Undergraduate Education

• Aspiring dentists are required to complete some undergraduate course work, typically a four-year degree, though a two-year degree is acceptable. In some cases, students may enter dental school with two or three years of their bachelor's degree completed, and finished their degree while in dental school. There were 57 dental schools reported in 2008 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) that were accredited by the American Dental Association's (ADA) Commission of Dental Accreditation. According to the ADA, 85 percent of students enter a dental program with a bachelor's degree.
  
  

Dental School

• Applicants are required to take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) before starting four-year dental school programs. Scores on the DAT, as well as grade point average, are considered by the dental schools when selecting applicants. Students receive classroom instruction as well as participate in laboratory work in sciences such as microbiology, anatomy and physiology. Courses in laboratory techniques and other clinical sciences are also completed. In the last two years of dental school, students work with patients, typically in dental clinics under supervision of a licensed dentist. Once students complete their dental school program, they are awarded with a doctor of dental surgery (DDS) degree, or the equivalent degree of doctor of dental medicine (DMD).
  
  

Licensure

• Dentists are required to be licensed in all states and the District of Columbia. To qualify for licensure, dentists must graduate from an accredited dental school and must pass written and practical exams. Dentists can satisfy the written part of state licensing requirements by passing the National Board Dental Examinations. There are nine recognized specialties in all 50 states and the District of Columbia that individuals can be licensed in.
  
  

Additional Qualifications

• The medical field of dentistry requires manual skills and diagnostic ability. Good visual memory and excellent judgment in regards to shape, color and space are required, as well as scientific ability and a high degree of manual dexterity. Good communication skills, self-discipline and a good business sense are all helpful qualities that make for a successful career in dentistry.