Aimed at kids who love science, this post pitches dentistry as a growing, in-demand career with room to specialize in areas like family practice, pediatric dentistry, or cosmetic dentistry.
It outlines several possible career paths: solo or partner private practice; academic dentistry, combining teaching, research, community service, and patient care; public health dentistry, which focuses on community prevention and promotion rather than private practice, including US Public Health Service roles on reservations, military bases, or in prisons; research careers working on advances like laser dentistry, bone-replacement implants, and computerized X-rays; international work through organizations such as the WHO, UNESCO, and the FAO, plus volunteer dental work in developing countries; and hospital dentistry, treating patients with medical conditions or disabilities alongside physicians.
It notes there are more than 60 dental schools in the US accredited by the ADA's Commission on Dental Accreditation, each evaluated for content and quality, with DDS/DMD programs taking four years to complete.
General prerequisite coursework is listed as roughly 8 semester hours each of biology with lab, physics, English, general chemistry with lab, and organic chemistry with lab, though specific requirements vary by school. The post also suggests summer internships at a dental practice as a way to explore the career firsthand.