I want to become a dentist

[BruceWayne45]

I'm a sophomore in High School and I want to become a dentist. I want to know the best classes to take, best colleges to choose from, and good programs to to get into.

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[Kahr]

Like any other pre-professional track, you can major in anything you're interested in.

Dentistry requires most of the same pre-requisite courses that the other professional schools require: 1 year of biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. Many also requiring biochemistry, anatomy and/or physiology, microbiology, and calculus and/or statistics (though this last one is fewer than medical schools). It is recommended by most dental schools (as it is with medical schools) that you try to get in some upper level biology courses such as: genetics, histology, immunology, etc.

There is no best college. The best college is the one you're either A) happy going to, and/or B) cheaper. I'm not going to get into the silly debate about rankings and ivy league, etc. If you kick ass at the college you go to and do well on the DAT (Dental Admission Test, comparable to the MCAT without the essay section, and switching the physics section with a mathematics/quantitative reasoning section), you have the chance of getting into ANY dental school.

While I myself attended community college extensively, it is very strongly recommended that you take all of your pre-requisite courses and science courses in general at a 4 year university, and that you keep your number of community college credits to a minimum. Many dental schools have limits on number of community college credits accepted and many also enforce rules regarding the pre-req courses and other sciences being taken only at a 4 year university.

When you ask about "good programs" to get into, are you referring to dental schools? If so, then like the undergraduate institution you choose, it only matters about where you'll be happy and again, cost of attendance. Some people will nit pick regarding school based on specialization rates, saying you should go to an ivy league school like Columbia if you really want to specialize. I think it's important to remember that you need to do very well in dental school no matter which one you attend if you want to get into that residency; i.e. going to Columbia doesn't guarantee you're also going into orthodontics. My opinion: get into the school that gives you the best scholarship or tuition. Of course, like I said, the best school might instead be the school you're most happiest with, and for some people, getting into Harvard might trump saving $100,000 in terms of happiness.

Hope this helps, and best of luck with your undergraduate studies.

 

[da8s0859q]

I'm a sophomore in High School and I want to become a dentist. I want to know the best classes to take, best colleges to choose from, and good programs to to get into.

Not a dental student, but it would be worth your time to search a little and see what you can find on this sort of thing.

 

[Cephal0pod]

 

[davidbm95]

I'm a sophomore in High School and I want to become a dentist. I want to know the best classes to take, best colleges to choose from, and good programs to to get into.

I think Pre-Dental could help you out a little more.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Generally your main goal right now is to get the best gpa / sat/act score and get into a good school with a scholarship. Then everything will fall into place in the next few years.
In high school just take AP Bio and AP chem to prep for college. Also explore AP psych and AP history to do culture yourself and explore a major like psych instead of traditional biology.

In college overall you'll take the prereqs and maybe a few upper level courses that will help you on the DAT. But otherwise nothing in college will prep you for dental school as the courses are specialized and many are hands on ( you're not going to learn how to drill and make crowns or even the theory in college).

 

[Kahr]

Generally your main goal right now is to get the best gpa / sat/act score and get into a good school with a scholarship. Then everything will fall into place in the next few years.
In high school just take AP Bio and AP chem to prep for college. Also explore AP psych and AP history to do culture yourself and explore a major like psych instead of traditional biology.

In college overall you'll take the prereqs and maybe a few upper level courses that will help you on the DAT. But otherwise nothing in college will prep you for dental school as the courses are specialized and many are hands on ( you're not going to learn how to drill and make crowns or even the theory in college).

This isn't exactly true. While the pre-reqs are in-line with the DAT, many upper level biology courses can prepare you to some extent for the first year of dental school (which is more sciences than hands on dentistry). Having a solid background in biochemistry, histology, microbio, anatomy, etc will aid in preparing you for the "fire hose" of science courses you'll face.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

This isn't exactly true. While the pre-reqs are in-line with the DAT, many upper level biology courses can prepare you to some extent for the first year of dental school (which is more sciences than hands on dentistry). Having a solid background in biochemistry, histology, microbio, anatomy, etc will aid in preparing you for the "fire hose" of science courses you'll face.

I don't disagree per say, but they will be helpful for literally as many students state for 2 weeks before you exceed the content. So really you might as well just chill and take some classes to boost your gpa and enjoy life. No amount of anatomy in undergrad will make anatomy in dental or medical school easier, even SMP students who take grad level anatomy don't have much advantage.

 

[lemoncurry]

I don't disagree per say, but they will be helpful for literally as many students state for 2 weeks before you exceed the content. So really you might as well just chill and take some classes to boost your gpa and enjoy life. No amount of anatomy in undergrad will make anatomy in dental or medical school easier, even SMP students who take grad level anatomy don't have much advantage.

You have a point there, but one thing that taking lots of upper division courses does is it pushes you to keep learning. There is rarely a time in dental school when you can rest on your laurels because you have learned all there is to learn. The material keeps coming and you have to keep pushing. If you get a taste of that in undergrad, it will help. You're not trying to learn everything before dental school, it's more about getting yourself in the habit of working hard.

 

[Toothshucker]

I don't disagree per say, but they will be helpful for literally as many students state for 2 weeks before you exceed the content. So really you might as well just chill and take some classes to boost your gpa and enjoy life. No amount of anatomy in undergrad will make anatomy in dental or medical school easier, even SMP students who take grad level anatomy don't have much advantage.

Not really true. If you actually learn anatomy while you take the undergrad course (instead of memorizing/forgetting after the course), then you have more time to study in other areas. I learned all the muscles, bones (and features), origins/insertions, major nerves/vessels for the upper/lower limb section in undergrad. This has allowed me to spend most of my time concentrating on the more complicated and harder to find vessels and nerves during lab.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Not really true. If you actually learn anatomy while you take the undergrad course (instead of memorizing/forgetting after the course), then you have more time to study in other areas. I learned all the muscles, bones (and features), origins/insertions, major nerves/vessels for the upper/lower limb section in undergrad. This has allowed me to spend most of my time concentrating on the more complicated and harder to find vessels and nerves during lab.

I'm sincerely doubtful that anyone remembers half of the anatomy you'll learn 3 months after it is done unless you're constantly using it. Which is fine since you'll relearn multiple times between now, board time, and when you specialize and familiarize.

 

[Toothshucker]

I'm sincerely doubtful that anyone remembers half of the anatomy you'll learn 3 months after it is done unless you're constantly using it. Which is fine since you'll relearn multiple times between now, board time, and when you specialize and familiarize.

Oh, ok.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Oh, ok.

I'm not doubting you or that it is possible, and I certainly don't want to appear to be challenging you as you certainly know more than I regarding this. But in the end at least from my perspective ( I took A&P 1 nearly 2 years ago and remember even half of the bones in the skull if you asked me to point them out) It's going to be a low yield endeavor..