Dental School Really That Difficult? (Explained)


Dentistry is one of the most important professions out there.

Not many realize the impact that bad dental health can have on your overall wellbeing.

Furthermore, dental problems are on the rise with changing eating habits globally.

Dentists help investigate, identify, and treat diseases of the mouth, teeth, and gums, and they are more important now than ever before.

However, while it is a gratifying profession, many people wonder if it’s worth it.

Medical careers are renowned for being extremely difficult, and so many people wonder if it’s even worth it.

So is dental school really that difficult?

Yes, dental school is really difficult. Most students struggle with a vast amount of studying. Dental school is an academically demanding course, applicants must demonstrate a wide range of capabilities – both theoretical and practical. 

One mistake on their part could lead to the patient suffering the consequences.

Dental school requires you to have excellent organizational skills so that you can accurately manage the workload.

Furthermore, you’re tested on a wide range of things, such as practice tests to check your motor skills, and the theoretical material can be challenging too. In short, yes.

Dental school can be pretty tricky if you aren’t prepared to handle a lot of learning material as well as practical tests.

If you keep finding yourself questioning whether dental is really that difficult or not, keep reading below for the answers to all your questions.

Is It Hard To Get Into Dental School?

Yes, it is hard to get into Dental school. Dental schools are easily some of the most competitive colleges to get into. Acceptance rates are low with high grades required to get into Dental School.  

This is because the numbers of dental colleges are few, while there are many applicants each year.

Dentistry is one of the few medical areas that haven’t been added to the managed care system, which means that dentists have much more flexibility to practice.

To get into dental school, your past educational record needs to be immaculate.

We’re talking about a high GPA, good university credentials, and satisfactory scores on the DAT.

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Is Dental School Stressful?

Yes, Dental school can be pretty stressful if you aren’t prepared for it. One of the most significant factors contributing to stress in dental students is debt and the vast amount of study required to become a Dentist.

Dental school can be pretty expensive, and most students have to take hefty loans to put themselves through school.

Furthermore, a dental school can be pretty hands-on, and this means that the heavy workload can be challenging for many people to manage.

Not only this, but the heavy workload often means that you have to cut back on your social life to make room for studying.

In addition to this, becoming a dentist is no piece of cake.

In dental school, you’ll be required to perform a lot of physical tasks.

Being on your feet, bending over and having to concentrate for long periods takes it’s toll.

This can put a lot of strain on your eyes and your body, amounting to more stress.

Which Year Of Dental School Is The Hardest?

Overall, most dentists feel that the first and the second years of dental school are the hardest. If you want to narrow it down further, then the second year of dental school would have to be the hardest.

Much of the stress experienced by dental students in their second and first years is curriculum-related.

Furthermore, students stated that the spring semester of their second year, or D2, was the most stressful.

The second half of your second year is to prepare you for the clinic, and that’s what makes D2 so hard.

So, be prepared to pull some long nights and put your plans on hold for both your first and second years.

And of course, remember to take a deep breath!

What Are The Hardest Classes In Dental School?

The hardest classes in Dental school are oral surgery, periodontics, and prosthodontics.  What is difficult does depend on a student’s interests and strengths. What also determines difficulty is how much time you have to study these subjects.

Some of these subjects are vast and will require intensive learning.

This can be a problem for a student who is already burdened with a heavy workload from other studies.

Is Dental School Easier Than Medical School?

While dental school and medical school are correlated, there are still notable differences between the two.

Dental school is easier than Medical school.  Dental school focuses on one part of the human body in detail. Compared to Medical school which focuses on the whole human body. As a result Medical School has an extremely high amount of information that needs to be learned.

In fact, they have to memorize so much that they might not find anything else to do.

In comparison, Dental school has a lesser workload, and it can be considered easier in that context.

Furthermore, students in medical school have to spend extremely demanding hours from their second year onwards in hospitals, alongside studying for tests.

The hefty workload can make medical school harder compared to dental school.

Is Dental School Harder Than An Undergraduate Degree?

Medical School is much harder and challenging than undergraduate degree, dental school is far more demanding compared to a regular undergraduate degree.

The workload is much heavier, and students have to spend hours upon hours studying so that they can ace their tests.

Furthermore, matters are made much worse by the fact that dental school is incredibly competitive, and all the students are hardworking.

In addition to this, there is a lot of physical work involved as well.

While the material may not be much more challenging than a regular undergrad degree, there is much more of it, making things harder.

Final thoughts

Dental school requires dedication and hard work, but if it is a field you are passionate about, you’ll find that success comes easy.

At the end of the day, while dental school may be hard, you get the just rewards of all your efforts at the end.

Hope you enjoyed this article, for more about being a Dentist check out the article below

Is it Boring being a Dentist? – WorkVeteran

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