Choosing a Specialty Program

Overview

For more detailed information, see the related key questions (+ answers) and resources.

You may have started dental school with the notion of becoming a pediatric dentist or an orthodontist, while others maybe entered without having any idea of what the next four years would hold. Whatever path you choose after graduation will be the right one, if you make your own decisions based on your personal passions and aptitude. Don’t forget, if you graduate from dental school and embark on a career in private practice, you can always decide to go back to earn a specialty degree later on. That’s the beauty of dentistry—the more you practise, the better your clinical skills, expertise and vision for your future becomes.

There are several dental specialties to choose from:

  • Endodontics
  • Periodontics
  • Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Prosthodontics
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
  • Dental Public Health
  • Oral Pathology (Canada only)
  • Oral Medicine (Canada only)
  • Oral Pathology and Medicine (Canada only)

Also, remember that some specialties can lead you on a career path where you can work within a government or health agency, not a traditional clinical practice environment.