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What to expect in dental school
Written by: No Doubt Marketing
Dental schools are not like college
Attending dental school isn't like attending college. At college, you typically go to class and learn from lectures. At dental schools, there are lectures to be learned from, but that isn't all--you also learn from dental labs. The dental lab is where you first learn how to create teeth from melted wax and practice drilling out cavities. Plus, most dental schools are in session all year, unlike college which holds classes during semesters.
Don't expect to be able to hold down a full-time job while you are attending dental school--it simply isn't possible. Many college students are able to do this, but there just isn't enough free time during dental school. Most dental schools hold classes five days per week, and classes (or labs) are held for at least several hours per day. Also, dental school gives students a couple of weeks off during the summer--unlike colleges, which offer students the entire summer away from schooling.
Dental tech schools offer hands-on training
All of this time in dental school really helps people to learn how to become skilled at dentistry. Lecture subjects often include gross human anatomy, pathology, physiology, biochemistry, dental anatomy and occlusion, oral biology, and many more. All of this information takes time to learn, which is why dental schools are in session all week.
Most dental schools could rightly be called 'dental tech schools,' since the labs that are offered are so comprehensive and technical. Students are taught how to give injections, how to chart and clean teeth, and much more--and this is all within the first two years of dental school. All of this is done without any contact with real patients. After students have completed two years of dental school, they must take the National Dentist Boards, part 1. This part deals with all of the knowledge that has been learned during these two years. Students must pass this test in order to be able to start treating patients during the third year of dental school.
The last two years of dental school
During the last two years of dental school, students will begin hands-on training with actual patients--and it is heavily supervised. There is still a great deal of coursework to be completed during this time; however, there are usually just a couple of hours of lectures per day. Students must learn about oral medicine, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, and more. But, most of the time in dental school is now spent on the dental clinic floor treating patients.
After schooling is complete, students must take the National Dental Boards, part 2. This involves a series of pratical exams where the students must perform dental procedures on live patients and on plastic teeth in front of dental examiners.
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