Just like other medical professionals, to obtain your dental license in Illinois, there are specific education requirements, as well as testing requirements. There are also issues that can result in being denied that license or having it revoked. The following is a brief overview of the dental license process.
Dental Education Requirements
Becoming a dentist is considered one of the better professions in the United States. In fact, in an annual survey conducted by U.S. News & World Report rankings of the “100 Best Jobs,” being a dentist came in at number 10. In the medical profession, dentistry comes in as the fourth-best job. Overall, it comes in as the 11th best-paying job in the country.
In order to become a dentist, there are significant education requirements. The first step is obtaining your bachelor’s degree, majoring in chemistry, biology, physics, or other similar studies.
Once you have completed your bachelor’s degree, you are then required to attend dental school. In order to gain admission, applicants are required to take a dental acceptance exam that is made up of four tests that cover natural sciences, perceptual ability, quantitative reasoning, and reading comprehension. Because dental school admission can be so competitive, many applicants will take the exam more than once (you can take it up to three times) to obtain the highest score.
After completing another four years of dental school, you can graduate with a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DDM). Both degrees are for the exact same studies and training. The only difference is that some dental colleges refer to the degree as DDS, while others refer to the degree as DDM.
Applying for an Illinois Dental License
Once you have completed dental college and have obtained your degree, the next step is taking the Illinois state exam. However, before you can take that exam, you must meet not only the educational training requirements, but must also have completed 2850 clock hours in two years for those who attended school full-time or four years for those who attended part-time. You must also have passed the Joint Commission of National Dental Examinations (JCNDE). The Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation must receive proof of that passing score directly from the JCNDE).
Contact a Cook County Professional License Defense Lawyer for Legal Assistance
If you are having issues applying for your dental license in Illinois, call Williams & Nickl, LLC at 312-335-9470 to speak with one of our skilled Chicago dental license defense attorneys to find out how our firm can help.
Sources:
https://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/068/068012200A01000R.html
