Becoming a dentist?????

hi, I was wondering if anyone can give me some advise or suggestions about becoming a dentist? Right now I am in my first yr of college and I plan to become a dental hygienist, but I alos have an interest in becoming a dentist. But I heard its really hard to become one and its a big difference from becoming a hygienist. I dont know what to do and I am not sure if becoming a dentist is going to be too hard for me. any suggestions or advice.......what steps do I have to take in order to become one

Becoming a dentist?????
Start by going to a good college so you will have a better chance of admission to a dental school. You are already in college, so I hope you've started in a good one. Dental schools are becoming harder and harder to get into, so a good college helps.





It helps to look into the requirements for admission to a dental school and work backwards. This will help you choose your college major and it might even help you choose your college. Typically, it is easier to match up the requirements for dental school admission with the requirements of a science major and biology seems to be the closest match. You could be a history major if you wanted to be, but then all of your electives would probably be used up trying to take courses required for dental school admission.





If you KNOW you want to be a dentist now and if it is financially possible, I'd say to just go for it. Once you start work as a hygienist, it will be difficult to get back into the student frame of mind, not to mention, it will be difficult to pass the entrance exam (DAT) once you are "out of the loop" without some serious study and review.





It's not as difficult as the life of a surgical resident or anything, but dental school was the hardest school I attended. The class day was scheduled from 8 to 5 with an hour for lunch. I needed to spend a few hours at home every night just to be sure that I was current. That's the secret to getting through. (As if you have not heard this, even in high school...) Be sure that you know DAY'S work before you move on. Review every lecture and look up things that you don't understand. If you get lost in the second week, you will be hopelessly lost in the third and spinning your wheels uselessly after that.
Reply:You should probably be a science major to fullfill the requirements to get into dentistry school. You'll have to the take the Dental Admissions Test to get into a dentistry school. College courses like Biology, histology, organic chemistry would fulfill some of their requirements. For more information you should look at the admission requirements for one of the country's top dental schools.
Reply:I'm training to be a Dental Therapist in London. I don't know where abouts in the world you are, but this is also worth considering. It's a mix of dentistry and hygiene and you work under the direction of a dentist. Check out websites of the dental schools and find out what their admissions requirements are and get as much work experience in a dental practice as you possibly can. Dental schools get many applications for students with the same qualifications, so you need to stand out from the crowd. Generally, good grades in Chemistry and Biology are essential, sometimes Maths too, so follow the Science path!! Good luck.
Reply:Before talking,where r u living so that we can give sufficient knowledge?


Soon I'll be posting excerpts from my diaries:What you don't know about a dental student! on my blog:


http://dentiveto.blogspot.com
Reply:Dentistry is a great profession. But you need to be right for it and it needs to be right for you. You are obviously dealing with people and helping them on a daily basis -- but you do that as a hygienist as well. As a dentist, you are ultimately responsible for the care of your patient -- in most jurisdictions (US and Canada at least) a hygienist must work under the direction and supervision of a dentist. Dentists must be knowledgeable and proficient in many different procedures -- many of which are intricate and precise -- all the while ensuring your patient is as comfortable as possible.





A dentist's life is good. Above average income -- but you will not be a millionaire. Lots of responsibility -- to your patients, to your staff and to your practice. Dental school is challenging and can be expensive. Your undergradutate grades need to be very good and your Dental Aptitude Test score needs to be good as well. Loans are available -- but it will be a burden after you finish. But most dental students graduate with debt. Consider it an investment in your future.





If you are in the US go to www.ada.org, in Canada www.cda-adc.ca -- there are links to dental school, the application services and the DAT. Make sure you note the required courses of the schools you are interested in.





One thing you need to do is call and speak to your dentist, your parents' dentist, etc. Ask to visit their office for a few days. Talk to them, and talk to the hygienist. Spend a few days (or even weeks) there to get a good feel for it.