Many of our younger patients have dreams of becoming a dentist themselves one day, prompting them to ask the doctor what it takes to get there. We love the enthusiasm and ambition local Missoula children have, and decided to write a blog describing and detailing dental training and schooling in their honor.
A Lengthy & Worthwhile Road
The Basics
If you want to be a dentist, then you’d better be a great student. Furthermore, academia simply must be a comfortable environment for the aspiring student. Many dental students spend 8-12 years in higher education alone, much of which is spent in specialized training on surgical, pharmaceutical, and diagnostic dental medicine. The road is a lengthy one, to be sure, but with the average salary of a dentist well exceeding (often doubling or tripling) the national household salary, there is a large amount of monetary incentive. Most people that are drawn to the work do so for reasons outside of the expected salary, choosing instead to apply their intelligence to a cause that greatly benefits society. If this sounds like something that would interest you, then the schooling is well worth it!
Dr. You
Dentists are doctors, even if we don’t always think of or consider them as such. In fact, the titles that permit one to open and maintain a dental practice are DMD or DDS, both of which are doctors of dental medicine/surgery, equivalent designations decreed by differing schools. In either case, becoming a dentist is actually becoming a doctor of dental care, a prestigious title that few can claim.
Coursework
Common questions for those curious about becoming a dentist are centered around what all of that schooling looks like and is for; the breakdown of this higher education is usually as follows:
- 4 years of undergraduate education, typically with a focus on science
- 4 years of dental school, pending selection based upon academic performance and a standardized test referred to as DAT (The Dental Admissions Test). Dental school awards the DDS or DMD degrees mentioned above
- Becoming licensed to practice in a state or country for practice, a process that often includes testing and other requirements per the local government’s specifications
- Up to 4 years of specialized training in things like orthodontics, periodontics, and other specialized licenses. All of which require additional education and testing to receive licensing
Post-Licensing
Successful completion of the education and licensing allow a newly named dentist to practice in a given area, but it is then up to the individual to find a position in their specialization. Often, this means becoming an associate at a partnered local practice with the idea of working toward permanent partnership or opening up one’s own practice. There are also a great many dentists that don’t perform routine dental work, choosing to instead work in hospitals, perform research, become educators, and more.
Dr. David B. Duke chose to open Bitterroot Dental, Missoula’s Top Rated Local® family dentistry. We are proud to support the dreams and ambitions of the dentists of tomorrow, so be sure to ask our friendly staff about the entire process at your next appointment!
