What Degree Do You Need to Become a Dentist? Your Complete Educational Path

Table of Contents

• Is a Specific Major Required for Dental School?
• Essential Prerequisite Courses for Dental School Applicants
• Strengthening Your Application During Undergrad (Beyond Grades)

• DDS vs. DMD: What’s the Real Difference?
• The Dental School Curriculum: What to Expect
• The Importance of Accreditation

• National and State Board Examinations
• Obtaining State Licensure

• Common Dental Specialties that Require Additional Training
• Residency Programs and Board Certification

1. Introduction: My Journey into Dentistry

When I first thought about becoming a dentist, I really didn’t know how many steps were needed. Like a lot of people, I typed “What degree do you need for dentist?” into a search bar and thought I’d get a fast answer. But as I soon found out, the journey to becoming a dentist isn’t one straight line—it’s a path with a lot of choices, some big challenges, and some pretty great moments.

Looking back, each big step stands out: getting my undergraduate degree, studying hard for the Dental Admission Test (DAT), and finally walking across the stage to get my Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS). At every stage, I hit problems, learned a lot, and was surprised more than a few times. If you’re just starting, I want to share everything I wish I knew from the beginning, step by step, so you can feel ready and sure during your own journey.

2. The Foundation: Your Undergraduate (Bachelor’s) Degree

Is a Specific Major Required for Dental School?

One of the first things I asked was, “Do I have to major in Biology to become a dentist?” The answer is no—you don’t. When I began college, I worried about this because I thought about switching majors a couple times. What really matters is finishing the classes dental schools ask for, not which subject you major in.

In my class, I saw people with degrees in Chemistry, Biochemistry, even English or Psychology. Dental schools actually like having students from different backgrounds, as long as they’ve got the basics done. Still, picking something like Biology or Chemistry can help since those majors usually already have most of the needed classes.

Essential Prerequisite Courses for Dental School Applicants

Dental schools want you to know your science basics—no way around it. For me, these were the must-have classes everyone needed to finish (and get good grades in):

• Biology with labs: Big focus on how the body works, including the mouth.
• General Chemistry with labs: Useful for dental science and medicines.
• Organic Chemistry with labs: This one can be tough, but it’s needed for understanding things like biochemistry.
• Physics with labs: This may not seem related to teeth, but it helps you think better.
• English/Communication: You need to be good at talking with people in dentistry.
• Math (Calculus or Statistics): Most dental schools want at least one math class.
• Biochemistry: More and more schools want this, and it’s always helpful for today’s dentistry.

I kept track of all my deadlines to finish these courses and talked to my school’s health advisor often to make sure I had everything done.

Strengthening Your Application During Undergrad (Beyond Grades)

Good grades are important, but I learned that they aren’t everything. Dental schools want students who are balanced and involved. Here are things I did to help my own application:

• Good GPA, especially for science classes: In my year, students who got in usually had a GPA between 3.5 and 3.7 (with science GPAs a bit lower but still good).
• Dental Admission Test (DAT): Most students who get in score about 20-22+. I studied for months and took lots of practice tests.
• Shadowing experience: I watched a few different dentists work in their offices. This helped me know what I was getting into and proved to schools that I was serious.
• Volunteer work: I helped out at a free dental clinic. I saw what real patients need and showed I wanted to help people.
• Research: I joined a research project with one of my teachers. Not required, but it made my application stand out.
• Good letters of recommendation: Building real relationships with professors and dentists helped. Their strong letters gave me an edge.

By the time I sent in my applications, these activities outside the classroom had helped me as much as my grades had.

3. The Core Professional Degree: Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)

DDS vs. DMD: What’s the Real Difference?

When letters from dental schools arrived, I saw some schools gave a DDS and others gave a DMD. At first I wondered, “Is one better than the other?” Actually, they are exactly the same.

Both degrees teach you the same things, cover the same training, and prepare you the same way. The only real difference is the name. It’s just a tradition—some schools like one title, some like the other. When you finish, you can do the same jobs no matter which three letters are after your name.

The Dental School Curriculum: What to Expect

The first day of dental school, I felt excited and nervous. What’s it really like? Busy, hard, but also one of the best times I’ve had. Most dental schools are four years, broken up like this:

Years 1 – 2: Classes and Pre-Clinic Work

These are the science years. You’ll take classes like:

• Human Anatomy and Physiology
• Dental Anatomy
• Biochemistry and Pharmacology
• Oral Pathology

These early years also include lab time, where you practice on special “dummy” heads and teeth before seeing real patients. I spent lots of time learning to drill and fill teeth before I ever worked on a person. It felt tough, but it made me better.

Years 3 – 4: Clinic Rotations & Patient Care

By the third year, you’re working with real patients each week. In clinic, you practice all sorts of dental procedures, like:

• Fillings and crowns
• Root canals
• Gum treatments
• Dentures and bridges
• Tooth pulling and kids’ dental work
• Braces and tooth alignment

Every week brought something new, and I learned a ton from real people’s cases. Between taking care of patients, studying, and working on research, these years were busy but pushed my skills to new places.

The Importance of Accreditation

Before applying to schools, I always made sure the programs were accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Why does this matter? Only students who finish CODA-approved schools can take the licensing tests and get a dentist license in the U.S. If you skip this, it could stop your dentist career before it starts, so always check this first.

4. After Dental School: Licensing and Entry into Practice

National and State Board Examinations

After graduating, I felt great, but I wasn’t a dentist yet. I still had to pass some hard tests:

• Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE): This replaced the old NBDE exams while I was still in training. It checks to see if you know your stuff clinically and can make good decisions for patients.
• State Clinical Board Exam: Each state has its own hands-on test. I had to show my skills, often by doing real dental work on a live patient or fake one.

Both tests take a lot of studying and practice. I used review courses, made study groups, and pretended to be in real-life clinic situations to get ready. Once I passed, I could apply for my license.

Obtaining State Licensure

After the tests, I applied to my state’s board for a license. This included background checks, a ton of paperwork, and sometimes a few extra steps for my state. When I finally got my (expensive) license on the wall, I was officially a dentist.

But learning never ends. Most states, including mine, want dentists to keep studying new things every year to keep their license up to date.

5. Optional Advanced Education: Pursuing a Dental Specialty

Common Dental Specialties that Require Additional Training

After getting my DDS, I thought about going into a specialty. While most people become general dentists (and love it), some classmates of mine went on to specialize. These include:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Orthodontics
• Gum (Periodontics) Care
• Root Canal (Endodontics)
• Dentures/Bridges (Prosthodontics)
• Pediatric (Children’s) Dentistry
• Oral Pathology
• Public Dental Health
• Oral Radiology

To get into these areas, you need more school—usually two to six extra years of training after getting your DDS or DMD. I watched friends start these tough programs, working toward more board testing at the end.

Residency Programs and Board Certification

Specialty programs are full of hands-on training. My friends in braces (orthodontics) spent years straightening teeth, and the ones in surgery learned how to remove wisdom teeth and do big jaw repairs. Once their training was done, they passed one more test and became board-certified in their specialties. This let them do advanced work, teach, or take on bigger roles.

6. Key Statistics and Data for Aspiring Dentists

I wish I had seen the numbers when I was starting out. Here are some basic facts that really help you see what’s ahead:

These numbers give you a real idea of the time and money you’ll put in if you want to be a dentist.

7. Conclusion: Is This the Right Path for You?

Now that you’ve seen the steps, you may wonder, “Is all this worth it?” For me, it really is. Dentistry is a respected job, but also a way to truly help people every day. The schooling was tough. The money part was scary. And yes, I’m still paying off my college loans.

But seeing someone happy after fixing their teeth, every tough time feels worth it. If you’re careful, patient, and truly want to help, this job is a great fit.

One last thing: While planning your future, feel free to reach out to dentists, school advisors, or even dental labs to see what the work is really like. For instance, watching how a crown and bridge lab or a zirconia lab makes dental pieces can help you see the technical parts of today’s dentistry. These things, along with shadowing, turn dentistry from just an idea into a real and exciting career.

So, if you’re curious and ready to work, get started. The world needs more kind, skilled dentists—maybe that will be you!