{"id":18658,"date":"2019-08-26T19:40:18","date_gmt":"2019-08-27T00:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=18658"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:41:11","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:41:11","slug":"an-overview-of-dental-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/dat\/an-overview-of-dental-school\/","title":{"rendered":"An Overview of Dental School"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re thinking about dentistry as a career, you have a lot of great options to consider \u2014 and it all starts with dental school. Whether you go into private practice or hospital emergency care, conduct advanced laboratory research or teach future dentists, you\u2019ll need to get your Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) first.
\n[\u00a0RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>Pre-Dental Planner<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Freshman Year<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Sophomore Year<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Junior\u00a0Year<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Senior\u00a0Year<\/a>\u00a0]
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Things to consider<\/h3>
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\nMost DDS or DMD programs take four years to complete, and you\u2019ll go from there for dental specialties like oral and maxillofacial surgery and pediatric dentistry.
\nOnce you decide on dental school, look for an accredited program. The\u00a0Commission on Dental Accreditation<\/a>\u00a0has a collaborative peer review accreditation process. This process evaluates the quality of over 1,300 dental education programs nationwide, including dental schools, specialty programs, clinical fellowships, and allied dental training programs.
\nDentistry covers all aspects of oral health, including maintenance and cosmetic surgery. As a dentist, you\u2019ll diagnose health problems, prescribe treatment, and manage care for dental disorders and diseases. The\u00a0median salary for dentists<\/a>\u00a0is around $154,640. It\u2019s a rewarding profession that combines art and science.
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How to prepare for dental school<\/h3>
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\nBefore you head to dental school<\/a>\u00a0and take on the application process, there are several things you can do to\u00a0get ready<\/a>.
\nFor starters, you\u2019ll want to make sure your natural science bases are covered. This means you\u2019ll need to take courses in college such as general biology, organic and inorganic chemistry, and physics. You can also volunteer or shadow at your family dentist, orthodontist, or pediatric dentist.
\nMost important, you\u2019ll want to check with your undergrad school and prospective desired dental programs to find out the specific program-based recommendations. These can vary from school to school, and some institutions may offer opportunities for combined degrees. Follow the specific recommendations that will give you the optimal undergraduate experience for pursuing the dental school program of your choice.
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The Dental Admission Test (DAT) and application process<\/h3>
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\nApplying to a four-year dental program<\/a>\u00a0is a lot like applying to other graduate programs. To be considered for an accredited program, you\u2019ll need to complete your undergraduate degree at a four-year college or university. Each accredited dental education program has its own application process and set of admission requirements. You\u2019ll also need to\u00a0prepare for and take<\/a>\u00a0the\u00a0Dental Admission Test (DAT)<\/a>. The DAT has been operating nationally since 1950, and it is administered year-round by the\u00a0American Dental Association (ADA)<\/a>.
\nThe DAT gives dental schools the common metrics they need to compare the qualifications of applicants like you and your peers. The exam measures general academic aptitude, comprehension of scientific information, and perceptual ability. It\u2019s a computer-adaptive exam that is made up of four distinct tests:\u00a0Survey of Natural Sciences<\/a>,\u00a0Perceptual Ability Test<\/a>,\u00a0Reading Comprehension<\/a>, and\u00a0Quantitative Reasoning<\/a>.
\nDental school admissions committees use your DAT score along with your academic record to decide whether you have the academic foundation that will help you build a successful dental career.
\nWhat does that mean? A\u00a0high score on the DAT<\/a>\u00a0will have a direct, positive impact on your dental school application.
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If you\u2019re thinking about dentistry as a career, you have a lot of great options to consider \u2014 and it all starts with dental school. Whether you go into private practice or hospital emergency care, conduct advanced laboratory research or teach future dentists, you\u2019ll need to get your Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26767,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[36],"tags":[37,364],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18658"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18658"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18658\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34692,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18658\/revisions\/34692"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}