Thinking about pursuing denistry

[lavenderhearts]

I have been investigating mouth health ever since I got my wisdom teeth taken out two months ago and it was a success. I got to experience when the dentist was taking out the teeth because I was awake even though I had been put to sleep. After, I thought about being a dental hygienist and doing the same thing all day isn't my thing. I like a variety in the tasks I have to do in a day when I'm working. Also, I saw a video of a dental hygienist cleaning teeth. It was kind of boring. Then I watched a video of a Dentist taking out someone's wisdom teeth and it amazed me how he was able to get the tooth out so quick and efficiently, so I'm really thinking about being a dentist and I know there is more to being a dentist than pulling teeth. I would like for you aspiring dentists to tell me the ins and out of dentistry and how I can get started with pursuing the career?

 

[TourdeTeeth]

First things first, there are a million posts already made about being a dentist. Please investigate those because most people won't respond nicely to a post that has been asked a hundred times before. I'll post some of the basic guidelines below for getting accepting to dental school and what you need to do.

1. Shadow. Call your dentist or any dentists in your area and ask if you can shadow. Most places will be receptive to this. Find out if it is actually a career for you. Watching videos and reading things online is one thing, but actually viewing dentistry in person is a whole other ballgame. Most schools require over 50-100 hours minimum of shadowing, though the more the better. I had 400+ hours when I applied.
2. Get a bachelors degree while taking pre-reqs for dental school. The easiest degrees for dental school are science degrees because you have to take most dental school pre-reqs to graduate with those degrees anyways. Search dental schools and see what their requirements are. Most schools have similar requirements, while a few schools require an extra class or two.
3. Get a 3.5 overall gpa or above with a 3.5 science gpa. It's possible to get accepted with a lower gpa, I did it myself. But it's so much easier to get accepted with a high gpa.
4. Do community service every time you can. The minimum requirement is 100 hours for most schools, though the more you volunteer the better. I know people who had 1,000+ hours.
5. Kick butt on the Dental Admissions Test (it's like the MCAT but for dental school). You want a score of at least a 19 to be competitive.
6. Do things to make yourself stand out. Become president of extra-curricular clubs, build houses for the poor, etc.

 

[lavenderhearts]

First things first, there are a million posts already made about being a dentist. Please investigate those because most people won't respond nicely to a post that has been asked a hundred times before. I'll post some of the basic guidelines below for getting accepting to dental school and what you need to do.

1. Shadow. Call your dentist or any dentists in your area and ask if you can shadow. Most places will be receptive to this. Find out if it is actually a career for you. Watching videos and reading things online is one thing, but actually viewing dentistry in person is a whole other ballgame. Most schools require over 50-100 hours minimum of shadowing, though the more the better. I had 400+ hours when I applied.
2. Get a bachelors degree while taking pre-reqs for dental school. The easiest degrees for dental school are science degrees because you have to take most dental school pre-reqs to graduate with those degrees anyways. Search dental schools and see what their requirements are. Most schools have similar requirements, while a few schools require an extra class or two.
3. Get a 3.5 overall gpa or above with a 3.5 science gpa. It's possible to get accepted with a lower gpa, I did it myself. But it's so much easier to get accepted with a high gpa.
4. Do community service every time you can. The minimum requirement is 100 hours for most schools, though the more you volunteer the better. I know people who had 1,000+ hours.
5. Kick butt on the Dental Admissions Test (it's like the MCAT but for dental school). You want a score of at least a 19 to be competitive.
6. Do things to make yourself stand out. Become president of extra-curricular clubs, build houses for the poor, etc.

Thank you for the insight and I didn't know so much shadowing hours were involved but I will try my best to do what have said to do.