Dentist medicine is a creative, essential, and fulfilling career in the health industry. It involves diagnosing, treating, and preventing your teeth, gum, jaw, and mouth disorders. Your dental health undoubtedly contributes to your general well-being and, as such, is equally taken seriously.
A dentist is a specialist charged with carrying out the functions mentioned earlier judiciously. As a dentist, education and certification are not just a necessity but compulsorily attained to carry out the required parts.
Like various professions, specialized categories are available such as endodontics for root canals, oral pathology, radiology, and surgery. Due to special care required by children, there is also a category dedicated to them known as pediatric dentistry. Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics are available too.
The importance of dentistry for both dentists and patients alike can not be overemphasized. While this article will be focused on dentists, the patients are significant beneficiaries of the course. Dental care helps patients prevent hostile oral conditions such as tooth decay and bad breath, strengthens your tooth, and helps teeth appear neat.
When choosing a dentist, you often consider proximity to you, cost, and free time. This article contains a list of the top 10 free online courses that will help you achieve your dream if you think of being a dental medicine professional.
We will also be addressing why you should even want a career in dentistry in the first place and how to go about becoming one. In addition, we would also be addressing various questions that you may come across or have been meaning to ask yourself.
Why Should You Have a Career in Dentistry?
While reasons for pursuing a career in dentistry may vary depending on various individuals, some have been found to be similar. Dentistry plays a significant role in primary healthcare as most oral diseases can be indicators of other kinds of illnesses or diseases.
The profession steadily grows with various technological advances, allowing for multiple inventions and creativity. It is a gratifying profession as it enables practitioners to help patients through complex oral problems and go further. It also allows them to explore different advancements in the industry to reach the peak of their career.
When applied in treatments and done correctly, these various skills help their patient feel better with no pain but also help to improve their self-esteem and comfortability.
As part of the job description, you are mandated to educate and instruct people on how to attain and maintain better oral habits. The knowledge gained helps you to contribute positively to your clients’ lives. Being a dentist also opens you up to people from various life works. Actively being in their lives helps improve general oral health.
Why Enroll in Dentistry Courses?
As promising as the dental profession is, all this is not achieved without paying the price of a proper education in the field. For this reason, various levels of education, training, and certifications are required to prepare you for the profession. Hence, these courses allow you to carry out your duties accurately while ensuring the safety and comfort of your clients during the process.
Enrolling in a dentistry course provides you with the knowledge to carry out the role. In addition, years of study in the field also help deliver years of experience in the job, allowing for a smooth workflow when you’re finally independent or even want to start a private practice.
As a certified dental practitioner enrolling in this course gives you, you are open to almost endless opportunities. With the profession’s value and seeming scarcity, you can work in several establishments such as hospitals, primary health care centers, private dental practices, etc.
Coupled with many other opportunities, enrolling in these courses gives you access to them as a dentist hence why it is essential. Now the question would be how to become a dentist, and we will be going ahead to answer that in the next section.
How do you become a Dentist?
Various developmental courses, both theory and practical, are being embarked on to become a dentist. To attain this, course periods are typically divided strategically to allow for adequate time to learn fundamental theories and knowledge. The other part involves the more practical lessons. This allows for practice in various clinical procedures and interactions in a typical dental setting.
While the procedures and learning mode may vary in various institutions or programs, the above pattern is usually seen. Most dental schools take about four (4) years to complete their course work. In addition, there is the option to further into various specializations depending on the individual. At the end of the program, the students are awarded either a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree or a Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry degree.
However, if you’re worried about cost of schooling, check out our article on Cheapest Dental Schools in the World
Top Ten Free Online Courses in Dentistry with Certificates in 2022
1. Dentistry 101
Dentistry 101, as the name implies, is a beginner-level introductory course in dental medicine. It informs the general profession, various specializations available, and their requirements. If you’re thinking of going into dentistry and want to prepare yourself for the journey ahead, this is a perfect place to start.
Summary; the introductory knowledge is provided by experts in the field and advises on how to start up a career in the area Information on the admission process for dental schools is also shared. It is available in the English Language, with subtitles in over six languages.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Dentistry
Duration;
Start date; Ongoing
2. Introduction to Dental Medicine
With oral health being an essential key to human health, the course aims at educating on dental medicine to improve general oral hygiene. The mouth, jaw, and tooth anatomy are discussed, including various treatments. The different roles that distinct specialists in dental medicine play are consulted.
Summary; The course is rich and encompasses various evidence-based lessons, research, and technology. Upon completion, the beginner-level course also makes available a shareable certificate upon completing all tasks and tests. It is a 100% online course with flexible deadlines suitable for everyone.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Dentistry
Duration; 10 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
3. Implant Dentistry
The reasonably new dental technique is one of the fast-evolving methods in oral healthcare technology. The course aims to help dental practitioners learn, understand, and apply implant dentistry effectively. While it is limited to postgraduate dental courses, the course is now being studied in various parts of the world.
Summary; the course being introduced to help dental practitioners get familiarized with implant technology breaks down the lesson, so it is understandable and applicable. Various procedures and techniques are shared. Implant experts from all over the world will be sharing their knowledge for the duration of the course.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Dentistry
Duration; 28 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
4. The Oral Cavity: Portal to Health and Disease
This course educates on the relationship between oral health and its relation to general health. Various dental practitioners discuss various oral diseases in detail concerning their symptoms, treatments, and overall attributes relating to general medicine.
Summary; The course is filled with experts from various fields of healthcare who educate from their vast knowledge and experiences of these diseases and contributing factors. At the end of the course, different health care practitioners share diverse expertise with the students. Certificates are also made available.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Dentistry
Duration; 16 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
5. Materials in Oral Health
The material in oral health is a course that opens you up to various materials, procedures, and knowledge ranging from engineering, material sciences, biology, physics, etc. Materials of oral biometrics such as titanium, ceramics, and alloys of various forms are discussed according to their uses and clinical implications.
Summary; A certificate is provided for purchase at the end of this course for participants. However, with the provisional offer of financial aid, participants can apply and will be notified if they are approved. Also contained in the course is an introduction to procedures and methods that allow for the testing of biomaterials in the laboratory.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Dentistry
Duration; 15 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
6. Understanding Patient’s Perspective on Medicine
The course is essential for all medical practitioners as it helps to understand patients and how to interact with them appropriately. It opens medical practitioners up to how patients perceive medicine and how to apply this knowledge to their field. This, in turn, increases the healthy patient-to-practitioner relationship and its effectiveness.
Summary; It is an intermediate-level course for health practitioners. The benefits of learning patient interaction with medicine are explained, and you will be able to share certificates gained upon completion of the system.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Dentistry
Duration; 14 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
7. HPV- Associated Oral and Throat Cancer: What you Need to Know
The HPV- Associated oral and throat cancer course, as the name implies, shares all you need to know about the health situation. It is not only for health personnel as it is open to individuals who may have suffered the disease before or know someone who has or is particularly curious about it.
Summary; The course is also divided into modules, at the end of which there is a multichoice assessment sheet. Due to the provision of financial aid, you can take the course on audit for free. However, the shareable certificate that comes with the system is paid for.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Dentistry
Duration; 4 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
8. Acute and Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Comprehensive Review
The course’s primary aim is to educate health care practitioners, physicians, nurses, etc., on how to diagnose rhinosinusitis and differentiate the acute from the chronic. While it teaches the difference, it also teaches how to distinguish them from each other.
The course is not only meant for this health personnel. Still, it is also open to individuals who may have the disease or are interested in gaining knowledge on the particular condition.
Summary; during the course duration, you learn various skills and knowledge to apply what you’ve learned. At the end of every module, multichoice questions for review are provided, and there is a shareable certificate. The flexible deadline is a plus, and financial aid is available for the course.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Dentistry
Duration; 5 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
9. TECH MeD: Transdisciplinary Education for Critical Hacks of Medical Devices
The course aims to educate on the various issues that medically implanted devices can be attributed. The problems in question range from technical, legal, ethical, medical, etc., which help keep practitioners, patients, and the general public informed. With dentistry being technologically advanced rapidly, dental practitioners also advise the course.
Summary; the course is an expository course that features experts from various fields who expose and give advice on various topics. However, the study still advises you to see a professional close to you for legal and medical issues. A shareable certificate is offered at the end of the course, and financial aid is also available.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Dentistry
Duration; 8 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
10. Translating research to Patients
The course, which is the third course in a course series titled translational science, approaches research from clinical trials. The course emphasizes its importance and teaches how best to conduct research. The discoveries being made through research in various fields need to be applied in clinical practice, allowing them to become evidence-based procedures.
Summary; Past studies on various researches that went through the required stages to become scientific discoveries are shared. These scientific discoveries and how to start from research, clinical trials practice, then scientific discoveries are shared as well. The role of the Government in various research and research procedures is also shared.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Dentistry
Duration; 6 Hours.
Start date; Ongoing
Conclusion
The field of dental medicine is an ever-rewarding field that has continued to evolve with each passing day. Technological advancement is contributing significantly in various areas, and dentistry is one of them.
These technological advancements have improved the process for professionals and patients alike by inventing methods and procedures that promote healthy oral health. It provides treatment choices such as teeth whitening, tooth feeling, and tooth replacement.
With various dental specializations available, the profession is a large field that allows for multiple experts. Disciplines like orthodontics, periodontics, maxillo-facial surgery, pediatric dentistry, endodontics, etc., is explored.
If you are interested in assisting courses in dental medicine, read our article on 10 Best Online Dental Assisting Courses is the best place to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
While most dental schools may have varying course curricula, outlines, and course codes, they all center around the same core subjects. The various subjects required as an undergrad include biology, chemistry, physics, English language, and physical sciences.
To become a general dentist, a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or a DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) is being awarded upon graduation from a dental school. However, upon studying further in a particular specialization, certificates particular to that field are issued.
With Italy holding first place with about 77 dentists per 100,000 people, Germany follows closely, with the United Kingdom and Denmark following suit.
In the ranking of dental care, a couple of countries have achieved impressive results. The ranking, which is done by putting factors like the number of dentists, dental healthcare system, and rate of healthy teeth, came up with the above result.
Primary dental care is the basic routine of maintaining hygienic oral habits and practices that promote general dental health. These healthy routines include brushing your teeth every day and flossing regularly. Regular dental check-ups and eating oral healthy foods like fruit, vegetables, and proteins are also advised.
There are various types of dentists due to different specializations available, and here are some common types.
General dentist
Orthodontist
Endodontist
Oral Surgeon
Prosthodontist
Pediatric Dentist
Periodontist.
References:
- allseasonsdentalkent.com – What is Dentistry
- lecom.edu/dental – Why Choose a Career in Dental Medicine
- www.colgate.com What it Takes to Become a Dentist
- ownyourownfuture.com – Which Country has the best dentists
- cigna.com– Common types of Dentists
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