Pre-Dentistry

Preparing for a Career in Dentistry

Academic Requirements

Prerequisite Courses: Requirements vary by school. It is the responsibility of each candidate to do their own research on the requirements of each dental school to which they might apply.

Some common prerequisite courses for dental schools are listed below:

Common Requirement	Course Numbers (Examples)	Units of Credit (Total)
Anatomy & Physiology I & II	PSIO 201 PSIO 202	6-8 units
Biology I & II	MCB 181R & 181L ECOL 182R & 182L	8 units
Biochemistry	BIOC 384 or BIOC 385	3-4 units
(General) Chemistry I & II	CHEM 151 CHEM 152	8 units
(Organic) Chemistry I & II	CHEM 241A & 243A CHEM 241B & 243B	8 units
English I & II	ENGL 101 & ENGL 102 or ENGL 109H & additional ENGL course	6 units
Mathematics/College Algebra	MATH 112 or higher (some schools require Calculus)	3 units
Microbiology	MIC 205A & 205L	4 units
Physics I & II	PHYS 102 & 181 or PHYS 110 PHYS 103 & 182	8 units
Statistics/biostatistics	MATH 263 or BIOS 376 are biostatistics courses or other course with "statistics" in the course title	3 units
Additional Required or Recommended Courses	Discuss with a pre-health advisor and confirm by visiting dental school websites	varies across schools
Notes on prerequisite courses: AP courses or courses completed in an online format may or may not be accepted. If accepted, coursework beyond AP is often required. In-person courses (as opposed to online) are often preferred or required for health professions schools. Additional upper-level science or other coursework may be required or strongly recommended; conversely, some schools may not require all courses listed above. Reference the admission requirements of your schools of interest to identify and confirm additional required or recommended courses. Meet with a pre-health advisor each semester to confirm your course selection and plan in relation to your specific timeline and schools of interest.

Application & Degree Pathway

Application Service: The application service for most U.S. and Canadian dental schools is AADSAS (Associated American Dental Schools Application Service). The application service typically opens in mid-May and closes in early February.

Exams: The entrance exam for dental schools is the DAT (Dental Admission Test). The DAT is offered year-round and measures knowledge in natural sciences (biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry) as well as perceptual ability (two- and three-dimensional problem solving), reading comprehension (dental and basic sciences) and quantitative reasoning.

Degree & Credential: Dental education programs are typically four years long and award either a D.D.S. (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine) and allow for immediate practice in dentistry upon graduation and following licensing exams in most states. Specialties require and advanced dental education may otherwise occur for a period beyond general dentistry education.

Resources

American Dental Education Association (ADEA) GoDental: https://www.adea.org/godental/

Competencies for the Dental Profession (Evaluation): https://www.adea.org/GoDental/Health_Professions_Advisors/ADEA_s_Best_Practices_for_Advising_Prospective_Dental_Students/Tips_for_Writing_an_Effective_Letter_of_Evaluation.aspx

Dental Program Directories: https://www.adea.org/GoDental/Application_Prep/The_Admissions_Process/Deciding_where_to_apply.aspx

https://coda.ada.org/find-a-program

Dental Admission Test (DAT): https://www.adea.org/GoDental/Application_Prep/The_Admissions_Process/Dental_Admission_Test_(DAT).aspx

https://www.ada.org/education/testing/exams/dental-admission-test-dat