Dentistry Courses overview
Dentistry is essential in helping people maintain optimum health. To be a dentist lets you give the gift of an easy smile - and few careers can boast such job satisfaction. Good dental work can completely change someone’s life.
Dentists get to work with their hands, lead teams, and help their communities. Dentists also enjoy some of the most flexible work hours possible, combined with high salaries. Those with dental qualifications can work in a range of places, as dental work is needed all around the world.
The field of dentistry can also be incredibly diverse, from oral health to dental surgery, to understanding how dentistry affects public health as a whole.
Is dentistry for me?
While dentistry is by no means an easy degree to study, the payoff can be completely worth it. If you have the gumption to stick to your course and complete your studies, you will be able to handle the demanding career of a dentist.
Those who want to study dentistry should have a strong understanding of scientific subjects and a good command of the English language, as well as manual dexterity.
Study pathway
Dentists will need to first complete a bachelor’s degree in dental health, dentistry, or dental science.
In order to legally practice as a dentist in Australia, graduates will have to register with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Dental Board of Australia (read more). Unlike many professions, you will not need to pass an additional examination; your qualifications and an online application will suffice to let you work in the field of dentistry.
Once you have completed a bachelor’s degrees in dentistry, it is possible to go on to study graduate certificate or diploma in dentistry, or a master qualification.
Doctorates in dentistry allow students to contribute to academia in the ever-changing field. PhDs in dentistry can range in scope from orthodontics to dental surgery.
Employment options
Those with a degree in dentistry can work as a dentist in a range of medical practices and establishments. However, one of the major appeals about a career as a dentist and what draws many to the field is the ability to start your own practice and enjoy the flexibility of being your own boss. Benefits of starting your own dental practice includes flex-time, the freedom to decide how many patients you see in a day, and what procedures your practice will offer.
Dentist/dental surgeon
Prevent and treat disorders and diseases of the mouth and teeth (read more).
Specialisations
Dentists may choose to direct their focus to the following career paths:
Orthodontist
This branch of dentistry deals with correcting and preventing malpositioned teeth and jaws (read more).
Pediatric dentistry
Dentistry especially aimed at children is what this job relates to. It is an important and necessary part of dental healthcare (read more).
Dental public health specialist
This job researches and informs social health policies and dentistry (read more).
Prosthodontics
This dental discipline focuses on dentures, bridges and dental implants (read more).
Scholarships and funding
Scholarships and bursaries may be available for your degree in dentistry. Use our scholarship search tool to find out what’s available, and if you qualify to apply.
Australian citizens should be able to receive either Austudy or Youth Allowance depending on their age, if they wish to study dentistry full-time. (read more).
Prerequisites and selection process
The prerequisites to get into a dentistry degree will depend on whether you are applying for an undergraduate or postgraduate study pathway.
Studying undergraduate dentistry requires you to get a certain ATAR score that will vary per university, but is generally needed to be in the 80th percentile or higher in your state.
Additionally, undergraduate students must score well in either the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT), while graduate students must pass the Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT).
Both the UMAT and the GAMSAT are designed to test your abilities in Biology and Chemistry, Physics, and English.
A career in dentistry requires some physically demanding tasks. It is advised that you should be sure you are able to be on your feet and have a responsive sense of touch. Some universities require students to take tests that determine their manual dexterity and spatial awareness.
Those who wish to study a doctor of dental medicine degree will have to pay additional costs required to sit the GAMSAT examination, UAC Qualifications Assessment and potentially interview fees. Check with your education provider to see how these cost break down.