Dental Education

The chronicle of dental education has always experienced change as well as continuity. With the advancement of science and technology in the field of Dentistry, the system of education in the dental sphere has evolved more sophisticated not only in substance but also in method. In the second half of the last century, dental education meant apprenticeship training which was highly self-taught. Today the whole scenario of dental education has been replaced by a formal instruction method of lengthy periods. In this 21st century, the university based schools of dental education are thriving big time and the postgraduate dental degrees, both in the general and the specialized fields, have become more widespread.

In the United States, there are 57 accredited dental schools. As a result, getting through the selection process is quite competitive. What counts the most in the multi faceted admission procedure are the GPA and the DAT scores which sieve out the most extraordinary students off the lot. If you have made up your mind to go for the dental studies, it would be worthwhile to consider preparing right from the junior years of high school. For a first step, enroll for classes offering pre-dentistry coaching. The next step would be investigating the various dentistry programs available in the different colleges and universities and their eligibility requirements.

Taking a DAT prep-course would help in more ways than one. Taking online tests and practicing from the sample test papers would groom you well and acquaint you with the examination format. There are scores of pre-dental websites with discussion groups and message boards. Participating in them will give you in-depth information. In dental education both clinical experience as well as coursework plays a major role. While the curricula may differ from one program to the other, the core courses remain the same almost. Every course introduces education on dental anatomy, occlusion, dental materials, oral pathology and fixed Prosthodontics.