination & Clinical Examination
Next, we should also mention the tests that you can opt for in order to further your dentistry career. The National Board of Dental Examination is a two-part national test and you need to pass both of them before taking the clinical exam. There’s a good chance that you can take these exams during your dental school period. So, once you have passed both of those exams, it’s time to opt for a clinical exam.
Conclusion
So, if you are someone who wants to know how long is dental school process is, then hopefully you have got your answer here in this article. As we know, the whole process of becoming a dentist usually takes eight years, with four years in dental school.
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