Has anyone become a dentist after dental dental technician? Does it make it easy to get in?

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Hello,
Has anyone become a dentist after dental dental technician? Does it make it easy to get in? and where please?

Thanks in advance!
Fadi
 
Contraluz

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I know at least of three people. Depending on where you live, your studies for dental tech may get you some credits. In the US, since you do not need any studies to become a Dental Technician, you pretty much start from scratch. But, once you are a dentist, your technician knowledge will definitely help you to be a better dentist!

Or at least I'd hope so... :cool:
 
doug

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I knew a guy who was a really talented technician( Pankey, Dawson, guy) who went to dental school and for the first three years out of school he was a great dentist. somewhere in the process he got greedy and, well, you can guess the rest. Unfortunately he passed away from skin cancer about 16 years ago. Great guy, I really liked working with his when he first started.
 
Affinity

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I wouldnt say its an easy transition.. although it does translate. It takes a special person to be a dentist, to say you have to 'want it' is an understatement. You have to place helping people as a high life priority, Im not sure if money is a good motivator for a career in dentistry. But people are driven at different levels and if youre confident and smart its a great field to make a career in.

I see startup money as the only roadblock for a tech to become a dentist. Im not sure it would be worth taking out student loans to get in dentistry, but it depends on how young you are and how willing you are to work hard.

Two years at a denturist school and youre a dental specialist, in business.

8 years of college, maybe a residency year for a dental degree, then you go pull teeth at aspen dental for 5 years, associate for 10, take out a loan to buy the practice eventually, maybe if youre smart your student loan is paid off. 23 years or so to have your own practice to dig out of debt, or you build from the ground up after school.

Maybe Fadi is in a place where the school is much shorter and cheaper, in that case , Id say take every opportunity!
 
Gru

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A number of years ago there was a series in LMT mag following a tech through dental school. Maybe in 2015 or about then? I’ll look for it.
 
npdynamite

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I think it couldn't help but make it easier in some way, but the question is concerning. Becoming a Doctor is not a small task and the amount that previous experience as a lab tech would make it easier, should not make or break you becoming a dentist.

If you are asking if it will help in regards to offsetting prerequisite course requirements, that is something you would want to ask specific schools that you are interested in about
 
DentalDen

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I wouldnt say its an easy transition.. although it does translate. It takes a special person to be a dentist, to say you have to 'want it' is an understatement. You have to place helping people as a high life priority, Im not sure if money is a good motivator for a career in dentistry. But people are driven at different levels and if youre confident and smart its a great field to make a career in.

I see startup money as the only roadblock for a tech to become a dentist. Im not sure it would be worth taking out student loans to get in dentistry, but it depends on how young you are and how willing you are to work hard.

Two years at a denturist school and youre a dental specialist, in business.

8 years of college, maybe a residency year for a dental degree, then you go pull teeth at aspen dental for 5 years, associate for 10, take out a loan to buy the practice eventually, maybe if youre smart your student loan is paid off. 23 years or so to have your own practice to dig out of debt, or you build from the ground up after school.

Maybe Fadi is in a place where the school is much shorter and cheaper, in that case , Id say take every opportunity!
Brilliant 👍
 
Tayebdental

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Very good grades and passing the DAT with good score, willing to study hard, specially anatomy and loose weight and carry a large student debt then you are in business.
 
TheLabGuy

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Does it make it easy to get in? A little, most of those interviewers want to make sure you are going to be dedicated and being in the dental field for some time shows that. Although, most of it is how you present yourself, answer the questions and the scores on the prereq's...DAT score, GPA of undergrad, etc. Now once you do make it into dental school and you are already a dental tech, you definitely have an upper hand in the later years of dental school. The first year is just like medical school first year...tons of gross anatomy, hard classes, five exams a day, not all that dental related. It's when you get into D2 (your second year) it becomes more focused on dentistry. Then D3 you actually start working on patients. D4 working on patients and completing school grad requirements while preparing for board exam. Every school is different and i'm using generalities but that's the gist of it. Will being a dental tech already, then going to dental school be easier...heck yeah it will. A lot of dental students struggle with the lab portion of school and it's very time consuming for them (go figure). As a dental tech, you will already know many of the basic terminology and lab fabrication procedures. Big help.
I have a Dental school student in the lab right now (he goes to dental school in August, already accepted),and by the time he goes he will do very well because he is learning and doing everything in our lab (learning the analog and digital workflows). Hope this helps.
 
rkm rdt

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Does it make it easy to get in? A little, most of those interviewers want to make sure you are going to be dedicated and being in the dental field for some time shows that. Although, most of it is how you present yourself, answer the questions and the scores on the prereq's...DAT score, GPA of undergrad, etc. Now once you do make it into dental school and you are already a dental tech, you definitely have an upper hand in the later years of dental school. The first year is just like medical school first year...tons of gross anatomy, hard classes, five exams a day, not all that dental related. It's when you get into D2 (your second year) it becomes more focused on dentistry. Then D3 you actually start working on patients. D4 working on patients and completing school grad requirements while preparing for board exam. Every school is different and i'm using generalities but that's the gist of it. Will being a dental tech already, then going to dental school be easier...heck yeah it will. A lot of dental students struggle with the lab portion of school and it's very time consuming for them (go figure). As a dental tech, you will already know many of the basic terminology and lab fabrication procedures. Big help.
I have a Dental school student in the lab right now (he goes to dental school in August, already accepted),and by the time he goes he will do very well because he is learning and doing everything in our lab (learning the analog and digital workflows). Hope this helps.
I hope you made him trim all the cow pattys and change the plaster trap.
 
TheLabGuy

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I hope you made him trim all the cow pattys and change the plaster trap.
Yep...and he is already learned my pet peeve (a lazy fkn dentist). He did his first denture set up this week, looked good but needed a lot of tweaking along the way but i imagine by dental school rolls around he will be wizard in the lab compared to classmates. He should be one of hell of a client ;)
 
rkm rdt

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Yep...and he is already learned my pet peeve (a lazy fkn dentist). He did his first denture set up this week, looked good but needed a lot of tweaking along the way but i imagine by dental school rolls around he will be wizard in the lab compared to classmates. He should be one of hell of a client ;)
Dentist Boot Camp

love it!
 
TheLabGuy

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Make them pay for the sins of their forefathers.
Reparations to the oppressed and unskilled deplorables.
Could you imagine if all dental school students had to go work at a dental lab for six months before they went to dental school? Talk about instantly raising the dental industry bar overnight!!!
 
rkm rdt

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Could you imagine if all dental school students had to go work at a dental lab for six months before they went to dental school? Talk about instantly raising the dental industry bar overnight!!!
as long as they are paid piece work and have to work Saturdays and Christmas Eve.
 

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