A career in dentistry involves more than filling cavities and pulling teeth. Dentists detect diseases, diagnose problems affecting teeth and mouth tissue, improve a patient's appearance, surgically restore tooth and gum health, and help prevent future problems. They also educate patients on ways to maintain a healthy mouth.
Most dentistry schools:
- Require four years of college before they admit you to their program.
- Require you to take the Dental Admission Test.
Typical pre-dentistry prerequisites
- General chemistry (two semesters)
- Organic chemistry (two semesters)
- Biochemistry (one semester)
- Physics (two semesters)
- English (two semesters)
- Biology (two to three semesters in zoology, embryology, or comparative anatomy)
- Psychology (one semester)