[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-289271-105":59,"doc-detail-289271-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","dentistry-quick-facts","Dentistry - Quick Facts","","Dentistry: Quick Facts provides pre-dental advising guidance on whether a dental career matches personal interests and values. It outlines degree pathways (D.D.S. and D.M.D.), possible dual-degree options and typical time impact, plus the length of professional training including optional residency. It also details pre-dental clinical experience such as shadowing and direct patient interaction, and highlights desired traits including manual dexterity, service orientation, cultural sensitivity, teamwork leadership, and scientific inquiry.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/dentistry-quick-facts/289271/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/dentistry-quick-facts/289271.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Emma Mercer","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-20","2026-09-17",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":52},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What degree options are available for dental school, and are D.D.S. and D.M.D. different?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Dental school offers either D.D.S. or D.M.D., and each school offers only one of the two. The two degrees are considered identical with no functional difference.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How long does professional training for dentistry typically take?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Dental school takes four years. After earning the dental degree, you may go straight into practice, or complete an additional one to six years of residency depending on the field.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What clinical experiences are recommended before applying to dental programs?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Shadowing is recommended—spending about 1/2 to 1 day with different types of clinicians. Direct patient interaction is also defined as offering comfort and moral support to conscious patients while assisting a dentist, and many successful applicants volunteer about 4 hours per week for at least one year.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},289271,1789634872,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":52,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":24,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":129,"read_time":143},962084925502,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","Pre-Health Advising  \n1505 University Avenue 178 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0178 [Web: www.colorado.edu/CEprehealth](Web: www.colorado.edu/CEprehealth)  \n[E-mail: CEprehealth@colorado.edu](E-mail: CEprehealth@colorado.edu)  \nDentistry: Quick Facts  \n\n| Is this career right for you? | • Do you enjoy taking science courses, but also enjoy drawing, painting, and/or sculpting?\u003Cbr>• Do you enjoy working with your hands?\u003Cbr>• Would you like to have the opportunity to work in private practice and hold standard business hours?\u003Cbr>• Would you have compassion for patients who tend to be fearful when they see you for treatment? |\n| --- | --- |\n| Degree | D.D. S. and D.M.D.\u003Cbr>Each dental school offers only one or the other; the two degrees are considered to be identical.(There are historical reasons for the two names, but there is no functional difference.) |\n| Dual Degree Options | A few dental schools offer dual degree programs for their dental students. Typically, dual degree programs take one to four years longer to complete than going to dental school alone, but take less time than completing each degree separately. (Note: Some of the schools that do not offer dual degree programs do offer more than one type of degree, but students have to complete each separately.)\u003Cbr>A sampling of dental dual degree programs includes:\u003Cbr>• D.D.S./Ph.D. or D.M.D./Ph.D.: for people who want to have a very strong research component to their work, in addition to providing patient care\u003Cbr>• D.D.S./M.B.A. or D.M.D./M.B.A.: for people who want formal business training in addition to clinical training. These people often take on healthcare management roles in their careers\u003Cbr>• D.D.S./M.S. in Dental Public Health: for people who want training in Public Health in addition to direct patient care. These people generally opt for careers in community health planning to affect dental outcomes for entire populations in addition to clinically treating individuals. |\n| Length of Professional Training | Dental school takes four years. After completing your dental degree, you may choose to go straight into practice. Some dentists choose to undertake a dental residency, either to gain advanced training as a general dentist or to become a specialist. Dental residencies take an additional one to six years to complete, depending on the field you choose. |\n\n\n| Pre-Dental\u003Cbr>Clinical Experience | • Shadowing is defined as the observation of a health care provider while that person cares for patients. We recommend spending ½ to 1 day each with the following types of clinicians:\u003Cbr>o A general dentist\u003Cbr>o A dental hygienist in a general dentistry practice\u003Cbr>o A dentist in a specialty area (such as in endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, or prosthodontics)\u003Cbr>o A dentist in another specialty area\u003Cbr>o One other clinician in a related field (such as medicine, podiatry, optometry, etc.)\u003Cbr>• Direct patient interaction is defined as being in a position to offer comfort and moral support to conscious patients in a dental clinic while assisting a dentist. Most successful applicants have spent at least one year volunteering for 4 hours/week (often more) as a dental assistant. On-the-job training is usually available for volunteer positions ofthis type. Your objectives are to become comfortable around dental patients (who are often quite nervous), to gain insight into the business of running a dental clinic, and to develop your communication skills in a clinical setting. |\n| --- | --- |\n| Other Desired Traits and Experiences | Refer to the List of Core Competencies for Pre-Health Students, taking note that dental schools especially emphasize the following:\u003Cbr>• Manual Dexterity: Examples of activities that demonstrate that you have the fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination needed to be successful as a dentist are painting, drawing, sewing, model building, crafts, playing musical instruments, and auto repair.\u003Cbr>• Service ","cbCaiv7PcTJqhjb5","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiv7PcTJqhjb5","pdf",471402,"English","# Is this career right for you?\n## Degree\n## Dual Degree Options\n## Length of Professional Training\n## Pre-Dental Clinical Experience\n## Other Desired Traits and Experiences","[{\"question\":\"What degree options are available for dental school, and are D.D.S. and D.M.D. different?\",\"answer\":\"Dental school offers either D.D.S. or D.M.D., and each school offers only one of the two. The two degrees are considered identical with no functional difference.\"},{\"question\":\"How long does professional training for dentistry typically take?\",\"answer\":\"Dental school takes four years. After earning the dental degree, you may go straight into practice, or complete an additional one to six years of residency depending on the field.\"},{\"question\":\"What clinical experiences are recommended before applying to dental programs?\",\"answer\":\"Shadowing is recommended—spending about 1/2 to 1 day with different types of clinicians. Direct patient interaction is also defined as offering comfort and moral support to conscious patients while assisting a dentist, and many successful applicants volunteer about 4 hours per week for at least one year.\"}]","Dentistry - Quick Facts | PDF",13]