I am asking for a cousin of mine. Do you need to do a residency if one wanted to do general dentistry and cosmetic dentistry?

ms-3

I don't remember my brother doing residency for general dentistry. In order to practice general dentistry, you have to pass the state board. However, one can chose to study an extra year as a resident at different dental schools called GPR!

Any dental school degree, be it a DDS or DMD will enable one to practice general dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry is not a specialty, so to speak, as is OMS or Orthodontics. To incorporate cosmetics, one must take extended education classes...these are usually offered outside of dental school via seminars and workshops. Hope this helps.

There is also an additional year of training at some dental schools - AEGD (Advanced Education in General Dentistry) which is structured more around a private practice/clinic atmosphere versus the GPR which is typically more hospital based.