How to Become a Dentist in Canada?

Dentistry is both an enjoyable and rewarding career. A dentist is a medical professional who treats patients for wide variety of dental issues such as cleaning teeth, providing fillings, bleaching teeth, and counseling patients on proper dental care and oral disease prevention. The path to becoming a dentist involves extensive education.

The following is a guide on how to become a dentist in Canada:

1. When you embark on your career path to becoming a dentist, you will first have to complete an undergraduate degree from university. A Bachelor's degree in the area of science is the normal education path. It is mandated that you complete a Bachelor's degree before you can attend a school of Dentistry in Canada.

2. Once you have completed an undergraduate degree, you must then apply to a Canadian School of Dentistry. The dentistry program is a four year program. During this time, you will be able to select to specialize in a particular field of dentistry or become a general family dentist. Dentistry specializations can include pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, dental surgery, periodontics, and much more.

3. While in dental school, you will take a number of courses such as dental radiography, oral surgery, preventive dentistry, microbiology, endodontics, anesthesia physiology, oral health, periodontics, dental neuroscience, orthodontics...etc. As well, there will be a number of laboratory classes. Dentistry students will also be able to treat real patients where they will be graded.

4. When one graduates, they will receive a degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DDM).

5. To be able to work as a dentist in Canada, one must pass an exam given by Canada's National Dental Examination Board. One will then have to register with the Royal College of Dentists in the area of Canada that they will be practicing.

Personal attributes dentists must have include: good manual skills, good manual dexterity, good judgment skills, patience, a good depth perception, communication skills, a good head for business, and be friendly and outgoing with patients.

The function of a dentist in private practice is not just to provide dental care to their patients, but they also perform such tasks as managing the dental business which includes inventory management and financial management. People who work for dentists include receptionists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and dental laboratory techs. Those who choose to specialize have a number of choices but some of the more popular areas include: Orthodontists will straighten teeth by adding pressure to the teeth with retainers or braces. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons operate on the jaw and mouth. Pediatric dentists are also popular. They specialize in treating children and often have practices for children only. Prosthodontists are involved in replacing missing teeth with such medical devices as crowns, bridges, and dentures. Endodontists perform root canal therapy. Oral and maxillofacial radiologists diagnose diseases in the head and neck by using imaging technology.

Dentistry is a career that is in great demand. If you love science, anatomy, and working with the public, working in dentistry may be the health career for you.