how many years of college is best if u wanna be a general dentist? 2 or 4?

Answer 1

I'm a dentist.

First off, I think you're comparing dentistry with nursing. Nurses typically enter nursing school after two years of college. Dentistry is not like nursing. It is like medicine. After all, we are doctors. We spend four years in a doctorte-level health professional school taking doctorate-level courses, exactly like medical students. In fact, many dental schools have their students take the preclinical didactic courses with medical students.

It doesn't matter what kind of a dentist you want to be (general dentist, orthodontist, oral surgeon, etc. etc.). All dentists have to go to four years of dental school. Upon completion of dental school, you can choose to apply to a specialty program, or enter private practice as a general dentist. Some dental school grauates spend a year in a residency prior to entering practice as general dentists.

Dental school, like medical school, does not require a bachelors degree for entrance. Dental/medical schools require three years minimum of undergraduate work. However, entrance into dental school or medical school without completing four years of college is extremely rare. Only the most extraordinary students are able to do this.

Answer 2

you actually need to separate degrees to be a general dentist. First is your standard 4 year college bachelor of science. Preferably one that is pre-med like biology or something. Then you will need to go to dentist school like the ones UCSF in San Francisco. That is usually 4 years. It is 8 years of total school. Really no different than going to regular med school.

Answer 3

Lisa's right. You can sometimes gain admission to dental school after 3 years in an undergraduate college program, but it is so competitive that you would have to be really excepetional. Dental school is 4 years and that's all there is to it. Some can accelerate their clinical years and graduate early (haha - like me) and finish in less than 4 years, but the program is 4 years. 2 years in dental school is not an option.