If possible someone will visit their general dentist several times throughout their lives. In the best-case scenario, this will be for yearly checkups and cleanings. However, unforeseen circumstances may arise allocating the need for an unplanned visit to the dentist.
A general dental expert is prepared to handle almost all cases involving their patients' oral care, namely for hygiene, restoration methods, preventative measures, and even some surgical procedures such as extractions and root canals. Anything outside their expertise will be referred to a specialist in that area. But once again, general dentistry covers quite a bit of ground.
It could be considered one of those jacks-of-all-trades, leading its students to be prepared for whatever may come their way. In fact, every year new innovations are discovered and applied to this field of study and practice, which means that the life of a general dentist is one of constant study, growth, and adaptability.
To qualify as a licensed practitioner in the field of dentistry requires at least 8 years of schooling and a lifetime of seminars regarding new ways and better at doing things. A student interested in making dentistry their career of choice will need four years of undergraduate study, resulting in a bachelor's degree as well as four more years of graduate study at an accredited school of dentistry.