A dental major is a specialized undergraduate degree program that prepares students for a career in dentistry. The curriculum typically includes general dentistry, oral surgery, prosthodontics, and periodontics, among other subjects. These programs are all distinct, but they all focus on diagnosing and treating oral health issues. Dental hygienists, dentists, and dental therapists can all complete a dental program and earn a degree.
Dental medicine is a field of study that involves the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the mouth, teeth, gums and jaw.
Dental students take classes in different subjects, such as biochemistry, pharmacology, dentistry, and more. Dental programs may also require courses in other health-related disciplines, such as nursing, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology. If you love to learn, a major in dentistry might be perfect for you!
DMD, DDS, DMD/DDS and DMD, DDS, DHA are all titles that a person can use to describe a dentist.
Dental students can specialize in many areas, and the most common are restorative dentistry, periodontics, oral surgery, and orthodontics. There are also continuing education programs in cosmetic dentistry and implant dentistry.
DMD/DDS, DHA and DDS/DMD are known as double-degree programs.
A DMD/DDS is known as a “double-degree” program because it allows students to earn two degrees at the same time. The first is a Bachelor of Science in Dental Medicine. The other is a Bachelor of Science in Dentistry. This combination of degrees is unusual, but it allows dentists to specialize in both general dentistry and oral surgery. After completing these programs, dentists can then specialize in oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, periodontics, pediatric dentistry, endodontics, and more.
DMD/DDS, DHA and DDS/DMD are designed to combine two degrees into one.
Most dentists who earned a combined degree are called general dentists. Some dentists who earned a combined degree in dentistry and oral surgery are called oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Other dentists who earned a combined degree but are not oral surgeons are called specialists, like periodontists or endodontists.
DMD, DDS, DHA and DDS/DMD are all designed to allow dentists to specialize in a particular area of dentistry.
The term “dental major” is often used to describe dentistry programs that prepare students to become either general dentists or specialists. General dentists are dentists who provide comprehensive care to patients of all ages, while specialists focus on the treatment of a particular area of the mouth or tooth. For example, a periodontist treats patients who have gum disease, while an oral and maxillofacial surgeon treats issues involving the jawbone and teeth.
DHA stands for Dental Hygienist Associate.
The title for a DHA is Dental Hygienist Associate or Dental Hygiene Technician. Students with a two-year associate’s degree in dental hygiene can expect to make an average annual salary of about $51,000. There are also several advanced specialties that can lead to a career as a DHA, including forensic odontology, oral pathology, and endodontics.
DDS stands for Dental Doctor of Science.
A DDS is a graduate degree in dentistry. The DDS is a professional degree. This means that after completing the program, graduates have the ability to sit for the Dental Board and become licensed dentists.
Conclusion
Even though the field of dentistry is quite broad, there’s one specific major that applies to most dentists: general practice dentistry. General dentists don’t specialize in any one area of dentistry, but provide all types of basic dentistry care. They treat patients of all ages, from teenagers to geriatrics, and offer services like teeth cleaning and repair, fillings, and extraction.
