The Dapper Dentist

How do I register for the DAT?

The first step is to register for a DENTPIN. You will use this number to take the exam, apply for dental schools, and all of your dental career. More information about the DENTPIN can be found here.

Then, you will use your DENTPIN to apply to take the DAT. Once your application has been approved (a few business days later), you will be able to schedule a testing time, date, and location.

What are the best resources to study?

A list of the references used to create the items on the DAT from the ADA can be found here:

The Duke Dental Society recommends use of the following resources when preparing for the DAT:

General DAT Preparation:

1. Kaplan DAT (latest edition)
2. Orgoman’s DAT Destroyer Problems (latest edition)
3. Barron’s DAT: Dental Admissions Test (latest edition)
4. DAT Achiever Practice DAT Exams
5. TopScore Practice DAT Exams
6. American Dental Association (ADA) Sample DAT Exam
7. iDATPrep Practice DAT Exams 

Biology:

1. Examkrackers MCAT Biology
2. CliffNotes AP Biology Review
3. Schaum’s Outline of Biology
4. Campbell’s Biology Textbook 
5. ARIS Biology 9th Edition

General Chemistry:

1. Examkrackers MCAT Chemistry
2. Chad’s Video Reviews of General Chemistry

Organic Chemistry:

1. Examkrackers MCAT Organic Chemistry
2. Chad’s Video Reviews of Organic Chemistry
3. Loudon’s Organic Chemistry Textbook

Quantitative Reasoning:

1. Math Destroyer
2. Princeton Review SAT II Math Level 1 and 2 

Reading Comprehension:

1. Examkrackers 101 Passages in MCAT Verbal Reasoning

Perceptual Ability:

1. Crack DAT PAT (King or Ace Edition)

Is a Kaplan Test worth the money?

The main benefit of attending any DAT preparatory course is the set study schedule and classroom environment. If you find it difficult to study efficiently on your own or prefer to learn amongst peers in a classroom setting, then consider taking a prep class. The cost and duration of each preparatory course varies by program so start looking at your options far in advance. Most prep courses are designed to fully prepare you to take the DAT immediately after they end so don’t schedule the real exam too long after finishing the program.

If you are disciplined enough to set your own study schedule and stick to it regularly, then there will be little gain from taking a DAT preparatory course. All of the materials provided by prep courses are also available for students to purchase separately online. Furthermore, any “tricks and tips” that preparatory courses have to teach you can be learned from a wide variety of written DAT preparatory textbooks.

What are some study tips?

START EARLY! The knowledge required to do well on the DAT is NOT difficult, it’s just lengthy. Unless you are extremely confident in your intellect/test taking abilities, it is strongly recommend that you start preparing for the DAT at least 2 months prior to taking the actual exam. The DAT simply covers too much information for the majority of students to absorb comfortably within a month’s time.

Find your “study zone”. Set aside a location where you only go to study for DATs, and always go to that place when studying. This will help your body and mind get into the studying mood whenever you are in that location. Also, make a regular study schedule and plan out what you will be doing to prepare for the DAT on each day of your schedule (ie. Focusing on biology or general chemistry, taking a practice exam, etc.). This strategy will help you stay on track to complete your DAT preparation within a reasonable amount of time and prevent you from straying from your studies. A sample study schedule can be found at the bottom of this page.

Space out your material. There is an immense amount of info that you need to know prior to taking the DAT, so space out your studying in order to make sure you don’t tire out halfway through your preparatory period. Dedicate a reasonable amount of time to your DAT studies each day, and do no more, no less.

Study one subject at a time. Do not attempt to mix DAT subjects when making a first run through the material. By focusing on each subject one at a time, you will be able to digest the material more quickly and effectively. Once you’ve gone through all of the material once, you may then begin to spot practice the specific topics within each subject that you still need to review more thoroughly. It is at this point that you can start mixing subjects. Just make sure that you are comfortable with the large majority of the material within each subject before you start mixing topics because the sheer amount of information can easily overwhelm you.

Read, Test, Review. A common strategy to use when preparing for any standardized exam is to first review all of the study materials, take a full-length practice exam, review the items you skipped/missed, and then thoroughly review the material covering those same items. Rinse and repeat. This method will help you “spot practice” the topics that you are weak on (aka missed on the practice DAT exam) and solidify your overall understanding of the material over the course of multiple read, test, review sequences.

TEST, TEST, TEST. The best way to prepare for the DAT is to get used to the types of questions that will be asked. Even the most knowledgeable person may not do well on the DAT if he/she is not familiar with the testing style. Make sure to take as many practice tests as possible in order to get a good grasp of the kinds of questions you will face on the DAT, and how to tackle each. Simulating the testing environment (ie. Computerized testing, scratchwork done on whiteboards, simple computer calculator) will also help you feel more comfortable when the real test day comes.

Adopted from Duke University

Prior to this month, there were 9 recognized specialties by the American Dental Association. As of now, though, there is now a new recognized specialty: Dental Anesthesiology. According to the ADA, the new specialty entails the following:

“Dental anesthesiology is the specialty of dentistry and discipline of anesthesiology encompassing the art and science of managing pain, anxiety, and overall patient health during dental, oral, maxillofacial and adjunctive surgical or diagnostic procedures throughout the entire perioperative period. The specialty is dedicated to promoting patient safety as well as access to care for all dental patients, including the very young and patients with special health care needs.”

It appears there will be a specialty specifically for administering injections in order to manage pain. As of now, the general dentist and other specialists administer their own medications and injections, but there might be a new forefront in pain management at the dental office.

After graduating from an accredited dental school you will be considered a general practitioner in dentistry (I.e D.D.S). If you feel bold, though, and you have high stats (GPA, class rank, board scores, and letters of recommendation) you can consider applying to specialize in dentistry.

Much like medicine, you can choose to specialize in one area of dentistry.

Pros: more money, more complex cases, and (in my opinion) more respect.

Cons: more liability, business almost completely depends on referrals, and less job market.

Let’s first go through the dental specialties recognized by the ADA:

The above “Areas of Expertise” are VERY simple samples of what these specialists do. It should go without saying that this requires a lot more work and knowledge than what is described. The average salaries are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and 2 other smaller sources, and averages were taken from all three. In order to become a specialist, not only do you need to be the top in your class, but you need to be willing to invest more time into your training. Residency programs range from 2 years (public health and endo) to upward of 6 years (oral surgery).

The payoff for becoming a specialist in the field of dentistry is relatively significant (compare a general dentist’s salary at $150,000). Overall, regardless of the influence of an increase in salary, make sure to consider specializing for the right reason: because you are passionate about that field. More money is great, but forever is a long time.

For any dental student or practicing dentist, scrubs are an essential tool (almost as much as your explorer). You need to be comfortable, yet stylish, so you can provide quality care to your patients while looking badass. I will be honest, I have tried many scrubs in my time at dental school and at my previous job and I am ready to give you the low-down on the best scrubs I think are offered.

Disclaimer: This is NOT an advertisement. This is a real, honest review of scrubs.

1. Figs

If you have not tried on Figs, yet, you need to. They are the best scrubs you are going to find, hands down. They are made of polyester (which is what Nike Dri-Fit is made of), rayon (which makes it soft and lightweight), and spandex. They wash incredibly and will last for many stylish years at the office.

The only drawback: price.

They range between $42-$52 for a top and $48-$58 for bottoms. Don’t let that discourage you, though! If you want to look fresh, be comfortable and enjoy your workwear, get Figs.

2. Jaanuu

Say you don’t want to jump on the Figs bandwagon. You want to join a new trend of fashionable workwear and wear something other than Figs. Jaanuu is your answer. Made of polyester and spandex, these babies are comfortable and last a long time.

If you think this choice was going to save you some money, though, wrong. These will set you back the same amount as Figs and might even cost you a few dollars more depending on which style you pick.

3. Grey’s Anatomy

Do yourself a favor before deciding: do NOT think that Meredith Grey is sitting at home designing these with you in mind. These are made by a separate company, so don’t base your decision on whether or not you have binge-watched every episode on Netflix a dozen times.

These scrubs are made of nylon (tough, elastic fabric) and spandex. They come in many styles and colors (something that Figs and Jaanuu can’t exactly say) and are typically considered “the best” if you ask a salesperson at your local scrubs store. They are priced between $30-$55 per top and bottom.

In my personal opinion, there is no need to look at other scrubs except for these 3. If you pick any of the 3 above, I can almost guarantee you won’t be sad with your purchase and you will look great.

There are other brands such as Cherokee, HeartSoul, and Dickies. If you were to buy one of these to save some money that’s okay. Sometimes you’re balling on a budget and you have to find places to cut back. Buying scrubs for school and work can be a pricey investment, but if you’re going to have to buy scrubs, go big or go home.