A commitment to education is required to begin a career as a prosthodontist. This is due to the fact that becoming a prosthodontist can take up to ten years. A person who wishes to pursue this career path must first complete high school and then attend college. He goes to dental school after college, which takes about four years to complete. A person who wants to become a prosthodontist typically completes two or three years of training in prosthodontics after graduating from dental school.
A prosthodontist is a dentist who specializes in using artificial structures to replace teeth, jaws, and other parts of the mouth. Many people are familiar with prosthodontists’ work replacing teeth with dentures, but this is just one of the services this professional offers. Crowns, veneers, bridges, and implants are some of the services that a prosthodontist can provide. He may also be able to assist patients with oral cancer, sleep and snoring disorders, and traumatic injuries. He might even use his knowledge of artificial mouth structures to assist a patient in stopping grinding his teeth.
If a person wishes to pursue a career as a prosthodontist, he or she can begin their studies in high school. Advanced science, math, and language classes are available to the aspiring prosthodontist, which may help him prepare for college-level work. Each college or university sets its own admissions requirements for new students, so anyone interested in becoming a prosthodontist should contact the college he or she wishes to attend for more information. To prepare for dental school, most students choose to pursue a science degree in college, such as biology or chemistry.
Dental schools have varying admissions requirements, but some accept students without having earned a bachelor’s degree. In some cases, a person may be admitted to a dental school after completing only three years of college. However, bachelor’s degrees are preferred many dental schools. A person who wants to become a prosthodontist usually needs to attend dental school for four years before earning his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. A prospective prosthodontist may instead pursue a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree.
A person who wants to become a prosthodontist typically goes on to receive three additional years of education and training after graduating from dental school. He usually attends a three-year specialty program in prosthodontics, for example. He may receive a certificate or a graduate-level degree in the field after completing this program. An aspiring prosthodontist must obtain a license to practice in his or her jurisdiction in most cases. Depending on the jurisdiction, different licensing requirements apply.