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Do you stick to details?

That’s an excellent quality for a dental professional. Learn more about a career in dentistry!

Dentist: The maestro of the clinic

Dentists do more than just look after teeth—they’re in charge of the complete oral examination! As a dentist, your job is to check the health of your patients’ teeth, mouth and surrounding tissues, and to diagnose any problems with the teeth in order to recommend treatment, if necessary. Together with your team, you are responsible for keeping your patients’ oral health at its best!

Although most dentists work in private dental clinics, you may also choose to work in a hospital or for a public health agency. Other options include teaching, doing research or pursuing a career in the military!

Learn about the dental profession with Marc-Antoine and Drs. Jocelyne and Mireille Vo!

Watch the video
Degree
University (Doctorate)
Duration
4–5 years
Placement rate
100%

Being a dentist is for you if…

  • You have good manual dexterity and excellent precision
  • You enjoy interacting with and helping people
  • You react effectively and calmly under pressure or in stressful situations
  • You’re a good team player and a good listener
  • You’re interested in human anatomy and how the body works
  • You’re not afraid of studying hard!

You will…

  • Examine teeth, gums and tissues to diagnose oral health problems and diseases
  • Plan treatments and diagnostic tests
  • Provide dental care including cosmetic procedures
  • Prescribe drugs or inject anesthetics
  • Refer patients to other dental specialists as needed
  • If you have your own clinic, you will oversee its daily management, including the activities of your team: dental hygienists, dental assistants and other employees.

Did you know that...

Dentists are trained to identify more than 200 diseases that can affect your mouth.
There’s a lot more going on in there than you’d think!

 
 
 

Training and prerequisites

To become a dentist in Quebec, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Complete an undergraduate degree in a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) program. To do so, you must first have a diploma of college studies (DEC) and meet specific requirements. After completing your DMD program, you can continue to study in a specialty field, such as periodontics, orthodontics or your choice of many others!
  • Hold a permit to practise from the Ordre des dentistes du Québec
  • Renew your membership in the Ordre des dentistes du Québec every year

To apply to the university dental program, you must have completed one of the following college programs:

  • A DEC in Science, provided you have passed the following courses:
    • Biology 401
    • Chemistry 202
  • A DEC in Arts and Science
  • Any other DEC, provided you have passed the following courses:
    • Biology 301 and 401
    • Chemistry 101, 201 and 202
    • Mathematics 103 and 203
    • Physics 101, 201 and 301

Other prerequisites and requirements for the Doctor of Dental Medicine degree vary depending on the university you choose. Check with the university of your choice to find out more!

Institutions offering this program

The dental medicine program is offered at the following academic institutions:

Montreal

Quebec City

" I want to give people their smiles back."

Nour Mawlawi, dental medicine student

Nour is on a mission to make dental care accessible to as many people as possible, particularly children. That’s what motivates her every morning. She wants to have a direct impact on people’s lives by giving them back their smile.

She was looking for a career that combines human connection with hands-on work involving precision, creativity and rigor, and that is exactly what she found in dentistry.

She’d like to gain experience in many areas and hasn’t ruled out specializing in oral and maxillofacial surgery. In fact, she loves the idea of continuing to learn throughout her career.

Want to know if this profession is for you?

Take our test and find out which dental profession best suits you!

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