Dentistry studies
Are you motivated to help people? You are empathetic, skilled in your craft and your heart rises with a radiant white smile? Then studying dentistry might be the stepping stone to a successful career as a dentist. Visit here if you need consultancy from professional dentistry interview tutors. What are the requirements for studying and how does the admissions process? You can find answers to these and other questions about the process, content, costs, career opportunities and possible alternatives to studying dentistry here.
General information about the course
The six-monthly visit to the dentist or trusted dentist is routine for some, for others it is most likely more of a torture. The term “anxious patient” is not exactly uncommon in dental practices. Nevertheless, most of us know that regular visits are not only immensely important for children.
The thought of your next visit to the dentist’s office probably doesn’t break a sweat on your forehead. That’s nice, because if we’re being honest, the profession of dentist is not only enormously important, but also extremely interesting and instructive. Did you know that many oral problems can be related to processes throughout the body? This is also the reason why you learn everything relevant to the structure and functions of the human body in the first semesters of your dentistry degree, similar to your medical degree. Incidentally, dentists belong to the occupational group of human medicine. Many courses in the first semester are therefore held together with medical students.
As a dentist, your goal is to identify diseases and malocclusions in the teeth in order to treat or prevent them successfully. You are responsible for conducting regular check-ups for your patients, providing expert advice and treating acute pain. In addition, there is the prevention of jaw and mouth problems as well as the correction of the tooth position and the recognition and treatment of jaw, oral cavity and tooth diseases.
The dentistry degree scores with a high degree of practical relevance right from the start: in the first semesters you take what are known as phantom courses, in which you can simulate the practical application of what you have already learned on dummies. In the higher semesters, you can even let off steam professionally with “real” patients.
Contents: What do you learn in the dentistry degree?
The dentistry course consists of the pre-clinic and the clinic, so that you know roughly what to expect in terms of content. We present possible subjects and study content in the following section. It is important to mention that the course of study is regulated uniformly, as already mentioned, but the content can vary slightly from university to university.
Preclinical content
In the first two semesters, the main focus is on creating scientific and dental technical foundations and, in part, building on the knowledge you already have from the Abitur. This knowledge and skills serve as the basis for working with the patient. But as soon as the dentistry degree has started, the first hurdle is already ahead: the pre-physical. This often takes place during the lecture-free period after the second or third semester and consists of three oral examinations in physics, chemistry and biology. Everything that has already been learned can be queried. If you don’t pass the pre-physics, you have the option of repeating it once. If you have mastered the exams, you can tick the first state dental exam.
This is followed by subjects such as anatomy, histology, physiology, biochemistry, the dental technology course and the phantom courses 1 and 2. The TPK deals with the basics of dental technology and their application, such as the manufacture of prostheses and gold crowns. The two phantom courses build on each other. As the name suggests, the focus is on working with phantoms, i.e., dummies. All-important activities, such as drilling or crowning, are tested on the phantoms. After the fifth semester, the second major state examination is due: the Physicism. In order to participate, you must provide the proof of having taken a course in medical terminology. The physical exam consists of a practical and four oral exams in the subjects that you have taken after the pre-physical exam. The practical test lasts one week.
By passing the physics exam, you complete the first, more theoretically oriented part of your studies and are admitted to the next round: the clinic.
Clinic content
The clinical section of your studies lasts another five semesters and is completed in a dental or university clinic. The focus is clearly on deepening knowledge and practical application. You carry out practical work on models and treat your first “real” patients in the later semesters – of course under professional supervision. The following subjects, among others, are part of the clinical section:
- dermatology
- hygiene and microbiology
- Internal Medicine
- Orthodontic propaedeutics
- orthodontics
- surgery course
- pathohistological
- periodontology
- pharmacology
- prosthetics
- “Injection Course”
- Clinical investigation methods
The conclusion of the clinical part and the entire study is, as already mentioned, the state examination. Similar to the Physicism, the state examination consists of an oral and a practical part, but is much more extensive. In over five months you can expect both practical weeks and 16 oral exams. You have to prove your knowledge from the past ten semesters. But once this intensive phase is over, you can become a (dentist) or, if you have also written your doctoral thesis, Dr. medical dent. name and can be very proud of you.
Technical requirements
You should have the following prior knowledge for your dentistry degree:
- Basic knowledge in the scientific subjects that are biology, physics and chemistry
- good math skills
- Good knowledge of English (especially for studying specialist literature)
A special pre-study internship is not required for the dentistry degree, since you will be taught all the knowledge and skills as part of the numerous practical exercises.
Matching colleges for dentistry
Dentistry studies are only offered at universities. After you have completed your studies, you have the opportunity to continue your education in a certain direction with various part-time master’s programs and, if necessary, to deepen your knowledge of a special subject.
