Dentistry

What is Dentistry?
Dentistry is an occupation devoted to maintaining the health of the teeth, gums, and other hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity. In addition to individuals who provide direct care, the dental profession includes those who teach, conduct research and work in public and international health. Dentists diagnose, prevent, and treat teeth and tissue problems. They remove decay, fill cavities, examine x-rays, place protective plastic sealants on children's teeth, straighten teeth, and repair fractured teeth. They also perform corrective surgery on gums and supporting bones to treat gum diseases. Dentists extract teeth and make models and measurements for dentures to replace missing teeth. They provide instruction on diet, brushing, flossing, the use of fluorides, and other aspects of dental care, as well. They also administer anesthetics and write prescriptions for antibiotics and other medications. Dentists in private practice oversee a variety of administrative tasks, including bookkeeping, and buying equipment and supplies.

Areas of Specialty
The majority of dentists act as general practitioners, performing oral diagnosis, rehabilitation, restoring damaged or missing tooth structures, and providing preventive oral health care. In addition, there are nine dental specialties, which typically require one to four years of additional training beyond the dental degree and enumerate as follows.

Orthodontics is the science of tooth and oral structure development. As such, the orthodontist treats problems related to irregular and abnormal dental development.

Oral surgery is concerned with diseases, injuries, and defects in the jaw and associated structures.

Periodontics is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases that affect the oral mucous membranes, gum and bone that surround and support the teeth.

Pediatric dentistry or Pedodontics is concerned exclusively with the treatment of children, adolescents, and young adults whose dental development is not complete.

Endodontics deals with diseases of the pulp (nerve) and other dental tissues.

Prosthodontics is the science and art of replacing missing natural teeth with fixed or removable substitutes.

Oral pathology deals with the nature of diseases of the mouth, studying their causes, processes, and effects. As a diagnostician, the oral pathologist often provides counsel to other dentists rather than treating patients directly.

Dental public health is a form of dental practice that treats the community rather than the individual patient for the purpose of prevention and control of dental diseases.

Oral Radiology is the newest specialty recently recognized and in the development process by the ADA. While it has been recognized it may be many years before practitioners will announce specialist status.

DEGREES OFFERED
There are two degrees offered by the 57 U.S. Schools of Dentistry, D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine) degree or the more traditional D.D.S. (Doctor of Dental Surgery) degree. Both degrees are equivalent and require the same schooling, board exams, and licensure.

EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
The character of dentistry is in the process of changing due to new research findings and the creation of new dental services. There is an expected increase in demand for dental service for an aging population, as well as in rural and inner-city areas with underserved populations. The profession is a rewarding one with the average income ranking in the upper five percent of family incomes in the United States.

RELATED OCCUPATIONS
Dentists examine, diagnose, prevent, and treat diseases and abnormalities. Other similar careers for exploration are clinical psychologists, optometrists, physicians, chiropractors, veterinarians, and podiatrists.

CAREER EXPLORATION
A combination of written information, experiential opportunities, testimonials or exposure to others and academic experience are helpful in exploring possible career opportunities. The Career Center affords various resources and services to assist students in this process including the Career Center Library, Workshops, Counseling, Assessments, and special programming. A career in dentistry requires manual dexterity, spatial, perceptual and scientific ability, and a desire to help and educate people. Make sure this is the career you desire and be prepared to take the necessary steps to reach your goals.

HEALTH CARE RELATED INTERNSHIPS
Experiential educational and volunteer programs are an excellent way to expand your knowledge of the health professions beyond the classroom. Participation in health related internships will strengthen your application to professional schools and provide exposure experiences that can be highlighted in the personal statement. A select number of health care internships focusing on research, legislation and public policy are available through the Career Center's internship office on a local, national and international basis. A sampling of internship opportunities include (but are not limited to) the National Institute of Health, the Surgeon General's Office, Cedar Sinai, AIDS Action, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services and the American Heart Association. Visit the Career Center's Internship and Study Abroad Services Office for a resource sheet handout providing an overview of health related internships. Please visit career.ucla.edu for more information.

MOCK INTERVIEW
Interview policies vary widely among schools: some require personal interviews; some give no interviews at all. Some dental schools may require chalk-carving tests during the interview. To assist with this process, the Career Center offers Interviewing workshops as well as an opportunity to receive a mock interview and feedback to help you prepare for your actual interviews.

PERSONAL STATEMENT
On the AADSAS application, a section is provided for students to write a personal statement/essay. It is limited to one page and must fit within the space allotted. For assistance with developing this statement, the career center has several books and will be coordinating workshops and content critiques with Academics in the Commons.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
The Career Center offers UCLA students and alumni a service which stores and sends letters of recommendation to graduate schools. To open a PPS letter file, visit career.ucla.edu. All letters should be forwarded directly to the Career Center by the author, as these are confidential documents. Career Center will forward these to AADSAS upon written request.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES CAREER CENTER LAB
BARRON'S GUIDE TO MEDICAL & DENTAL SCHOOLS, 10th ed. by Dr. Saul Wischnitzer & Edith Wischnitzer

DENTISTRY: A UNIQUE PROFESSION [video: 12 minutes] by the American Dental Association

GETTING INTO DENTAL SCHOOL: ASDA’S GUIDE FOR PREDENTAL STUDENTS by the American Student Dental Association

OFFICIAL GUIDE TO DENTAL SCHOOLS, 2005-2006, 43rd ed. American Dental Education Association

THE PRE-DENTAL GUIDE: A GUIDE FOR SUCCESSFULLY GETTING INTO DENTAL SCHOOL by Joseph S. Kim

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS OF UNITED STATES AND CANADIAN DENTAL SCHOOLS: 1999-2000, 36th ed. American Association of Dental Schools

BARRON'S GUIDE TO MEDICAL & DENTAL SCHOOLS, 8th ed. Dr. Saul Wischnitzer & Edith Wischnitzer

OPPORTUNITIES IN DENTAL CARE CAREERS Bonnie Kendall

REA'S AUTHORITATIVE GUIDE TO MEDICAL & DENTAL SCHOOLS [3rd ed.] Research and Education Association

WEB
American Dental Education Association www.adea.org
1625 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036-2212
Phone: 202.667.9433

American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation, www.ada.org

ADA link for DAT www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat/index.asp
211 E. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 1.800.621.8099

American Association of Dental Schools www.aads.jhu.edu
1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
Washington, DC 20036

Student Doctor www.studentdoctor.net

General Information: www.dental-resources.com or www.predental.com

The UCLA Career Center is not responsible for the content of external Web site links. The appearance of a site on this list does not imply the endorsement of the site.

PRE-DENTISTRY PREPARATION
Many dental schools accept students after three or more years of undergraduate courses. The Council on Dental Education recommends a baccalaureate degree prior to dental school matriculation. When selecting students, schools consider scores earned on the DAT, the applicants' grade point average, and information gathered through recommendations and interviews. Students are encouraged to explore their interests and gain an understanding via exposure or experience in the field of dentistry.

TIMELINE
The application process begins one year prior to the year of desired admission. 50 of the 55 dental schools in the U.S. participate in the American Association of Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS). AADSAS applications can be obtained or completed on-line at www.adea.org each spring. AADSAS simplifies the application process for students by acting as an application clearinghouse. Applicants to participating dental schools complete only one application and AADSAS provides the individual schools with uniform, standardized information about the student. For dental schools that do not participate in AADSAS (Louisiana State University, Medical College of Georgia, Northwestern University, University of Mississippi, University of Tennessee), obtain the application material directly from the individual schools. There are five dental schools located in California: Loma Linda School of Dentistry, UCLA School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific School of Dentistry (UOP), UCSF School of Dentistry, and USC School of Dentistry, all of which are AADSAS participants.

     April        May     June    July   August          Sept./Oct./Nov./Dec.              Jan/Feb./March/April

«----------Take DAT -----------»

«------Draft Personal Statement-------»

>                «--------Request LOR's --------------»

                                «----Submit AADSAS application (After June 1^st) --»

                                            «----Receive Supplementary Applications----------------»

                                                                              «-----------------Interviews-----------------»

                                                                                             «----------Admissions decisions ------------»

STANDARDIZED TEST
Dental schools use the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) as an instrument in the evaluation and comparison of dental school candidates. The test is designed to be taken after having taken most prerequisites and is recommended to be taken well before the time for application and interviewing - preferably the spring before the year you are expecting to matriculate. Although dental schools prefer that DAT scores be available when students apply for admission, you should not delay submission of your application simply because the DAT scores are not yet in. Students should strive to take the DAT no later then June of the year they apply.

This computerized test is designed to assess a student's (1) knowledge of the natural sciences (biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry); (2) reading comprehension skills in dental and the basic sciences; (3) quantitative reasoning; and (4) perceptual ability (angle-discrimination, form development, block counting, orthographic projections, and object visualization). The DAT is offered year-round at specific testing sites and results are available right away. The DAT is scored on a 1-30 scale. A DAT application is available in the UCLA Career Center or contact the American Dental Association, Telephone: 1.800.621.8099 or email: www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat.asp. Application deadlines are approximately one month prior to the test. If you repeat the DAT, both scores will be reported to the dental schools.

APPLICATION PROCESS
AADSAS makes downloadable application packets available in March and may be submitted beginning June 1; it is recommended that applications be submitted as early as possible. The application can be completed online and then mailed in with the requested information. AADSAS provides the service of verifying and forwarding transcripts and letters of recommendation to your chosen institutions. Most schools require that the applicant either utilize this service or immediately send official transcripts and letters of recommendation (LORs) directly to the school. In these cases, students should not wait until they receive a secondary application from the institution to mail the supplemental information. Refer to the AADSAS packet to determine when to send supplemental information to the schools. The Career Center will forward your letters of recommendation to AADSAS upon request.

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
It is recommended that you engage in extracurricular activities. Pre-dental students should be able to demonstrate their potential for independent critical thought, leadership, concern for others, and an understanding of the dental profession.

MAJOR & REQUIRED COURSES
Dental schools seek to admit students from diverse educational backgrounds. All dental schools recognize the importance of a broad education which includes a strong foundation in Life and Physical Sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics) and a solid background in Social Sciences (political science, psychology, sociology, anthropology) and humanities (literature, history, philosophy). Although there is no preferred or required major for students who wish to attend dental school, there are specific courses necessary to meet the dental admission requirements. These required courses vary by school but typically include general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology and physics. They may also include biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology. Requirements for each of the schools may be found in Admission Requirements United States and Canadian Dental Schools (available for viewing at the UCLA Career Center Library or for purchase at any major bookstore) or via the individual school's admission material.

The following is a guideline of requirements and UCLA equivalents.

Pre-Professional Dentistry Preparation and Required Courses
Biology
Life Sciences 1, 2, 3, 4. One year of coursework with lab.
Notes: LS 1-4 will prepare you for the Natural Sciences section of the DAT. If you took LS 2 and 3 before Fall 98, then take two additional life science lab courses (in departments such as EEB (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), MCD Bio, neuroscience, psychobiology, or physiological science). Many schools recommend extra upper division life science courses in addition to this basic requirement.

Chemistry
Life science or non-science majors: Chemistry 14A, 14B/BL, 14C/CL, 14D and Biochemistry 153A/L or Chemistry 20A, 20B/L, 30A/AL, 30B/BL, 30C/CL and Biochemistry 153A/L.
Physical Science majors: Chemistry 20A, 20B/L, 30A/AL, 30B/BL, 30C/CL and Biochemistry 153A/L.
The general and organic chemistry coursework prepares you for the Natural Sciences section of the DAT.

Physics
Physics 6A, 6B, 6C or 6AH, 6BH, 6CH or 1A, 1B, 1C, 4AL, 4BL
One year with labs is generally required. Trigonometry-based physics can also satisfy this requirement, but UCLA only offers calculus-based courses and these are required for the various science majors.

English
One year of college level literature and composition. Writing I and Writing II courses, select general education literature courses, and any upper division English literature or English Composition courses will satisfy this requirement. Please see the “English requirement for health professions schools” sheet for a complete list of suggested courses. These courses will prepare you for the Reading Comprehension section of the DAT.

Psychology
Psychology 10 (or the equivalent). One course in this area is sufficient, but more coursework is helpful.

Other strongly recommended courses:

Other Biology
Physiology, anatomy, embryology, histology, or cellular biology are all recommended. Check with each individual department counselor for availability of upper division courses.

*PS 3 has a lab component effective Summer 04. Any offerings before Summer 04 did NOT have a lab.

Math
Math 3A, 3B, 3C or 31A, 31B, 32A One year of math can include statistics (see below) and computer programming classes (PIC 10A, 10B, 10C). This is your preparation for calculus-based physics. These courses will prepare you for the Quantitative Reasoning section of the DAT.

Statistics
Statistics 10, M11, M12, 13, Biostatistics or Biomath, Psychology 100A*
*Check with individual schools for acceptability of classes offered outside of the Statistics department. These courses will prepare you for the Quantitative Reasoning section of the DAT.

Foreign Language
Knowledge and cultural competency in any language other than English is a valuable asset to working in a health care field. If your future plans include working in California or the southwestern states, Spanish is highly valued and somewhat expected. Ask yourself: Can I walk into a hospital room and get a patient history in another language? If the answer is no, then consider taking college level foreign language classes to brush up on your skills.

Other Humanities and Social Science courses are strongly recommended. The non-science GPA is an important component to your overall academic record and liberal arts education. Courses in the following can enhance your communication skills and overall understanding of the world: Anthropology, Communication Studies, Economics, any ethnic studies area (e.g. Women’s Studies, LGBT Studies, Afro-American Studies, Chicana/Chicano Studies, Near Eastern Studies), Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Speech to name a few.

Computer skills are strongly recommended. Many programs have incorporated computers and electronic media into their curriculum. Several programs are strongly recommending that a student owns a computer. Check with individual schools about a computer purchase requirement.

UCLA is not responsible for coursework being accepted by recipient schools. Students should contact the individual schools directly.