Dentist

Dentistry

Dentists work to maintain the health of teeth, gums, and other tissues of the oral cavity. Along with dentists who provide care directly to patients, the field of dentistry is also comprised of individuals who teach, conduct research, and work in public and international health. Dentists diagnose, prevent, and treat problems with the various parts of the mouth. This can include filling cavities, straightening teeth, and performing corrective surgery on gums and supporting bones. Dentists also administer anesthetics and write prescriptions for antibiotics and other medications. Those dentists working in private practice must also oversee many administrative tasks, including scheduling, bookkeeping, and buying equipment and supplies.

Why Consider a Dental Career?

  • Dentistry is not generally subject ot the effects of managed care and reductions in federal funding that have affected other health care professions.
  • The lifestyle of a private practice dentist is generally predictable and self-determined.
  • Net average incomes for dentists in private practice have increased by nearly 80%.
  • Dentists enjoy unusual loyalty among their patients.
  • The net hourly income of dentists now exceeds that of family physicians, general internists, and pediatricians.
  • The entire dental profession is a the forefront of importnt new research substantiating the relationship between oral health and systemic health.
  • Dentists are generally able to enter practice directly upon completion of the four years of dental school.
  • While more graduates of dental schools eventually choose to set up private practices, tyhe profession offers a wide range of clinical, research and academic opportunities to both new graduates and dentists at later stages of their careers.

Areas of Specialty

While most dentists work as general practitioners, their are also 9 specialty fields, typically requiring one to four years of additional training beyond the dental degree.

  • Orthodontics is the science of tooth and oral structure development. The orthodontist treats problems relating to irregular and abnormal dental development.
  • Oral Surgery is concerned with diseases, injuries, and defects in the jaw and associated structures.
  • Periodontics is the field dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the oral mucous membranes, gum, and bone that surround the teeth.
  • Pediatric Dentistry (pedodontics) deals with the dental health of children and young adults who have not yet reached dental maturity.
  • Endodontics focuses on diseases affecting the pulp (nerve) and other tissues.
  • Prosthodontics is the field responsible for replacing natural teeth with fixed or removable substitutes.
  • Oral pathology deals with studying the causes and effects of diseases of the mouth. Oral pathologists often counsel other dentists, as opposed to treating patients directly.
  • The Dental public health field is responsible for preventing and controlling dental diseases by treating the community rather than the individual patient.
  • Oral Radiology is the newest specialty recognized by the ADA, yet its practitioners have yet to declare specialist status.

Dentistry Skills and Attributes

Not only must dentists be able to diagnose problems, but they must also be able to fix the problem, requiring diagnostic and manual skills. Good visual memory, excellent judgment of space and shape, great manual dexterity, and scientific ability are all vital to dentists. In private practice, good business sense, self-discipline, and communication skills are also important.

Recommended Undergraduate Preparation

Dental schools admit students from a variety of educational backgrounds, so their is no specific required or preferred major. Yet, it is important to remember that there are prerequisites that must be completed before beginning dental studies. These requirements vary between schools, but typically include courses from general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, and physics. Requirements for each school can be found via the school's application materials.

As with many other fields and programs, dental schools like to see applicants who have participated in extra-curricular activities.

Te application process for dental school begins one year prior to the expected year of admission. To organize applications and make the process easier, 50 of 55 dental schools in the U.S. participate in the American Association of Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS). AADSAS applications can be completed online at http://www.adea.org each spring. Applicants to AADSAS participating schools simply fill out one application and AADSAS provides the student's information to the requested schools. Application materials for the 5 U.S. dental schools that do not participate in the AADSAS can be obtained directly from the school.

The Dental Admissions Test (DAT) is the standardized test used by dental schools in comparing applicants. The DAT is designed to be taken after completion of most of the prerequisite courses. It is recommended that the test be taken well before the time for application and interviewing, preferably the spring before the year you expect to begin dental classes.

Links for More Information

Illinois Wesleyan Contact Person

For more information, contact Warren Kistner, director of the Career Center, at 556-3071, or via email: wkistner@titan.iwu.edu. You can also contact Professor Jeff Frick, via email: jfrick@titan.iwu.edu, or phone: 556-3159.