5 answers
Lupe
Student
Hesperia, California
3
Questions
Updated
3238 views
Any advice on classes to take in highschool in preparation for dentistry?
Hi, I'm a rising junior in high school and I'm interested in the dental field, most likely as an orthodontist, maybe prosthodontist. I'm very curious about getting started but it's hard to find any information about what I need, what classes to take now, etc. I don't know where to start at all, so any tips or advice on colleges or the career itself would help greatly!
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5 answers
Divya Swami
Dentist
1
Answer
Houston, Texas
Updated
Divya’s Answer
Hi,
That's a great choice of field you are looking at. Here are few things you can start with.
Classes to Take:
Biology ,
Chemistry,
Algebra/Geometry/Pre-Calc ➝ dentistry involves spatial thinking,
Physics (optional, but helps for college),
AP Courses (if available): Bio, Chem, Calc, English
Activities to Try:
Shadow a dentist (ask local offices if you can observe — even for a day)
Join HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) if your school has it
Science or Health Club
Volunteering at dental clinics, hospitals, or community health events
Tips Just for You (as a Rising Junior)
Focus on getting great grades — GPA matters! (like seriously)
Explore science clubs, STEM programs, or summer pre-med camps
Email local dentists to ask if you can shadow for a few hours
Learn about the field: watch YouTube videos from dental students (look up "life as a dental student" or "why I chose prosthodontics")
Start tracking your extracurriculars and experiences (you’ll need them for college and dental applications)
Hope this helps
All the Best!
That's a great choice of field you are looking at. Here are few things you can start with.
Classes to Take:
Biology ,
Chemistry,
Algebra/Geometry/Pre-Calc ➝ dentistry involves spatial thinking,
Physics (optional, but helps for college),
AP Courses (if available): Bio, Chem, Calc, English
Activities to Try:
Shadow a dentist (ask local offices if you can observe — even for a day)
Join HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) if your school has it
Science or Health Club
Volunteering at dental clinics, hospitals, or community health events
Tips Just for You (as a Rising Junior)
Focus on getting great grades — GPA matters! (like seriously)
Explore science clubs, STEM programs, or summer pre-med camps
Email local dentists to ask if you can shadow for a few hours
Learn about the field: watch YouTube videos from dental students (look up "life as a dental student" or "why I chose prosthodontics")
Start tracking your extracurriculars and experiences (you’ll need them for college and dental applications)
Hope this helps
All the Best!
Thank you so so much! I'll definitely look into shadowing and volunteering.
Lupe
Babitha Asha
Internal medicine physician
1
Answer
Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Updated
Babitha’s Answer
Hi, it is good to join a university that has a dental college attached to it. There is an option to take pre-dental studies at the universities. You can also take a dental technician course and work in dental offices in the summer to gain experience.
I will keep this in mind, thank you!
Lupe
Michelle M.
Actress
2662
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hi, Lupe !
Although you will not learn how to be a dentist until you get to Dental School, there may be a path you can take to get the feel of dentistry after you graduate High School. For your Junior and Senior year in High School, you can take Biology and Chemistry, but also meet with your guidance counselor to see if there are any other human science classes that you'd like to take.
You may like to get right in the swing of it by going first to a community college for an Associates Degree in Dental Assistance or Dental Hygiene. You'll get hands on experience this way. You can then transfer to a University for your Bachelors Degree in a human science. After your Bachelors Degree you then attend Dental School.
Explore Carrington College, Concorde Career College, American Career College, Summit College and other community colleges near you that offer the Associates Degree in Dental Assistance or Dental Hygiene. Then look at colleges to transfer to to obtain your Bachelors. You can enter Dental School with any Bachelors Degree major, but this path will have you focused and experienced around dental.
Volunteer work is a great way to gain experience even if it is not connected to Dental just yet. Contact the American Dental Association and inquire about possible volunteer work that you can do locally while you are in High School. Remember, after you get the Associates for DH or DA, you will be qualified to actually work for pay with a dentist and around patients, so volunteer work would be good for high school.
As for shadowing, it is for people who are not sure what career they want, to just observe, and you seem very certain and excited to become a Dentist ! It's great that you know this already and are making plans. Keep in mind that Shadowing is NOT experience and will not reflect what your actual experience in the career would be like. It also does not get added onto a resume, so you are better off with volunteer work. If you do set out to shadow, the dentist will have to get the patient's permission for someone to be observing and each patient would have to sign permission. HIPAA Laws do cover Dental as well as Medical Services.
Keep in mind that really what you'll need to know to become a Dentist will be done in Dental School. If you take the Associates in Dental Hygiene or Dental Assistance, this can be a way to be around the career the quickest. Any volunteer work that you do, whether it is connected to dental or not is going to be very valuable as you will sharpen your communication skills and other skills that you can bring to college.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
Although you will not learn how to be a dentist until you get to Dental School, there may be a path you can take to get the feel of dentistry after you graduate High School. For your Junior and Senior year in High School, you can take Biology and Chemistry, but also meet with your guidance counselor to see if there are any other human science classes that you'd like to take.
You may like to get right in the swing of it by going first to a community college for an Associates Degree in Dental Assistance or Dental Hygiene. You'll get hands on experience this way. You can then transfer to a University for your Bachelors Degree in a human science. After your Bachelors Degree you then attend Dental School.
Explore Carrington College, Concorde Career College, American Career College, Summit College and other community colleges near you that offer the Associates Degree in Dental Assistance or Dental Hygiene. Then look at colleges to transfer to to obtain your Bachelors. You can enter Dental School with any Bachelors Degree major, but this path will have you focused and experienced around dental.
Volunteer work is a great way to gain experience even if it is not connected to Dental just yet. Contact the American Dental Association and inquire about possible volunteer work that you can do locally while you are in High School. Remember, after you get the Associates for DH or DA, you will be qualified to actually work for pay with a dentist and around patients, so volunteer work would be good for high school.
As for shadowing, it is for people who are not sure what career they want, to just observe, and you seem very certain and excited to become a Dentist ! It's great that you know this already and are making plans. Keep in mind that Shadowing is NOT experience and will not reflect what your actual experience in the career would be like. It also does not get added onto a resume, so you are better off with volunteer work. If you do set out to shadow, the dentist will have to get the patient's permission for someone to be observing and each patient would have to sign permission. HIPAA Laws do cover Dental as well as Medical Services.
Keep in mind that really what you'll need to know to become a Dentist will be done in Dental School. If you take the Associates in Dental Hygiene or Dental Assistance, this can be a way to be around the career the quickest. Any volunteer work that you do, whether it is connected to dental or not is going to be very valuable as you will sharpen your communication skills and other skills that you can bring to college.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
I think I'll try getting a DA, thank you for the advice!
Lupe
Lupe, that sounds great ! You are most welcome for the advice !
Michelle M.
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach
735
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Lupe,
Dentistry is science-based, so I would recommend that in high-school you take all the science and math classes you can, AP if possible at your school. If you have any course offerings related to medicine, take those (e.g. anatomy, psychology) as well. Language classes (English/Spanish) can help you develop your communication skills.
As a dentist, you need a steady hand and good spatial vision. You can train these capabilities while also having fun e.g. by taking up drawing or sculpture.
There are summer programs for high-school and undergraduate students interested in dentistry. If you have the opportunity, attending one of those will be useful. Here are some links for you:
https://dentistry.llu.edu/admissions/summer-programs
https://www.pacific.edu/about-pacific/summer/precollege-summer-program/learning/dental-camp
https://dentistry.usc.edu/dental-explorers-program/
The traditional way to become a dentist is 4 years of undergraduate studies to earn a bachelors degree followed by dental school to earn your doctorate in dentistry. A bachelors degree in a science field (biology, chemistry, biochemistry etc) would be most useful because it covers the pre-requisites for dental school. If you choose an undergraduate degree that does not cover the pre-requisite courses, you'd have to take them additionally.
Check with each dental school you would consider what their entry requirements are. Here is the link for UCLA:
https://dentistry.ucla.edu/academics-admissions/dds-program/admission-selection-process
Pay attention to the pre-requisites:
https://www.adea.org/godental/Apply/tips-for-preparing-to-enter-dental-school/preparing-for-dental-school/prerequisites
As part of your application, you'll need experience in the dental field, e.g. through volunteering and internships.
Before you can apply to dental school, you need to take the DAT (Dental Admission Test):
https://www.ada.org/education/testing/exams/dental-admission-test-dat
There is a central application service for dental school that most but not all schools participate in:
https://www.adea.org/godental/Apply/apply-to-adea-aadsas
There are also accelerated dental programs. I don't know if that if a good path for you, but it would shorten your time and cost in school. You find an overview here:
https://www.ivywise.com/ivywise-knowledgebase/applying-to-direct-dental-programs
Before you can practice as a dentist, you need to get licensed in your state:
https://www.ada.org/resources/careers/licensure
https://www.dbc.ca.gov/applicants/become_licensed_dds.shtml
If you want to specialize further, there are programs for that too:
https://coda.ada.org/find-a-program
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Dentistry is science-based, so I would recommend that in high-school you take all the science and math classes you can, AP if possible at your school. If you have any course offerings related to medicine, take those (e.g. anatomy, psychology) as well. Language classes (English/Spanish) can help you develop your communication skills.
As a dentist, you need a steady hand and good spatial vision. You can train these capabilities while also having fun e.g. by taking up drawing or sculpture.
There are summer programs for high-school and undergraduate students interested in dentistry. If you have the opportunity, attending one of those will be useful. Here are some links for you:
https://dentistry.llu.edu/admissions/summer-programs
https://www.pacific.edu/about-pacific/summer/precollege-summer-program/learning/dental-camp
https://dentistry.usc.edu/dental-explorers-program/
The traditional way to become a dentist is 4 years of undergraduate studies to earn a bachelors degree followed by dental school to earn your doctorate in dentistry. A bachelors degree in a science field (biology, chemistry, biochemistry etc) would be most useful because it covers the pre-requisites for dental school. If you choose an undergraduate degree that does not cover the pre-requisite courses, you'd have to take them additionally.
Check with each dental school you would consider what their entry requirements are. Here is the link for UCLA:
https://dentistry.ucla.edu/academics-admissions/dds-program/admission-selection-process
Pay attention to the pre-requisites:
https://www.adea.org/godental/Apply/tips-for-preparing-to-enter-dental-school/preparing-for-dental-school/prerequisites
As part of your application, you'll need experience in the dental field, e.g. through volunteering and internships.
Before you can apply to dental school, you need to take the DAT (Dental Admission Test):
https://www.ada.org/education/testing/exams/dental-admission-test-dat
There is a central application service for dental school that most but not all schools participate in:
https://www.adea.org/godental/Apply/apply-to-adea-aadsas
There are also accelerated dental programs. I don't know if that if a good path for you, but it would shorten your time and cost in school. You find an overview here:
https://www.ivywise.com/ivywise-knowledgebase/applying-to-direct-dental-programs
Before you can practice as a dentist, you need to get licensed in your state:
https://www.ada.org/resources/careers/licensure
https://www.dbc.ca.gov/applicants/become_licensed_dds.shtml
If you want to specialize further, there are programs for that too:
https://coda.ada.org/find-a-program
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Matt Gernhofer
Dentist
1
Answer
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Matt’s Answer
Hi Lupe,
Dentistry is both an art and a science. If I were to estimate which proportion of each the profession entails, I would say probably 75% art and 25% science. Now, I'm not saying that you should fine tune your painting or pottery skills, but you should be very comfortable (and enjoy) working with your hands! Taking classes or developing hobbies where you are creating or building things with your hands, will only help you develop your fine hand eye coordination that is required of the preclinical courses in dental school, and of the profession in general. Also, getting any experience in the dental field prior to committing to it is something that I would highly recommend. Some of the people that I have crossed paths with had experience as dental lab technicians prior to attending dental school. Others spent time shadowing their providers.
From the science aspect, I would recommend that you take any biology, chemistry, and physiology classes that are offered at your high school. Once you get to college, you will need to take the necessary pre-requisite courses to become eligible for dental school, but not necessarily major in a science. Even though math is regarded as an important subject for the pre-dental curriculum, the amount of math used in dentistry is really not a lot. Apart from calculating maximum anesthetic doses for pediatric patients, I rarely find myself using any math. So only taking the required math courses (up to Calculus 1 I believe) is all I would recommend.
Preparing for the DAT is a large commitment as well, because the test scores are quite important for getting accepted into school. I took a Kaplan prep course that literally reviewed everything that was possible to show up on the exam and I did quite well on the exam. So if you are unsure what to study specifically for the exam, I would recommend that route. Regarding what school to apply for and attend, my advice would be to go wherever makes the most sense for your situation. I went to one of the top dental and research schools in the country, and did not feel that I got the best one on one attention that maybe some of the other schools provide. Plus, it was a little bit too large of a school for my preference, and probably would have attended a smaller school if I had it over again. I knew dentists while serving in the military that went to schools that were not as reputable as mine, and they were just as good as clinicians as anyone.
I hope this helps a little bit and would be happy to answer any other questions you may have!
Matt
Dentistry is both an art and a science. If I were to estimate which proportion of each the profession entails, I would say probably 75% art and 25% science. Now, I'm not saying that you should fine tune your painting or pottery skills, but you should be very comfortable (and enjoy) working with your hands! Taking classes or developing hobbies where you are creating or building things with your hands, will only help you develop your fine hand eye coordination that is required of the preclinical courses in dental school, and of the profession in general. Also, getting any experience in the dental field prior to committing to it is something that I would highly recommend. Some of the people that I have crossed paths with had experience as dental lab technicians prior to attending dental school. Others spent time shadowing their providers.
From the science aspect, I would recommend that you take any biology, chemistry, and physiology classes that are offered at your high school. Once you get to college, you will need to take the necessary pre-requisite courses to become eligible for dental school, but not necessarily major in a science. Even though math is regarded as an important subject for the pre-dental curriculum, the amount of math used in dentistry is really not a lot. Apart from calculating maximum anesthetic doses for pediatric patients, I rarely find myself using any math. So only taking the required math courses (up to Calculus 1 I believe) is all I would recommend.
Preparing for the DAT is a large commitment as well, because the test scores are quite important for getting accepted into school. I took a Kaplan prep course that literally reviewed everything that was possible to show up on the exam and I did quite well on the exam. So if you are unsure what to study specifically for the exam, I would recommend that route. Regarding what school to apply for and attend, my advice would be to go wherever makes the most sense for your situation. I went to one of the top dental and research schools in the country, and did not feel that I got the best one on one attention that maybe some of the other schools provide. Plus, it was a little bit too large of a school for my preference, and probably would have attended a smaller school if I had it over again. I knew dentists while serving in the military that went to schools that were not as reputable as mine, and they were just as good as clinicians as anyone.
I hope this helps a little bit and would be happy to answer any other questions you may have!
Matt
Thank you so much! I really enjoy pottery, and will actually be taking my second Sculpture class this year, as well as chemistry. I'll keep Kaplan in mind, I really appreciate the advice.
Lupe