DENTIST
Dentists are licensed health-care professionals who are trained in diagnosing, preventing and treating oral disease. This includes treating soft and hard oral tissues, restoring teeth, making cosmetic improvements and performing oral surgery.
Education
Requirements include a high school diploma or GED, three or four years of pre-dental courses at an accredited college or university and four years of dental education at an accredited dental school. Two to six years of additional training are required for dental specialties, including orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, endodontics, periodontics, oral radiology, prosthodontics, oral surgery, public health and oral pathology.
Degree
Dentists may receive a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree or a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree. Dentists who complete required training in recognized specialty fields receive post-graduate certificates.
Availability of Programs
The two dental schools in Florida are the University of Florida College of Dentistry in Gainesville and Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine in Fort Lauderdale. There are 55 accredited dental schools in the United States.
Cost of Education
Annual tuition is about $14,000 for Florida residents at the University of Florida College of Dentistry and about $30,000 at Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine.
Financial Aid
Several private, state and federal loans are available to help qualified applicants with dental-school expenses. The Florida Dental Association has a student-loan program for qualified Florida residents who are in their second year or higher in dental school.
Licensure Requirements
Licensure requires graduating from an accredited U.S. dental school and passing the national board written exam and the state written and clinical board exams.
Job Opportunities
Dentists may practice anywhere in the state after meeting state licensure requirements. They may practice by themselves or as associates, partners or members of a group practice. They also may practice in dental clinics or franchises, in the military, at public-health facilities, at correctional institutions and at hospitals.
Salary
The median annual earnings for dentists were $113,030 in 2004. Experienced dentists average $130,310 annually. Earnings vary according to the number of years in practice and location, hours worked and specialty. Self-employed dentists in private practice tend to earn more than salaried dentists. Like other business owners, they must provide their own health insurance, life insurance and retirement benefits.
Scholarships
The Florida Dental Health Foundation awards scholarships to needy students enrolled in dental education programs. Each year, three scholarships are given to rising students at the University of Florida College of Dentistry and Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine.
For a scholarship application, contact the FDHF office at (850) 877-9922, Ext. 119. You can download scholarship applications here.
