In our dental surgeon fact sheet, we take a brief look at the difficult but challenging path to this career. In France, students must complete 6 years of study to become a dental surgeon , and even more if they specialize. In this article, we describe them one by one.
Initial stages of medical training
Before starting specialized dental surgery studies in France, it is essential to obtain a baccalauréat, preferably in a scientific stream. You will then have to choose between two options:
- The Parcours Accès Santé Spécifique (PASS)
- Introduced in 2020 to replace the former Première Années Commune aux Études de Santé (PACES), the PASS is a year of study combining a health major with a miscellaneous minor. This structure not only diversifies skills, but also offers the possibility of reorientation.
- Students are assessed on the basis of continuous assessment and final exams.
- Students who are admitted to the program enter the health sector.
- Those who do not pass can reorient themselves towards their minor. They can retake the exam the following year.
- The PASS reduces the pressure of the single PACES entrance exam and diversifies students' skills.
- The Health Access License (L.AS)
- Introduced in 2020 to diversify the range of health study courses on offer, the L.AS is a course combining any major (law, humanities, economics, etc.) with a specific health minor (biology, physiology, etc.).
- At the end of the first, second or third year, and if they have passed the minimum requirements, L.AS students can apply for health studies. They then sit specific exams. Depending on their performance, they may be rejected or admitted to the second year of medical school.
- The L.AS allows students to follow a diversified pathway, encouraging skills and reorientation.
Access to dentistry studies can also be gained via the passerelleprocedure. Only students holding a master's degree, a doctorate, a medical auxiliary diploma or an engineering qualification are eligible.
General dentistry studies
After the PASS or L.AS (see above), studies to become a dental surgeon are divided into two parts:
- Diplôme de Formation Générale en Sciences Odontologiques (DFGSO): this three-year course includes theoretical instruction in anatomy, biology and pathology, and practical work in simulation. It includes the PASS or LAS, then the 2nd and 3rd years of dentistry. Students are responsible for purchasing their own equipment, although a loan system can be set up.
- Diplôme de Formation Approfondie en Sciences Odontologiques (DFASO): this phase focuses on more specialized teaching and supervised clinical internships. It corresponds to the 4th and 5th years of study in dentistry. Students are required to complete clinical internships in dental departments alongside theoretical courses.
- The 3ᵉ cycle is divided into two tracks:
- The short cycle: lasts one year and prepares students for all aspects of the profession through a 250-hour active internship directly with an experienced dental surgeon.
- The long cycle: under the internship system, this allows students to specialize in dentofacial orthopedics, oral medicine or oral surgery. It lasts 3 to 4 years.
In addition, these courses can be taken at foreign faculties, provided the country to which they belong is part of the European Union.
How much does it cost to become a dental surgeon?
Students are among the most precarious social classes, due to the lack of time to work and support themselves. In this context, the adventure of studying dentistry can prove difficult without a good understanding of the budget required to complete it.
In France, according to a report by the Union nationale des étudiants en chirurgie dentaire (UNECD), each year of training costs around €1,250. To this must be added daily living costs in the form of rent, food and transport, amounting to around €1,300 per month. In addition, students have to pay for the materials they need to study dentistry. This additional cost represents a total of around €1,300.
In total, each month of a dental student's life costs around €3,300! A heavy burden, which you need to keep in mind if you don't want to be caught unprepared.
Careers and opportunities in dental surgery
A dental surgeon's career is full of challenges and rewards. Throughout his or her life, this specialist can renew his or her daily routine through, among other things, training courses enabling him or her to specialize, collaborations, a change in status or even a commitment to teaching or research.
Whicheverjob offer a dental surgeon chooses, he or she will be faced with stimulating new challenges. Whether you decide to leave your practice to join a clinic, switch from salaried work to humanitarian missions, or supplement your activity with teledentistry, the many possibilities will enable you to break away from routine and open up opportunities conducive to your personal and professional development.
In short, studying to become a dentist is demanding, but rewarding. With a high potential for specialization and a wide range of practice locations, this career offers stimulating features to satisfy even the most ambitious.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to find out more, take a look at our dental surgeon salary sheet!