Dentistry

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Dentistry
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What do dentists do?

• Dentists are health care practitioners concerned
  with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of
  problems associated with the hard and soft
  tissues of the mouth
• They also restore defective teeth and tissue and
  replace missing teeth.
• Most active dentists are in private practice
• About half of the graduating dentists complete an
  internship or residency

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Dental Specialities

• There are 9 specialties recognized by the
  American Dental Association
• All require additional education after the DMD or
  DDS degree
• Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics
• Oral and maxillofacial surgery
• Endodontics
• Periodontics
• Pediatric dentistry

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• Prosthodontics
• Oral and maxillofacial pathology
• Dental public health
• Oral and maxillofacial radiology

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Why be a dentist?

• Interested in health care career that is not
  involved in life and death decisions
• Enjoy working with people
• Possess good manual dexterity
• Excellent income (net income of 183,050)
• Time for a personal life

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General Information

• There are 56 dental schools in the US
• Nearly all have the same admission requirements
• 8 semester hours of general chemistry
• 8 semester hours of organic chemistry
• 8 semester hours of physics
• 8 semester hours of biology
• Some schools also require English, mathematics,
  and social sciences

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• Recommended courses
• Biochemistry
• Genetics
• Physiology
• Social and behavioral sciences

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Choice of Undergraduate Major

• Most predental students obtain a BS or BA degree,
  often in biology
• A major in a science is not necessary
• Dental admission committees do not look for a
  particular undergraduate major
• Choose a major based upon your interests and
  aptitudes

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The Admissions Process

• Four factors will determine whether an applicant
  is accepted
• Overall academic record
• Scores on the DAT
• Evaluations from faculty members and other
  letters from employers and/or family dentist
• Impressions made during a personal interview
• (work experience)
• (Extracurricular activities)

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Academic Record

• Single most important factor in predicting
  whether or not a student will be admitted to
  dental school
• Includes cumulative GPA, subjects taken, rigor of
  the major and trends in performance
• Strong academic record is evidence of both
  ability and motivation

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DAT

• Traditionally second in importance to grades when
  evaluating an applicant for dental school
• Computer-based test only application form and
  fee payment to DAT program
• Can be taken any time of the year recommended
  mid to late summer, with a chance to retake it in
  the fall
• Applicant must wait 90 days before he/she can
  retake the DAT
• There are plenty of DAT preparation books
  available go to www.barnesandnoble.com, for
  example

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Letters of Evaluation

• Similar to that for medical school
• Need a committee letter (I write) and individual
  letters from at least 3 faculty members who know
  you well
• Composite letters plus individual letters will be
  sent to dental school directly

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Extracurricular Activities and Work Experience

• Important in painting a picture of someone who
  can participate in other activities and still do
  well academically
• Must know how to order your priorities
• Work experience in a dental office or laboratory
  can be difficult to find.
• At the very least, a significant shadowing
  experience is a must!
• Must know what it is like to be a dentist

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The Application

• Earliest application date is June 1st in year
  preceding expected matriculation
• Deadlines vary, but apply early!!
• There is a centralized application service called
  AADSAS (American Association of Dental Schools
  Application Service)
• 5 of the 56 schools do not participate
• Have transcripts and DAT scores sent to AADSAS
• Letters of evaluation are sent directly to dental
  schools by me

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Acceptance

• Letters go out no earlier than December 1st
• May be much later, depending upon when you
  submitted your application, DAT score, etc. and
  when interview is scheduled
• Usually much, much faster than medical schools
• Most dental schools like to have their classes
  filled by early spring
• There is a wait list for dental schools

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Websites of Interest

• American Dental Education Association (ADEA)
  www.adea.org
• Dental Admission Test www.ada.org/prof/ed/testin
  g/dat
• American Student Dental Association
  www.asdanet.org
• University of Alabama-Birmingham School of
  Dentistry www.dental.uab.edu
• University of Tennessee College of Dentistry
  www.utmem.edu/dyn/php/wrifpt.php?t3id2tid24
• Nova Southeastern University College of
  Dentistry www.dental.nova.edu