Dentist School in Oregon - OR

By Mat Lindenberg, allied health world contributing writer
Published: July, 28 2010

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If you’re looking for a dental school in Oregon, you are in luck. Several states don’t have any, but Oregon is home to two and with the upcoming shortage of dentists predicted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it’s a good chance more are on the way.

Getting a doctorate of dental science is an eight year commitment spanning two schools; the college or university where you earn your initial bachelor’s degree in a science or medically related field, and then the dental school itself, where you’ll learn everything you need to become a successful dentists in Oregon.

It doesn’t particularly matter what school you go to to earn your bachelor’s, so long as you do well and fill your transcripts with extracurricular activities. Dentistry schools are competitive, so work hard and keep that GPA as high as possible.

When you’ve passed the DAT and earned your bachelor’s, you can apply for and enroll in a dentistry school, where your true education begins.

Your first two years will be spent in the classroom, where you’ll study oral health systems, anatomy, and learn about the procedures you’ll be performing.

After that, it’s off to a specialized teaching clinic, where you’ll perform these operations and procedures with, and under the supervision of, licensed dentists. This is arguably the most important part of your education and will prepare you to work in the real world.

After that, you’ll need to take the NBDE, a comprehensive and complex exam that tests both your general knowledge, and clinical ability. When you’ve passed that, and earned your doctorate, you are just about ready to begin working as a dentist in Oregon, unless you decide to specialize.

Dentists can specialize in several areas, ranging from children’s dentistry to complex oral surgeries. Most schools offer training in one or more areas, but you may have to head out of Oregon to get the specialization you desire.