Dental school
A dental school (school of dental medicine, school of dentistry, dental college) is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches dental medicine to prospective dentists and potentially other dental auxiliaries. Dental school graduates[1] receive a degree in Dentistry, Dental Surgery, or Dental Medicine, which, depending upon the jurisdiction, might be a bachelor's degree, master's degree, a professional degree, or a doctorate. Schools can also offer postgraduate training in general dentistry, and/or training in endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology, orthodontics, pedodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, dental public health, restorative dentistry, as well as postgraduate training for dental hygienists and dental technicians.
Other oral health professionals including dental hygienists, dental technicians and denturists, dental therapists and oral health therapists, Dental assistants or dental nurses, and other members of the dental auxiliary including orthodontic auxiliaries may be trained at dental schools, or at universities of applied science or polytechnics.
Sometimes dental education is done within medical schools, as in Pakistan; the separation between medical and dental educations is also blurred within certain sub-specialties, such as oral and maxillofacial surgery. The first two years of dental school students spend most of their time learning about biology and how the human body works and what diseases harm it. Some classes they could take are Anatomy, Physiology, microbiology and dental related studies like Oral Anatomy, Oral Pathology. The third and fourth year of college is mostly clinical, that can mean direct patient care or practice management instruction. Students will learn to care for all types of people whether they are ill, disabled or children. Schools curriculum can differ but this is the general guideline to what dental students do.[2]
High enrollment in dental schools occurred during the 1980–81 academic year, when there were approximately 23,000 students enrolled in U.S. dental schools. In the mid-1980s, enrollment began to decline. Several dental schools have closed and the number of new dentists has dwindled for some time. As of March 2010, there were more than 19,000 students per year enrolled in dental schools training dentists.[3][4]
Conditions of enrollment
Before applying to dental school, you must have completed an undergraduate degree in science disciplines such as biology, chemistry, and physics.[5][6] This knowledge is necessary to understand the complex nature of dental procedures and treatments. In addition, some dental schools may have prerequisite courses required. In your freshman year of undergrad you should enroll in a biology or chemistry course. Your sophomore year you should choose your major and make sure it's a science related major because that is what dental schools look for. You should also start studying for the DAT which you take in the spring of your Junior year. Your Junior year is also when you should decide what type of dental school you want to go to, depending on school size, number of students, the curriculum they teach. This is all important for ensuring you have the best dental school experience you can ask for.[7]
The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is a standardized exam that assesses the academic ability and scientific knowledge of applicants to dental schools.[8][9][10] You must score high enough on the DAT exam to get into dental school. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions on a variety of subjects including biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, reading comprehension, and quantitative reasoning.
Dental School can be expensive, in 2023 the average debt a dental school student is in after 4 years is $280,700.[7] While it is expensive Dental School can be very rewarding because dentists make a good living once they graduate and get their degree. There are 73 dental institutions in America and their total costs range from $110,158-$445,619. The graph below shows the total costs of all 73 institutions.
Dental School Debt and how you can pay for it.
Dental School can be expensive, in 2023 the average debt a dental school student is in after 4 years is $280,700. While it is expensive Dental School can be very rewarding because dentists make a good living once they graduate ang get their degree. There are 73 dental institutions in America and their total costs range from $110,158-$445,619. The graph below shows the total costs of all 73 institutions.[7]
| Dental School | Total Costs – Resident | Total Costs – Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| University of Puerto Rico | $110,158 | $178,158 |
| Texas A&M University | $133,859 | $177,059 |
| Augusta University | $139,819 | $293,555 |
| UT Health San Antonio | $142,171 | $185,371 |
| East Carolina University | $150,786 | $150,786 |
| University of Alabama | $153,747 | $318,643 |
| University of Mississippi | $167,891 | $167,891 |
| University of Kentucky | $176,092 | $345,812 |
| University of Texas at Houston | $181,541 | $251,471 |
| University of Oklahoma | $185,930 | $350,034 |
| University of Louisville | $187,118 | $347,726 |
| Southern Illinois University | $196,450 | $196,450 |
| University of Colorado | $199,560 | $300,772 |
| West Virginia University | $203,646 | $382,836 |
| LSU Health Sciences Center | $204,746 | $319,658 |
| University of Connecticut | $212,581 | $374,353 |
| University of Tennessee College of Dentistry | $214,129 | $369,169 |
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas | $215,452 | $397,354 |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | $215,740 | $374,375 |
| University of Utah | $216,848 | $376,632 |
| University of North Carolina | $218,335 | $368,019 |
| Howard University | $218,432 | $218,432 |
| Stony Brook University | $220,664 | $324,864 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | $222,939 | $354,855 |
| Indiana University | $224,199 | $435,131 |
| University of Missouri, Kansas City | $225,992 | $397,746 |
| Ohio State University | $233,583 | $245,694 |
| University of Florida | $234,057 | $339,977 |
| University of Michigan | $238,197 | $308,680 |
| University at Buffalo | $241,434 | $348,154 |
| University of Maryland | $247,459 | $406,983 |
| University of Minnesota | $248,243 | $417,744 |
| Marquette University | $257,850 | $292,490 |
| Oregon Health & Science University | $259,764 | $374,184 |
| University of Iowa | $262,693 | $361,093 |
| Medical University of South Carolina | $266,092 | $399,417 |
| University of California, San Francisco | $267,176 | $316,156 |
| Rutgers School of Dental Medicine | $268,146 | $412,174 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | $272,145 | $318,821 |
| University of Washington | $278,649 | $415,213 |
| Meharry Medical College | $283,852 | $283,852 |
| Touro College of Dental Medicine | $283,877 | $283,877 |
| LECOM College of Dental Medicine | $284,079 | $284,079 |
| Temple University | $289,206 | $324,350 |
| University of Illinois, Chicago | $295,614 | $456,236 |
| University of Pittsburgh | $302,840 | $344,976 |
| University of New England | $343,206 | $343,206 |
| Creighton University | $346,625 | $346,625 |
| Nova Southeastern University | $348,040 | $351,316 |
| Harvard University | $359,034 | $359,034 |
| Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health | $368,268 | $368,268 |
| University of Detroit Mercy | $370,478 | $370,478 |
| Western University of Health Sciences | $370,644 | $370,644 |
| Case Western Reserve University | $378,991 | $378,991 |
| Boston University | $386,566 | $386,566 |
| Loma Linda University | $390,324 | $390,324 |
| Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health | $392,694 | $392,694 |
| Roseman University of Health Sciences | $395,480 | $395,480 |
| University of Pennsylvania | $399,306 | $399,306 |
| Columbia University | $421,918 | $421,918 |
| Tufts University | $422,755 | $422,755 |
| University of the Pacific | $423,025 | $423,025 |
| New York University | $426,232 | $426,232 |
| Midwestern University – AZ | $431,407 | $431,407 |
| Midwestern University – IL | $438,717 | $438,717 |
| Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC | $445,619 | $445,619 |
The most common way to pay for dental school was taking out student loans, 84% of students took out federall backed student loans. Most dental students choose to go into private practice after to help pay off student loans, 52% of students have an aggressive monthly payment to pay back debts as fast as they can.[7]
List of dental schools
- List of dental colleges in India
- List of dental schools in Australia
- List of dental schools in Bangladesh
- List of dental schools in Israel
- List of dental schools in Pakistan
- List of dental schools in the United Kingdom
- List of dental schools in the United States
- List of dental colleges in South Korea
See also
References
- ^ "School of Dentistry". University of Birmingham. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
- ^ "Why Dentistry". Default. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
- ^ "Career influences among final year dental students who plan to enter private practice". bmcoralhealth.biomedcentral.com. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ "The Oral Health Care Workforce". nap.nationalacademies.org. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ "dental school requirements texas a&m". collegelearners.org. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ "Dental School Application Checklist". bemoacademicconsulting.com. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ a b c d e "Average Dental School Debt [2025]: Student Loan Statistics". Education Data Initiative. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
- ^ "DAT: All About Dental Admission Test". studyinfocentre.com. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ "Dental Education". canyoncountrydentalcare.com. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ "Dental Admission Test (DAT): The Definitive Guide". medicalaid.org. Retrieved 2024-10-23.