My First Set of Wax-Ups

Just a couple more days before the end of my first semester in Dental School and I must say Occlusion has been one of the more fun, stress free classes. If you recall I had my "Initiation" into Dentistry through this class when I carved my first tooth out of wax. As the semester went on and we learned more and more about each tooth's anatomy and intricate details we had to do a little bit more than just carve teeth. We had to do what is called a wax-up/wax drop.

Waxing up teeth involves wax, a colored marking pencil, a tooth peg, dentoform/typodont, bunsen burner, specialized instruments, knowledge of dental anatomy, a good eye for detail and nylon :) for the sparkle. The actual waxing skills are developed on the way.




Essentials


 Waxing up is in essence building a tooth from wax. Now this may sound easy but keep in mind that this has to look like an actual tooth and actually be functional, i.e the aim is to reproducibly relate the maxillary (upper) and mandubular (lower) teeth; they must contact each other (not too long, short, thick or thin). This ordeal includes placing and removing wax, making marginal ridges, sealing margins, shaping the tooth, establishing occlusal contacts, and evaluating the final wax-up.

 

Facial View:
Maxillary Right Central Incisor - #8. Also photographed:
Maxillary Right Canine#6 and Left Canine #11

 Lingual/Palatal View:
Maxillary Right Central #8 and Canine #6

Facial/Buccal View:
Maxillary Right Canine #6. also photographed:
Mandibular Right 2nd Premolar #29 and Mandibular 1st Molar #30

Occlusal View:
Mandibular Right 2nd Premolar #29 and 1st Molar #30

BONUS!!

Facial View:
Maxillary Left Canine #11. This is a wax-up of my Final Exam.

  Now if I should say so myself, the pictures do not give these wax-ups justice. They look a lot better in person. Now that this phase of Occlusion is over, I'm looking forward to the next phase which brings more fun and more challenge. Bring it on Second Semester!

**On another note, it's Mental Monday! Go here for today's trivia and to see last week's answer and winner**

I can see the finish line

From classroom to labs to studying and back again...seems like a never ending cycle until you realize it's almost the end of the semester. Christmas is approaching and I've never been more excited to see it come! More important at this time though are finals.
Only two more weeks remain in the first semester of my D1 year as finals approach. Thankfully at this point I am in good standing with all my classes and need not fret whether I'll pass a class or not.
For the next two weeks I'll be down under preparing to turn the B's into A's and  finish off the first leg of my race correct, and with no regrets.I do look forward to the end of this semester and the beginning of the next. I guess one year from now I'll be saying the same thing until my final semester as a D4; until then, I'll continue to keep my eyes on the finish line.

Wish me luck as I complete this part of my journey!

By the way, want an iTunes Gift card? Click here.

Relax...

It's Monday again, and I must say it has been a mentally taxing weekend for me. So this week for Mental Monday, I'd like to slow the pace a little.

Let's RELAX...
You can't avoid all stress but you can counteract it's negative effects by evoking a relaxation technique. For example, practice deep breathing, yoga, meditate, listen to classical music, etc. All these in the end leaves the body more relaxed and enforces mental clarity.

Listen to Classical Music:
Investigations at University of California, explained that kids who studied music by learning an instrument or learning to sing, were greatly superior at solving puzzles, and when examined, scored 80% higher in spatial intellect than the non-musical crowd. In a different study, 36 students were prearranged three spatial analysis experiments on a typical IQ test. Just before the primary examination, they would listen to Mozart’s sonata two piano sonatas, K. 448 over a period of ten minutes. Prior to the subsequent test, they listened to a relaxation recording. Prior to the third, they did not listen to everything. The standard scores for all 36 of them: 1st examination: 119. 2nd examination: 111. 3rd examination: 110. A Student who listened to classical music saw an increase of nine points. (mindcafe.org)

So not only will you be more relaxed but you will also be increasing your cognitive abilities.



Answer to last week's Mental Monday riddle: 1113213211

How Committed Are You?

Recently, I came across a survey which spoke about the completion rate of college students (undergraduate and graduate). One important  aspect of the survey centered on the lack of discipline and commitment to self exhibited by those polled. As I read through the data, I couldn't help but ask myself, how badly do my colleagues and I really want to complete our dental program and become dentists? In searching for an answer to the above question, I realize that a one size fits all does not apply in this case. However, I do believe that there are 3 things that we all should consider as we strive in our quest to becoming future dentists. First, it is imperative that we take time to reflect on ourselves continually, to ensure that we are staying committed to our intended purpose. Secondly, it is equally important for us to recognize that everything that we do have consequences. For example, if a person chooses to allow non-essential activities to overcome their study-time, then, the onus is on the individual to accept the responsibility if he/she does not perform up to standard on any given quiz or examination. While some students may not be good test takers, the results of tests evidently reflects, in most instances, the amount of work dedicated to studying. Finally, equally as important to the first two statements, as future dentists, it is incumbent on us to know when to say "no" to even our best friends who may encourage us to miss classes or skip studying, just because they may have chosen to do so. It is imperative to note, that while we may have made friends or associates while in dental school, we are totally responsible for ourselves. At the end of it all, the major difference is donning the cap and gown on graduation day. In reflecting on the survey that I read, the question that I'm posing is, are you disciplined and committed enough in your quest to become future dentists (or whatever profession  you have chosen)?

Don't fall behind

The week of October 18th was a rough week. It was the week of mid-terms. Whilst they may be well behind me, the journey continues. In anticipation of my mid-term examinations, I developed serious tunnel vision, essentially, neglecting my classes and assignments. As a result, once my examinations were over, I was left spending most of my time catching up with sleep, coupled with understanding concepts that I should have already covered and understood. In retrospect, I thought that neglecting my current classes and assignments in order to prepare for my mid-terms was not a great idea after all. I've come to realize in my short tenure in dental school thus far that there's a lot of concepts to understand and apply in a very short amount of time; hence, I've learned that I must stay extremely focused and develop the art of staying on task despite having to prepare for major examinations. In addition, I've come to the realization that in professional school, major and minor examinations are an integral part of weekly life. Furthermore, I do also recognize that if a person allows one week to go by without carefully reviewing power-point slides, notes, and assignments, they will forever be playing catch-up all semester, which can make for a difficult journey. Rather, I would suggest that it is imperative to stay on top of all your classwork despite the pressure of having examinations. If you do, you will definitely be in control of your journey.

Hindsight is always 20/20 vision. Again in retrospect, I wish I had stayed on top of last week's classes. Nevertheless, being the astute and determined student that I am, I was able to "catch-up," with most of my work, albeit modifying my approach to my studies mentally and physically. Take home message and note to self: never allow yourself to fall behind. Build multitasking skills, it's very important.

Got my own...

**Winner of the Digital Camera Giveaway posted within**

A couple weeks ago after coming to the realization that Starbucks coffee was costing me way too much money, I decided, why not make my own darn coffee? See, I have coffee twice per day - one in the morning to take me through my 9 hr school day and another at night to take me through my countless hours of studying thereafter. If coffee costs on average $1.85 it means it'll cost me $3.70 per day which is $25.90 per week, $103.60 per month and a whopping $1243.20 per year! RI-DI-CU-LOUS!

So being the poor student I am, I took a trip to my local grocery store and picked up a bottle of Maxwell House breakfast blend (medium) roast coffee, mmm! After that it was time to search for a portable coffee cup, so I made my way to Target and after about 30 mins of picking and choosing I finally settled on an aladdin brand cup. I was all set and ready to start my new make-my-own-coffee regimen. The next morning came and I was excited to make my coffee. I put  one tbsp. of coffee in my cup, added sugar, a little milk and water. I was almost ready to go and beaming about the $3.70 I would be saving that day when I realized that I had been mixing for a while but my coffee wouldn't dissolve. Hmm, what is up with this coffee? Figuring I must have made it wrong I poured that away and started to make my coffee again from scratch. 1 tbsp coffee, sugar, milk, water -- mix. Coffee still won't dissolve. I finally decided to check the label on the coffee to see if it was expired...it wasn't. What I did realize however that with my inexperienced coffee buying self I had actually bought brewed coffee instead of instant coffee. Crap! I don't own a coffee maker. So feeling defeated I left the house and went on my way to school, stopping by the local starbucks to spend yet another $3.70. 

I did however go back to the grocery store in the evening and made certain to get Instant coffee - man was I happy. So the next day up until today I've been having my Maxwell House Breakfast blend (medium) roast Instant coffee everyday. I have plenty of servings left (90 servings/bottle) and it only cost me $6.11.

Maxwell House Instant Coffee and my aladdin coffee cup

So in summary:
Price of Starbucks per year = $1243.20
Price of Instant Coffee per year =  $24.44
Feeling you get when you realize you just saved  $1218.76 = Priceless!
for everything else there's....common sense?

And now, the moment we've all been waiting for, the winner of the Red Digital Camera courtesy of the sharper Image is.....

Camille Knox!!

When contacted and told she was the winner of this giveaway, Camille had this to say:

" Oh my god! thank you soo much! I've never won anything before, I still can't believe it. Thank you so much and your blogs really help in preparing me for Dental school. I've been following you privately for a while and I like how you make it so fun to read. I've applied for next year and I have you to thank for providing information on how to go about applying. Thank you again! I love your blog even more now :)..."

Congratulations Camille! and you're very welcome. Thank you as well for visiting my blog and for your kind words.. I'm very happy that I was able to help you through the process. Good luck with your applications.

Fall! and catch up

As I sit at my study desk this afternoon getting ready to douse myself into some rigorous studying, I am quickly reminded that I must make time for the things that are important to me. I like to think of Dental School, or any professional school for that matter, as a virus, one that once you're exposed to it quickly invades, gorges through your system  making it's way to every crevice of your being and takes over your life to the point that all you can think, breathe, eat or sleep is Dental School. That's about to change starting...now.

Today marks the first day of Fall. That totally caught me off guard since in my opinion I haven't even had a summer yet. Where did the time go? I don't usually get excited at this time of the year because it means that it will soon be winter, which means I'll have to deal with temperatures below 50 degrees (F), which probably means I hate fall too since I'm grumpy at any temperature below 70 degrees (F) - but that may just be the Caribbean girl in me talking. One thing I do like about Fall though is all the cute sweaters, coats and boots! So in celebration of the season and in my effort to add a little diversity to my life, I think I'm going shopping this weekend, fall shopping! Who wants to come with? Hopefully that will steer me in a different direction albeit for a few hours and perhaps ease some tension as well. Tension? yeah tension from an Anatomy exam/grade that almost gave me an aneurysm yesterday. There I go again....

Anyway, that's as far off course my Dental School entrenched mind will take me for now. I gotta go study some head and neck anatomy, some Biochem, prepare for a test tomorrow and read 3 chapters of a novel called "The Pact." 

PS Remember how I said I'd have less time to blog because I'd be so busy with school? Well, I figured I'd MAKE time for my little corner on the www. My blog gives me such joy, and I spent a lot of time putting it together. So as I reflect on where I am thus far, I had to remind myself that my journey is not a Sprint but a marathon and hence the race is not for the swift but for those who can endure to the end. You are welcome to take that advice as well.

** Enter the digital camera giveaway here**

In the book of faces

There will be approximately 80 students in my class come August, and I've already met some of them. Ah! the facebook era. I'm already anticipating the great memories we will be making.

We all have such different personalities and are from such diverse backgrounds. It will be like a huge melting pot of cultures! MMmmm... Of course, with diversity come differences, but we will learn to cope and put differences aside, accept and embrace each other. Isn't that right?

I've met such great people over the last couple months and can I tell you? I can't wait to formally meet them! It's like B says, "like it or not we're family - we're pretty much stuck with each other for the next four years." Yep 80 something of us, same classes, all day, everyday for four years. Sweet.

Some of us are already like family, M is my homie, he is HI-LA-RI-OUS!! OUT-OF-CONTROL!! and he's super cool to boot. He's the guy I'll sit very far from in class because there's absolutely never a dull moment. Sorry M, I'll see you after class lol. RA and C are such sweethearts! talk about adorable. These gals are besty material and are lots of fun to chat with (since that's all we can do for now). E is a quiet observer, he is very down to earth, easy going and is a joy to talk with. Of all the other "family" members I think he's most like me. Our conversations transcend consciousness (inny).

Having facebook really makes it a lot easier on you when meeting new people. Now I won't be so nervous on orientation day because I would have already been familiar with some of these guys. Ah, maybe it's my shyness talking, but in any case...and in that regard, thanks facebook!

**The identity of the Individuals mentioned are undisclosed so as to preserve privacy. Initials are used. Initials may or may not match the actual initial of person's name**

What to Expect in Your First year of Medical School

This post is for medical students, who I have sympathy for because their workload is probably twice mine, but who I am also empathetic towards because I know how challenging this journey will be. It will be exciting, at times fun, it will be testing, it will be grueling and it may make you lose a lot of night sleep. Well, what do you expect, it's medical school and not kindergarten.

The first year of medical school is the most grueling of the four years that is required. This is the case because you are entering a professional environment which is completely different to your previous undergraduate experience. The highest drop-out rates occur during this time. The first year consists of mainly lectures and labs in basic and medical sciences (anatomical, physiological & medical treatment). It is where you will encounter workload that may at first be unimaginable or what would have looked impossible to accomplish before you started medical school.

Though medical schools curricula differ slightly, some courses that may be encountered during the first year include:
Gross Anatomy
Biochemistry
Histology
Microbiology
Immunology
Psychiatry
Neuroscience
Nutrition, etc.

Medical school will not be a cakewalk. It is time-consuming, consisting of hours typically between 8am and 4pm each week day which has to be followed up by intensive studying and self-learning thereafter. It is important to know the type of learner that you are. Recognizing that professional school requires a lot of adjustments, understanding how you learn and what works for you will serve as a platform with which you can spring from in your quest for continuity beyond your first year. Remember, pacing is also a very important part of this process. While this can be said for most graduate programs, the intensity, rigor, and volume of work that medical students encounter is second to none. The good thing is that it has been done by students just like you, so I know that you can, and will do it as well.

Best of luck to you all!
From your Dental School friend -Patrice (See you on the other side)

I feel like the Unicorn just took me on a ride to a magical palace, to the land of the blueberries

Nitrous Wednesday!

Your weekly dose of Nitrous Oxide...

HILARIOUS!!                            LOL!!                             LMAO!!                              ROFL!!

Poor David

Nitrous Wednesday!
Your weekly dose of Nitrous oxide...

LOL!!                            LMAO!!                              ROFL!!                                   LOL!!

Too cute!

Show Some Love!

Stu-DENT Diaries appreciates all it's readers and followers, it means a whole lot! The blog is about sharing information as it pertains to health care profession students, particularly those in the Dental field. It is also a documentary/diary of the day-to-day happenings of a soon-to-be Dental Student (88 days to be exact) - me, Patrice.
I would love for this journey to be shared with people of similar interests and any other interested people alike. So please, Show some love! Become a follower/member! Make a comment or two and let's enjoy this journey together! Tell your friends, and even find us on facebook. Let's go!!

Nitrous Wednesday

Your weekly dose of Nitrous Oxide...

  Naughty or Nice

 A particularly voluptuous lady entered the dentists surgery in an obvious state of agitation. The dentist tried to calm her down assuring her that he would do nothing to hurt her. She sat down in the chair and started fidgeting nervously as the dentist began sterilizing all the required equipment. When he asked her to open her mouth, she screamed.
So he tried to calm her down again even though he was losing patience.
Almost immediately the lady threw a hysterical fit, then realizing that the dentist had begun glaring at her, she said, "Oh doctor, I'm so nervous. I hate dentists. Why, I think I'd rather have a baby than have a tooth drilled."
Replied the dentist " Well Miss, better make up your mind fast so that I can accordingly adjust the chair."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

LOL !!                         LMAO!!                      ROFL !!                             LOL!!

Grand Opening!! The Stu-DENT Shoppe

Stu-DENT Diaries has opened up Shop!!

We have a brand spankin' new shop packed with personalized items from T-shirts to totes, to tracksuits, buttons, home decor, you name it! Now all you pre-dental and dental students can express yourselves with our items!
Here's a sneak peak of what's behind our doors:

                                          < Represent! Represent! with this fresh white T >

                                  < Who says you have to say a word to recruit your patients? >

                                                    < It's OKAY to be a showoff! lol >

                                                                     < Yea, tell 'em! >

                                             < Of course! no matter how grueling it may be >

                                                    < Of course I'm Tired, I'm a Dental Student >

                                                              < Oh yea! Dentalicious!! >

                                                       < Yea! Dentalicious - Smart AND Sexy! >

                                     < Represent! You're no Flake! You WILL BE a doctor >

All these items can be found at The Stu-DENT Shoppe <---Click. You can also access the shop by clicking on the Stu-DENT Shoppe button on the nav bar at the top of your screen. There are lots more things inside. Stop by and check us out!

NOTE: 5% of all proceeds will be donated to the cause: Aid for Minority Dental Students. Donations can also be made to this cause by clicking the donate button to the right of your screen.

Come on by guys! Happy Shopping!

Snagged an Interview? Be ready for the Qs

The key to getting through the interview is to be confident and answer questions intelligibly. Typically, interviews are conducted one-on-one. It is also typical to have two interviewers. In some instances, although very rare, you may have a group interview. This only happens when interview sessions have been overbooked. In this case it is important to bring your A game and shine!

Ten (10) Common Interview Questions:

1. Why a career in Dentistry?
2. Why have you chosen our school to pursue your career
3. Tell us about yourself, include your strengths and weaknesses
4. What personal challenge has given you motivation to succeed and how did you overcome that challenge?
5. What have you done to prepare yourself for the rigors of dental school?
6. Describe your study habits
7. What have you done to develop manual dexterity?
8. How do you feel about cheating? If you knew someone was cheating in your class, what would you do?
9. Of all the other qualified candidates, why should we choose you?
10. What will you do if you are not accepted to Dental School?


Use these questions to quiz yourself. Answer the questions truthfully and with confidence. Good Luck!

Snagged an Interview? Look the part

Getting invited for an interview is really exciting! However, amidst that excitement, there can be a lot of anxiety, nervousness and uncertainty. Hopefully this will help you to relax.
All interviews, whether it is for a job or  placement in a school, has essentially the same aim - to see who is the best fit for the position. Your goal is to prove that you are!
In doing so, there are set guidelines that should be followed; dress code is one of those important guidelines.

Dress Code

Ever heard the phrase, "first impressions last"?  It's true, and you should be ready to impress and look the part. Remember though, that you have applied for a position as a professional student and should look as such.

Females:
Keep it simple. Wear a nice suit, whether a skirt or a pant suit. Go for conservative colors like blacks, grays, navy blues and browns. If you need to wear jewelry, wear a simple watch, knobs - keep accessories to a minimum. If you must wear make-up, keep this light as well. Wear comfortable shoes and keep your hair neat and tidy.

Males:

Again, keep it simple. A two-piece matched suit is always the best choice. Don't mix and match jackets and pants. Wear conservative colors like blacks, navy blues and grays. If you must wear a tie, keep it simple. do not opt for fancy. A nice watch can be worn. Wear a belt that will compliment your outfit and ensure that your shoes are well polished. Also, keep you hair neat and tidy and your face properly groomed. 

You might like to go with these looks:

Months before you start

It's February, and I'm already thinking of how I can prepare for the rigorous curriculum of Dental School come August. Despite the many advices to RELAX for my "free" couple of months before DS, I can't help but trying to get a head start. I suppose it's natural to feel that way? hmm...
Most Dental Schools have a similar or identical curriculum. First year usually consists of Biochemistry, Gross Anatomy, Physiology, Radiology, Microbiology, Occlusion, Histology, Embryology (phew!!), to name a few. With all this stuff that I will need to squeeze inside my cerebrum, why not start making space for them now? I might even get some chuckles for this, arched eyebrows or even some eye rolling. For some, trying to get a head start on some of these might prove to be an exercise in futility - which is okay! but for others, it might be beneficial. Starting early will slightly prepare you for the first couple months, okay maybe weeks of school. You will be familiar with some of the terminologies used so that you don't sit in class, looking around clueless.
Yes, the months before starting school can be quite hectic. For some, it might mean a new city, or a new state. If this is the case you will have to do some research on the places you would like to live, keeping in mind proximity to school, cost, the neighborhood, etc. THEN you will need to set aside time to travel to that new place to go apartment hunting. Of course, there is the pressure of coming up with a quadrillion dollars to pay for attending the school. Whichever route you take, scholarships, loans, fellowships, the military, out of pocket (do people actually do that??) it is stressful! and as if that is not enough, the school has it's own requirements that has to be completed by a certain time.
However, no matter how stressful pre-dental school gets, it is still very exciting! It's exciting to start a new chapter in your life, it's exciting knowing you are only a few more steps away from accomplishing your goals. It's exciting to move to a new place, exciting to meet new people - the people who will become family over the next four years. Excited for those sleepless nights; burning the mid night oil to make sure that you make the grade to stay in and see your way through DS. It is all exciting! and I can't wait to start!

How about you? what is your pre-dental school game plan? are you as excited as I am?

Who's Writing Here? Meet the Author

Hello friends, In case you were wondering who was on the other end of your screen, I am Patrice, author of this, the Stu-DENT Diaries blog, that's me to the left. Currently (see date), I am a pre-dental student. Been through the horrors of the applications, the DATs, the rejections... Now I eagerly await the start of Dental School in the Fall of 2010.

I was inspired to chronicle my journey of being a Student Dentist because of my experiences. As much as there may be a vast amount of information out there about the different processes of getting into and through Dental School, it all might prove to be overbearing and a lot to sift through to identify what can really work for you. This is why this blog was created. It offers a first hand approach to the different processes that one goes through to get into and through dental school. Most, if not all the information you will find here are from my own experiences.

To be a dentist has always been a dream of mine. I remember as a child being intrigued and awed by how the little devices worked, by how a denture was made; how putting a gooey substance in one's mouth came out being solid and in the shape of the persons dentition, by seeing a picture of my tooth on the little black squares known as films, the sounds, the smells...  Not surprisingly, I ended up starting my college career by enrolling in a Dental Hygiene program, the only dental related program at Northern Caribbean University (NCU), the liberal Arts college in my home town Mandeville, of my home country, Jamaica. However, the scope of a Dental Hygienist proved to be a bit limiting for me. I wanted to be a dentist. In my quest to be a dentist, there were limitations that hindered me from taking that next step. I needed the pre-requisites for Dental School. After completion of the DH program, I migrated to the U.S and enrolled in a small Liberal Arts college that is part of the City University of New York (CUNY). Though the school didn't offer a pre-dental course, I used biology as a spring board as it offered and included the pre-requisites needed for dental school. Along the way, there were many encouraging professors that not only acted as mentors but offered opportunities for research, which I readily took advantage of.

Now, five years after beginning my DH program, I am on my way to starting Dental School this Fall semester. I see this as a journey in which I would continue to chronicle each week. Hopefully, in the process I can inspire someone to not be like me, but, to be much better, because they will learn from my mistakes and experiences.

If you would like to also add your story, please, feel free to leave a comment or visit the forums.

So you want to go to Dental School? Well, Apply then!

Applying to Dental School can be a tedious and intimidating process. This sometimes is due to students having many questions about the process that they are unable to get answered through their undergraduate pre-dental advisors. This post should answer the basic questions about the application process. If there are still questions after reading this post, please feel free to ask us in the forums.

 Dental Schools usually require a four year degree. Once you have completed at least three years of your academic career and are ready to apply into Dental school there are a few things you need to know.
First of all, it is important to send applications in early. This could possibly turn into an early interview and hence early acceptance. You should consider gathering all the necessary information and documents prior to the start of the cycle. Try to get a head start on the personal statement as this will save a lot of time during the application process.

It is a good idea to start your application as soon as the cycle opens so that you can send it out early. This year, the cycle opens June 1.

Most dental schools in the United States require that you apply through ADEA's (American Dental Education Association) application services, AADSAS (Associated American Dental Schools Application Services).  Your application will ask you for several pieces of information. Besides the typical biography and background information, your application requires:

1. Education Information including Secondary School and Colleges attended, along with the different college level coursework taken (which you have to manually list). Your DAT scores are also to be listed within this section.

2. Professional Experience - This section requires a list of your different achievements. You will need to provide information on the different awards, honors, and scholarships you have or are receiving. You will also need to list your volunteer, extracurricular and community services, Additionally, you are required to list your work, research and dentistry experiences.

3. Personal Statement - You are required to write a personal statement. The personal statement is a brief biography of yourself outlining your accomplishments and your reason for wanting to pursue a career in dentistry. You may contact me if you wish to have a look at my personal statement (just to get the idea).

4. Letter of recommendations - recommendation letters play a big role in your application. Get these from your Professors, dentists or anyone who knows of your accomplishments and potentials.

5. Dental School Designations - You must carefully choose the schools that you think are right for you.

6. Payment -  AADSAS charges a processing fee. This amount varies with the amount of designations chosen.
Note that schools charge an additional supplemental application fee. This fee varies with each school.

 PS: The Pre-Dental Guide is a handy book that may be beneficial to pre-dental students. I would recommend you getting this book.

 

For more information on the application process, visit the American Dental Association (ADA) or the American Dental Education Association.

Is Dentistry Right for You?

Dentistry is the health profession dealing with the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases and injuries involving the teeth, oral cavity, maxillofacial area and any other related area and its effects on the body. There is a common misconception that the job of a dentist is to simply fill and clean teeth. This is untrue. The job of a dentist extends way beyond such tasks and involves even more tedious tasks such as performing root canal treatments, extraction of teeth, creating crowns and bridges, placing implants, constructing dentures, treating gum diseases, screening for oral cancers, to name a few. Of course, the scope of tasks extend even further once one chooses to specialize (Click here to see specialties of Dentistry).

Dentistry is a dynamic and rewarding career allowing for the improvement of one's overall health, well-being and appearance. This career makes a fruitful marriage of art and science and affords one a balanced lifestyle. For one to be a dentist, one must possess excellent hand-eye coordination, paramount manual dexterity, a love for people and a dedication to service. Well developed manual dexterity is of paramount importance to the dentist as he/she has to work in the small confines of the oral cavity.

   

The average dental salary range comes in around  $147,000 per annum, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, this figure changes with different areas of specialization.

Dentistry is a very rewarding career. If you love working with people, dedicated to service and have a love for science and art and want a  career that will afford a balanced lifestyle, then perhaps Dentistry is right for you. 

For more help in figuring out if Dentistry is right for you, visit the American Dental Association (ADA)