Dentistry

Careers in Dentistry

Dentists (DDS, DMD) evaluate, diagnose, prevent and/or treat diseases, disorders, and/or conditions of the oral cavity. They advise their patients on oral health and disease prevention as well as perform clinical procedures such as fillings, crowns, implants, extractions, and corrective surgeries.While dentists diagnose and treat problems affecting the teeth, gingival tissue, tongue, lips and jaws, they are often the first health care professionals to detect and identify a wide variety of diseases. Dentists perform trauma surgery, implants, tissue grafts and laser surgery.

Clinical Involvement

Clinical involvement is a crucial part of the pre-health journey, as it will help you to explore and confirm your interest in the profession and demonstrate a commitment to serving others. While there is not a required number of clinical hours for the medical school application, you should plan to spend a significant amount of time outside of class gaining experience in clinical settings to strengthen your application. 

Application Process

Below is a list of action steps to plan for when you are applying to medical school. This is a simplified version of a multifaceted process, so we recommend meeting with a Pre-Health Advisor at least once per year to make sure you are on the right track. 

Academic Prerequisites

Pre-requisite course requirements vary widely by individual school. You should determine specific requirements for programs of choice using the:
For Canadian schools, you should determine specific requirements for programs of choice using the:
For American schools, you should determine specific requirements for programs of choice using the:
CourseRequired for Canadian Schools?Required for American Schools?
Introductory BiologyYesYes
General ChemistryYesYes
Organic ChemistryYesYes
PhysicsMostYes
BiochemistryYesYes
EnglishSomeSome
MathematicsSomeSome
Anatomy & PhysiologySomeSome
Humanities & Social SciencesSomeFew
*Some dental schools may require different courses. Make sure to check your program’s requirements before selecting courses.

Manual Dexterity Development

During the admission process, dental schools look for evidence of your psychomotor skills to perform the necessary dexterity tasks dentistry demands. Consider some of the following tasks or identify others to help you practice this important skill set:
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