After earning an undergraduate degree and passing the Dental Admission Test (DAT), prospective family dentists must complete a three- to five-year dental school program that equips them with a general dentistry education. Dental school is intensive, incorporating much of the same curriculum as a typical medical school. Before graduating, students must pass the National Board Dental Examinations (NBDE) in order to become licensed dentists. After passing the NBDE, the dentist is awarded the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD). DDS and DMD are different titles for the same education and degree.
Following dental school, the majority of dentists choose to move immediately into practice as a general or family dentist. Others, however, opt to pursue postgraduate training to become a specialty dentist. Nine specialty fields of dentistry are recognized by the
American Dental Association:
- Dental Public Health
- Endodontics
- Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology
- Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology
- Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
- Orthodontics
- Pedodontics (Pediatric Dentistry)
- Periodontics
- Prosthodontics
The amount of additional work and the duration of training depends on the type of dental specialty that a dentist pursues. For example, an endodontist requires an additional two or three years of training, while an oral and maxillofacial surgeon requires an additional four to six years.