Dentistry programs prepare people to work as dentists. Students learn all aspects of dental medicine. They learn how to both prevent and treat oral disease and decay. They learn to manage pain and use oral medicines. In addition, students learn how to run a clinic and counsel patients.

If the thought of helping people feel better about their smiles is not enough to attract you to dentistry, consider this: dentists are often the first healthcare professionals to recognize and identify many different diseases, including high blood pressure and cancer. It may seem hard to believe, but that relatively small space between your jaws can contain a wealth of information about your body.

Of course, the most obvious information it contains is that of your dental health. Dentists take care of your teeth, gums, tongue, lips, and jaw by diagnosing and treating oral problems related to them. They also teach you to take care of your teeth and gums so that you are not condemned to eating only soft foods for the majority of your adult life.

As a student of dentistry, you attend dental school to learn how to maintain or restore a person's oral health. You study the anatomy and structure of the oral cavity, including the teeth and jaws. You learn how to interpret X-rays, fill cavities, and straighten teeth. For patients who might have irreparably damaged teeth, or no teeth, you also learn how to fit them with dentures.

Just as in other subfields in healthcare, technological advances in dentistry continue to develop. Laser dentistry is one such development. Laser beams are used to help remove tooth decay and even treat some forms of gum disease. As a dental student, you also have the chance to train in cutting-edge technology.

There are about 50 accredited dental schools in the United States. You can earn either a Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S) degree or a Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) degree. Both degrees indicate the same amount of training, but different schools choose to grant one of these degree titles over the other.

A dental doctoral degree typically takes about eight years of full-time study after high school. This figure includes the approximately four years you need to get a bachelor's degree and the four years you need to finish dental school.