By: Helema Tayeh Mentoring in Medicine 2013

I was four years old the first time I visited the dentist and I was told I had five cavities. My mom and I didn’t understand because we were never given a second appointment for fillings or any dental work. As I grew older I started to pay more attention in the dentist’s office and I asked many questions, soon I decided I wanted to become a dentist.

 4 year Bachelors degree program  Dental Admissions Test (DAT)  Complete a Dental Program (first 2 years in classroom and lab, final 2 years treat patients while under the supervision of a licensed dentist)  Acquire a License to Practice

Employment of dentists is projected to grow by 16 percent through 2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations. The demand for dental services is expected to continue to increase. Dentists will increasingly provide care and instruction aimed at preventing the loss of teeth, rather than simply providing treatments such as fillings. Improvements in dental technology also will allow dentists to offer more effective and less painful treatment to their patients. Elderly people are more likely to retain their teeth than before, therefore they will require much more care than in the past.

 Dentists earned $162,740 in 2011  In 2012, they earned up to $204,500  The salary has expected to grow in the years to come.

Dentistry is the branch of the healing arts and sciences devoted to maintaining oral health. Dentists are trained to treat all patients, adults and children, in many different treatment facilities and settings. A dentist may examine the head and neck and oral cavity to identify and diagnose oral conditions, identify diseases of the teeth, restore and replace teeth damaged by decay, perform surgery on gums, extract teeth, or even eliminate pain arising from oral diseases.

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