Few questions on becoming a dentist..

[hs2013]

What is the difference between a DDS and a DMD? Also do you have to complete a 4 year undergrad program to get into dental school or can you do a 2 year? Also after you complete dental school if you want to stick with the education you have and go no further what exactly do you become, just a plain ole dentist, like the one you go visit at the dentist office? Also I know there are different specialities in dentistry like becoming an orthodontist and endodontist and so on, but how do you get into those field, like do you have to do a residency type program after dental school?

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[wired202808]

What is the difference between a DDS and a DMD? Also do you have to complete a 4 year undergrad program to get into dental school or can you do a 2 year? Also after you complete dental school if you want to stick with the education you have and go no further what exactly do you become, just a plain ole dentist, like the one you go visit at the dentist office? Also I know there are different specialities in dentistry like becoming an orthodontist and endodontist and so on, but how do you get into those field, like do you have to do a residency type program after dental school?

dds and dmd are the same thing, majority of applicants have a 4 yr degree and most schools dont take CC credits, (so i wouldnt go down the CC route.) Some states have minimum of 1 yr residency, where you would get paid 50K or so n then after that you're free to work wherever, other states allow you to work right after dental school ie. after the 4 years of dental school. Specializing requires more time and is more complex, (not sure about this because i dont plan on doing it.)

 

[hs2013]

dds and dmd are the same thing, majority of applicants have a 4 yr degree and most schools dont take CC credits, (so i wouldnt go down the CC route.) Some states have minimum of 1 yr residency, where you would get paid 50K or so n then after that you're free to work wherever, other states allow you to work right after dental school ie. after the 4 years of dental school. Specializing requires more time and is more complex, (not sure about this because i dont plan on doing it.)

So it doesn't matter if I go into DMD or DDS? Is there one that is preferred? Also what do you mean by CC credits, community college? Also if the state required a 1 year residency, what would it be like?

 

[amalgamgrillz]

Holy eff. Google it or use the search function. If you're serious about jumping ship to dentistry, you're going to have to improve your common sense. This isn't medicine.

 

[dreamerndoer]

What is the difference between a DDS and a DMD? Also do you have to complete a 4 year undergrad program to get into dental school or can you do a 2 year? Also after you complete dental school if you want to stick with the education you have and go no further what exactly do you become, just a plain ole dentist, like the one you go visit at the dentist office? Also I know there are different specialities in dentistry like becoming an orthodontist and endodontist and so on, but how do you get into those field, like do you have to do a residency type program after dental school?

At first, the DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) abbreviation was used by dental schools. Then people wanted a separation of surgery and medicine, so Harvard began awarding DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) degrees. Schools established after this also began awarding DMDs. There is no difference between a DDS and a DMD. The training that we all recieve is the same. I don't think there is a preference. According to ADEA, 24 of the 58 dental schools in the U.S. now award DMDs.

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

Holy eff. Google it or use the search function. If you're serious about jumping ship to dentistry, you're going to have to improve your common sense. This isn't medicine.

The kid has yet to start college or is in his very first semester of it...

It's good to ask questions but do that AFTER you've gone out and explored your options. Right now you know nothing and you're just firing off a billion questions, which will piss everyone off.

The first thing you can do to help yourself and everyone else is to READ THE STICKIES.

Seriously man, finding your career and what is your purpose in life for the future is SUPPOSE to be a discovery process. Similarly like discovering something new, it takes TIME and EFFORT. You won't discover the cure to cancer overnight and similarly you won't discover what is your career just by asking around. It will be a lengthy and arduous process so you man up and get out there to do some work.

 

[toothexplore]

Holy eff. Google it or use the search function. If you're serious about jumping ship to dentistry, you're going to have to improve your common sense. This isn't medicine.

i would say asking questions is just as common sense as using a search engine. what are teachers for if we could just research everything ourselves?

 

[Khal87]

dds and dmd are the same thing, majority of applicants have a 4 yr degree and most schools dont take CC credits, (so i wouldnt go down the CC route.) Some states have minimum of 1 yr residency, where you would get paid 50K or so n then after that you're free to work wherever, other states allow you to work right after dental school ie. after the 4 years of dental school. Specializing requires more time and is more complex, (not sure about this because i dont plan on doing it.)

Actually according to the ADEA, many schools do take CC credits... Tufts and Boston are two of the few that do not accept CC credits, ironically Harvard take up to 60 CC credits

 

[nondescriptive]

Actually according to the ADEA, many schools do take CC credits... Tufts and Boston are two of the few that do not accept CC credits, ironically Harvard take up to 60 CC credits

Correct, most schools take CC credit.

 

[SeattleRDH]

At first, the DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) abbreviation was used by dental schools. Then people wanted a separation of surgery and medicine, so Harvard began awarding DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) degrees. Schools established after this also began awarding DMDs. There is no difference between a DDS and a DMD. The training that we all recieve is the same. I don't think there is a preference. According to ADEA, 24 of the 58 dental schools in the U.S. now award DMDs.

I'm pretty sure that Harvard started with DMD because they only award degrees in Latin. Dentariae Medicinae Doctor sounds a lot better than Chirurgae Dentium Doctoris which is Latin for Doctor of Dental Surgery. Schools after that just wanted to be cool like Harvard I guess.