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How To Become a Dentist

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How to become a dentist varies depending on the country you live in, but it requires the same dedication and skills to be a great dentist, no matter of your nationality. Regardless of where you live however, there are a number of steps to become a dentist that will help you along the way. Being a dentist is a very exciting and highly rewarding career. You will need a university degree in order to become a dentist. Let’s take a look at some of the things you can do to help you prepare to become a dentist.

Volunteering
One great way to get involved in the world of dentistry is to offer your services as a volunteer at a dental office. You will be able to have some involvement in the procedures and you will experience the different things a dentist gets to do. Perhaps you can even receive some training, such as on how to sterilize equipment. All of this will look very good for you when you apply to go to university and it will already give you a baseline of knowledge. Working as a dental assistant will also help you on the road of becoming a dentist and it will be very useful once you start your dental training.

Preparing for University
If you want to become a dentist, there are a number of subjects in school that you should be very good at. These include math and science (mainly biology and chemistry). You may also be able to take some preparatory classes at a local college. Think of things such as biology, liberal arts, algebra, chemistry and so on. There are often short courses in these subjects and if you can take part in these, you will find the rest of the dentistry education a lot more manageable.

Finding out Requirements
Next, you need to find out what the requirements are to get into university to become a dentist. In some parts of the United States, for instance, you need to major in science in college. Other parts don’t have these requirements, but they do have others. In the UK, a minimum grade on GCSE for maths and English may be necessary. If you want to go to college first, you could choose such subjects as organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, biology and physics. Most of the time, going to dental university requires an undergraduate degree, which generally takes four years to complete. Contact your local education board and universities near you to find out more information.

Becoming a dentist will take quite a long time. There are many reasons as to why become a dentist is a good idea. The career is rewarding, you might be able to work for yourself and no two days will ever be the same. However, if you are wondering how long does it take to become a dentist, you may need to prepare yourself for quite some time. Some people have been able to complete the entire program in around six years, but it is more likely to take eight to ten. This may seem like a long time, but if you consider a standard dentist salary, you may start to understand that dentist education is definitely worth it. Make sure you speak to your local education board about the steps to become a dentist, which will help you prepare better. Good luck as a dental student!

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