The Canyon

Dentistry

Dentist treat people, not just teeth and mouths. They interact with people of all ages, cultures and personalities. About 90% of all dentists are in private practice; over half own their own practice within six years of graduation from dental school.

The dentist's typical day is diverse and interesting, involving:

Detection of diseases:
Dentists are often the first health care professionals to recognize and identify a wide variety of diseases, ranging from hypertension to cancer.
Diagnosis:
Dentists diagnose and treat problems affecting the teeth, gingival tissue, tongue, lips and jaws.
Esthetic improvement:
Dentists improve patients' appearance by using a wide variety of cosmetic dental procedures.
Surgical restoration:
To repair, restore and maintain the teeth, gums and oral tissues that have been lost or damaged by accidents or diseases, dentists perform trauma surgery, implants, tissue grafts and laser surgery.
Public education/prevention:
Dentists teach good habits for good health by educating their patients, as well as the general public, on oral health and disease prevention.
Dentists are artists as well as scientists:
To brighten one tooth or realign an entire jaw, dentists must have an artist's aesthetic sense to help their patients look their best.

Specialties:

80% of all dentists practice general dentistry; 20% are specialists.

Endodontists
diagnose and treat diseases and injuries of the dental pulp and other dental tissures that affect the vitality of teeth.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons
provide a broad range of diagnostic and treatment services for diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and associated structures.
Orthodontists
treat problems related to crooked teeth, missing teeth and other abnormalities to establish normal function and appearance.
Pediatric dentists
specialize in treating children from birth through adolescence. They may also treat special handicapped patients beyond the age of adolescence.
Periodontists
diagnose and treat diseases of the gums and bone supporting the teeth.
Prosthodontists
replace missing natural teeth with fixed or removable substitutes such as dentures, bridges and implants.
Public Health dentists
specialize in preventing and controlling dental diseases and promoting dental health through organized community efforts.

Professional Outlook

The American Dental Association foresees an impending workforce crisis in dentistry.  Older dentists are retiring at a faster rate than new dental school graduates are entering the profession.  The percentage of dentists in the United States has been declining since 1994, when there were 60.2 dentists per 100,000 people.  Projections for the year 2020 are for 54.2 dentists per 100,000 people.  Meanwhile, the average net income of full time, solo, private practice dentists has increased 78% from 1990-1999.  In 1999, this figure was $167,940.  In sum, now is an excellent time to apply to dental school.

Education

Although a few dental school will accept students with only two years of undergraduate education, including the prerequisite courses, and most will accept students with three years of undergraduate education, including the prerequisite courses, we recommend completing the Bachelor's degree before entering dental school.  82% of all dental school matriculates completed four years of pre- professional education and 68% received a degree before enrolling in dental school.

Dental school is four years long.  The admission requirements for dental school are almost identical with those for medical school:

In addition, art courses such as jewelry making and sculpture are recommended.  Dental schools often accept students who have completed the above requirements, but not their undergraduate degrees.

Admissions Information

Dental school applications have been declining for the past six years.  There were 7,538 applicants for a little more than 4,448 positions in 2002, down from 9,829 applicants in 1997.  The percentage of women applying to dental school, meanwhile, has increased from 36% to 44%.

The average GPA of dental school applicants in 2002 was 3.23.  The average science GPA of dental school applicants was 3.11.

All 56 U.S. dental schools require applicants to take the Dental Admission Test (DAT) which is administered on computer on almost any day of the year.  Visit our DAT pagefor more information. This examination is entirely multiple choice, takes just over half a day to administer, and consists of four separate examinations that cover the following:

Survey of Natural Sciences:
Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry
Perceptual Ability:
two and three dimensional problem-solving
Reading Comprehension:
dental and basic sciences
Quantitative Reasoning

Test application information: 312-440-2689.

AADSAS

For further information on dentistry, dental schools or the DAT contact: