Imagine a world without dentists. When we have a toothache who would we go to? Would we go to an eye doctor? Would we go to a foot doctor? I don’t see much good in going to neither of those, because their knowledge lie in other areas. So basically you would be out of luck.
If you would look at the years of education that it takes to become a dentist, you can not help but to respect the profession. https://collegegrad.com/careers/dentists To be a dentist you complete your bachelor’s degree. After completing your bachelor’s you will then enter a dental school. In dental school you will learn various activities such as how to apply different types of anesthesia, how to use diagnose different oral diseases etc. Educating dental students about the use of anesthesia is vital. Most dental procedures are painful, because they cause pain, with anesthesia the pain is alleviated. Local anesthesia numbs particular parts of the body, in this instant it is the mouth. With anesthesia, while the dentist is conducting surgery, the patient can relax a little. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/a/anesthesia-and-sedation
In dental school, learning how to diagnose different types of diseases is important. There are hundreds of diseases that concern the mouth. In dental school learning how to identify these diseases, so that recommendations can be made, is important.
Prior to being allowed to enter into dental school. the student must pass the Dental Admission Test (DAT). Once this test is passed the student can choose whichever dental school that he/she feel can provide the best education. To make sure that dental students given the best training, dental schools are required to have some type of clinical training. Clinical training is different from book/computer training. Clinical training actually gives students hand on training. During this training dental students work directly with patients. When working with real patients, the student is closely watched by their supervisors or by a dentist who is licensed. This type of training boosts the confidence and drive of the students, which motivates them to move forward.
Many dentists after graduating, decide to advance even further pursuing specialities. Some specialities are Periodontists, Prosthodontists, Oral Pathologists, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and more. Periodontists study and treat the diseases of the gum and bones in the mouth. Prosthodontists specializes in the placement of bridges, crowns, fixtures etc. Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons specialize in performing surgery in the mouth, jaws, gums neck, head etc. And Oral Pathologists study how to diagnose cancer in the mouth, ulcers and other diseases. When a dentists decides to continue his studying, he is required to attend a residency program. He/she will attend this program for between 2-4 years. The studying is intense and goes deep into the core of that particular subject. And lastly, if the dentist wants to become a professor and teach dentistry to others, then of course he will have to remain in school. The student will need to continue for another 2-5 years, in what is called advanced dental training. So whether you are a dentist kennewick wa or a dentist in austin tx, you must be fully educated and trained before you can actually began your practice.
All practicing dentists must be licensed in the state in which they are practicing. Depending on the state in which the dentist wants to practice, the rules will vary. For example, some states require that all of their dentists take and pass an exam called National Board Dental Examinations, along with graduating from an accredited dental school.