The majority of the 164,000 practicing dentists today are general practitioners. The remainder (about 20 percent) are dental specialists who limit their practices to one of the 12 ADA recognized dental specialties. The 12 dental specialties are: Dental Anesthesiology, Dental Public Health, Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Medicine, Orofacial Pain, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics and Prosthodontics. In addition to four years of dental school, two or more additional years of dental specialty education are required.
Admissions committees review credentials such as academic qualifications, the results from the Dental Admissions Test (DAT), grade point average (GPA), letters of recommendation, personal interviews and dental office shadowing experiences. Admission requirements can vary from school to school.
Most dental schools require personal interviews with candidates to assess qualities such as desire to help people, self-confidence, ability to meet challenges, ability to get along with people and capacity to work independently. The personal interview also provides an opportunity to ask about the school.
Apply for admission at least a year in advance of the planned enrollment date. Most dental schools participate in the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS). For a fee, students can subscribe to this service and complete a single application to apply to multiple dental schools. An online application to the schools participating in AADSAS is available here.
Get the most current information on how to apply for the DAT
View a list of ADA Commission-accredited U.S. and Canadian dental schools
Pay for Dental School
Dental school, like other graduate and professional programs, is a significant investment. Over 90 percent of dental students take out loans to finance their education. Consult the ADA’s Financial Resources for Students for detailed information about financial planning and effective debt management.
Be a Dental Team Member
There is a great demand for dental team positions like dental hygienists, dental assistants and dental lab technicians. Hygienists and assistants interact closely with patients to ensure a high level of care, while dental lab technicians work behind-the-scenes, designing the dentures, crowns and braces used by dentists.
All dental team careers are well paid with flexible hours and the educational costs and commitment aren’t as significant as dental school. Learn more about accredited training programs.3D printing is a rapidly developing technology in many fields as well as in dental laboratories.Dental 3D printers include flashlights or lasers that melt liquid or powder polymers with thecomputerized precision needed to create small objects with complex details. Models, partsand complete restorations can be made from a wide variety of materials. Adding 3D printersto busy labs and offices can increase efficiency, and there are many printers available fordifferent production volumes, lab sizes, and specific tasks.