What Are The Requirements to Be a Dentist in Phoenix

It is imperative to begin from the basics before working it up to other details. Before you apply to dental school, you will need to have completed an accredited four year Bachelors Degree program. The curriculum includes general education and your coursework. Your decision to become a dentist automatically puts you in the science-related niche. This enables you meet the coursework requirements in order to be admitted into an approved dental school in Phoenix.

A picture of Michelle Kern a dentist in the Phoenix areaOn the other hands, there are schools that offer a pre-dental curriculum which you can enroll in. Your program of study may focus on such classes as human genetics, biology, physiology, organic chemistry, calculus and physics. You will take the dental admissions test (DAT) after you have successfully completed your Bachelors Degree. This is one of the most fundamental pre-requisite for dental school training in Phoenix. It is vital to mention that your dental school must be fully accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation.

It takes about 4 years to complete dental school in Phoenix. This qualifies you to earn a doctor of dental medicine degree or a doctor of dental surgery. Both degrees are equivalent and they meet the same curriculum requirements in line with the stipulations of ADA.

The first 2 years of your dental school program in Phoenix for general dentistry and emergency dentistry will be dedicated to laboratory projects and classroom study. The final 2 years would be more practical as you gain clinical experience under the supervision of practicing dentists. As an emergency dentist in Phoenix you might participate in classes such as histology, operative dentistry, oral medicine and gross anatomy. After graduation from dental school, you would have to pass the Arizona State Dental examinations before you can be licensed to practice dentistry in Phoenix.

What does it take to be licensed?

After you have earned a dental degree from an accredited School, you need to pass the written and clinical portions of the National Board Dental Examination. The results of this exam give the Arizona State Dental board a fair assessment of your knowledge of dental sciences and biomedical. Also, it gives them a good assessment of your dental qualifications.

What areas can you specialize?

Many dentists in Phoenix become General practitioners but there is a place of additional training if you want to be a specialist in a particular field of dentistry. Some of the areas you can specialize include pediatric dentistry, Prosthodontics, Orthodontics and Endodontics. Generally, Pediatrics provide Dental health services for Children while Prosthodontists improve the appearance of Patients and their Oral health by restoring missing Teeth. Orthodontists straighten teeth with braces and with other clinically approved apparatus. Endodontists specialize in the treatment of injured or diseased tooth pulp.

In order to get your full license in Phoenix, you need to complete between two to four years of Postgraduate study in your area of specialty. This would be capped by a two year Postgraduate Residency. You can pursue voluntary board Certification in your specialty. The dynamics of becoming a dentist in Phoenix is quite systematic but anyone who puts their heart to it can achieve their goals.

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