Academic Preparation for Dental School
Although requirements vary by school, here is a basic list of requirements that will cover most schools. Check the following list of ADEA AADSAS participating school list of recommended and required courses. There are 68 dental schools in the US and Puerto Rico including a new dental school at Texas Tech in El Paso. There are also two more in the pipeline: Lincoln in TN (opens in 2022) High Point in NC (opens in 2023):
One year General Chemistry + lab
One year Organic Chemistry + lab
One year Biology + lab
One year Physics + lab
2 Math courses, preferably one in calculus and one statistics or biostatistics
2 courses in English
1 course in Biochemistry (normally lab not required)
2 upper level biology electives such as cell biology, microbiology, or physiology. (Check schools for specifics)
Although schools have their own set of recommendations, here is an excerpt from UNC Chapel Hill School of Dentistry about their recommendation on upper level science electives:
“Prospective dental students should consider courses in molecular biology, math, statistics, business, writing skills, computer science, sculpture and art. Students are encouraged to take as many courses as possible in social science, history, literature, economics, philosophy and psychology.”
Experiences
Unlike medical schools, dental schools want to see at least 100 DEMONSTRATED (documented) HOURS of shadowing and/or volunteering in a dental setting plus one specialty. 100 is the minimum. Aim for 150+ to demonstrate your commitment to the field. Check dental school websites to see if they specify the number of hours they require. For example, Dental College of Georgia requires 300 hours of dental experience with 3 different general dentists. Keep a spreadsheet that tracks all of your experiences (dental, volunteer, work, research), total number of hours worked, and make note of the contact information of your supervisor in case the dental school wants to follow up. This information will come in handy as you apply to summer programs, ask for recommendations and eventually apply to dental school. Having more hours demonstrates a higher level of commitment to the profession and will be reflected in your application in your experience entries and essays. Here is an example of how the University of Michigan School of Dentistry views the experiences section:
Applicants should demonstrate a confirmed interest in dentistry by participating in dental-related activities, including direct shadowing of a dentist in a patient-care setting. 100 hours of dental shadowing is required and must be completed at the time of application submission. Applicants without this minimum number of hours will not be reviewed or considered for interview.
It is expected that the majority of dental shadowing be completed under general dentists, but shadowing experiences completed with dental specialists (ex., orthodontist, oral surgeon, etc.) are also accepted. Applicants who show a commitment to addressing health disparities and caring for underserved communities are desirable.
When you apply to dental schools, you will have to identify up to six “most important experiences” and four “most important achievements” so again, start keeping track. Research experiences will most likely go under achievements.
DAT
The 2022 Candidate Guide for the DAT includes information on everything you need to know about the DAT from what's on the test to how to sign up and what you need to take with you on the day of testing.
The DAT includes 4 sections and will take about 5 hrs. 15 min. to complete depending on breaks. The test is scored 1-30 (aim to get a 20+). The cost is $495. The topics are divided into 4 sections as follows:
1) Survey of the Natural Sciences (100 items) in 90 minutes:
40 questions on Biology Include: Cell and Molecular Biology, Diversity of Life, Structure and Function of Systems, Developmental Biology, Genetics, Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior. Systems approach focusing on complex interactions within biological systems.
30 questions on General Chemistry Include: Stoichiometry and General Concepts, Gases, Liquids and Solids, Solutions, Acids and Bases, Chemical Equilibria, Thermodynamics and Thermochemistry, Chemical Kinetics, Oxidation-Reduction Reactions, Atomic and Molecular Structure, Periodic Properties, Nuclear Reactions, Laboratory.
30 questions on Organic Chemistry Include: Mechanisms, Chemical and Physical Properties of Molecules, Stereochemistry (structure evaluation), Nomenclature, Individual Reactions of the Major Functional Groups and Combinations of Reactions to Synthesize Compounds, Acid-Base Chemistry, Aromatics and Bonding.
2) Perceptual Ability Test (PAT) (90 items) in 60 minutes tests your spatial visualization skills: 1) apertures, 2) view recognition, 3) angle discrimination, 4) paper folding, 5) cube counting, and 6) 3D form development.
3) Reading Comprehension (50 items) in 60 minutes: Contains three reading passages on various scientific topics.
4) Quantitative Reasoning (40 items) in 45 minutes: Math problems, Applied Math problems, Data analysis, interpretation, and sufficiency; quantitative comparison; and probability and statistics.
The raw score is converted to a scaled score: 1 (lowest) to 30 (highest). A scaled score of 18 is considered average. 20 is a competitive score for dental school. Aim for 20+. For a list of average DAT scores, click here.
Supplemental Essays
Most schools will want you to fill out a supplemental application. Some schools want the supplemental application to be completed along with the primary application (ex: Texas A&M) while others will send you a link to complete more information once you have applied and meet certain criteria such as in-state status or GPA and DAT cutoffs. Check this ADEA list of all school specific deadlines. It’s a helpful tool too for quick access to every school website.
CASPer
A handful of dental schools (less than 10) now require the situational judgement test called CASPer (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics). Click here for more information on CASPer.
Letters of Evaluation
Most schools are looking for at least 3 letters: 2 from basic science faculty that have taught you (not a researcher), 1 from a non-science faculty member who has taught you. You could add a research letter to this list along with a letter from a dentist since some schools require this. AADSAS (the dental application) allows up to 4 letters so to be safe, and cover all of your bases aim for 4 letters: 2 science, 1 non-science, 1 dentist or researcher.
Make sure you are cultivating relationships with faculty as your academic career chugs along. Each semester aim to get to know at least 2 faculty well. By the time you apply, you will have 8-10 faculty to choose from to write you letters of support. When you need a letter of recommendation, plan ahead and be respectful of the faculty member's time. Create a packet for each faculty including a note/letter stating the deadline for submission, how to submit, and a draft of your dental school essay so they can see your motivation for this career path then request a meeting.
By creating a good impression, you will demonstrate your maturity, organizational skills and motivation for dentistry to the faculty that will hopefully say wonderful things about you. Make sure to write a handwritten thank you card, acknowledging their time and contribution to you application. Faculty often get bombarded with late recommendation requests from many students they don't even know. Don't be this student. Get to know your faculty. Keep in touch with them. Plan ahead. Be respectful. Be thankful and send a thank you note. A handwritten note goes a lot further than an electronic one.
Manual Dexterity Skill
Having the skill and ability to work with your hands in a confined space in a coordinated way is a skill all dentists require. You need to demonstrate to dental schools that you have been working consistently on good manual dexterity. Here are some suggested activities to demonstrate your manual dexterity skills and fine tune your fine motor skills:
Drawing or Painting
Woodcarving or soap carving
Creating 3-D artwork through jewelry-making, sculpting or ceramics
Sewing/needlepoint
Cross-stitching, Crocheting or Knitting
Learning to tie fishing knots
Learning a musical instrument that requires extensive hand-eye coordination (e.g. piano, violin)
Auto repair
Playing video games or folding origami!
IU Bloomington's Health Professions and Prelaw Center summarizes this requirement in a succinct manner:
“Dental school admissions committees expect that applicants have worked to develop these skills prior to admission. When you apply to dental school, you must be able to do more than say, "I'm good with my hands." You must be able to demonstrate to an admissions committee that you have systematically engaged in activities through which you have developed the necessary manual dexterity skills.”
Great Dental links
ADEA Calendar of Enrichment Programs and Events for Dental School **** Excellent Calendar of Events****
AADSAS: The central application system for dental school applicants
ADEA List of Each Medical School’s Total Applications and Enrollment Data
ADEA AADSAS Participating Dental Schools Required and Recommended Courses
ADEA Dental School Explorer, an ADEA resource that will give you curriculum highlights, timetables, fees, entering student data and statistics and more. COST: $35
The University of Colorado at Boulder Postbac program created a great document on preparing to study for the DAT with a list of helpful study strategies and materials. Check it out.
The University of Illinois Chicago has a great page on How to Practice Hand Skills Before Dental School.
Both the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania offer intro to dentistry classes on Coursera. The UM class is 8 hrs long and the UPenn class is 10 hrs long.
SUMMER DENTAL PROGRAMS
Dentistry: University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Summer Enrichment Program welcomes applications for their 2021 virtual summer program. Deadline: February 15, 2022.
Statistics for Reference
68 Dental Schools in the US and Puerto Rico including a new school at Texas Tech in El Paso. There are also two more in the pipeline: Lincoln in TN (opens in 2022) High Point in NC (opens in 2023):
Aim to apply to 10-12 schools (probably no more than 15)
In 2020, 10,965 students applied to US dental school for 6257 seats in first year dental school class.
Mean Averages for Enrollees to Dental School in 2020:
3.49 SCI GPA
3.58 CUM GPA
20.4 DAT
Sample School Data 2020:
Harvard Dental School received 920 applications for 35 first year seats
Temple Dental School received 2755 applications for 141 first year seats
Boston University Dental School received 2293 applications for 115 first year seats
Tufts Dental School received 3946 applications for 209 first year seats (Second largest Dental School class in US.)
University of Michigan Dental School received 1604 applications for 108 first year seats
Marquette University School of Dentistry received 2437 applications for 107 first year seats
NYU University School of Dentistry received 3035 applications for 367 first year seats (NYU is the largest Dental School in the US.)
Application opens in May. Aim to submit between June 15-July 15th. First day you will know if you are accepted is “Decision Day”, December 3rd, 2022.
Last updated: March 28, 2022