Dentistry
Overview of the Field
General Admittance Requirements
Recommended MUC Curricula
Application Process
Overview of the Field
Dentists treat and maintain the health of the teeth, gums, and other hard and soft tissue of the oral cavity. Most dentists are general practitioners, but there are many specialties including oral surgery, orthodontics, and pediatric dentistry.
Dental school is a four year program for general practice. Degrees include D.D.S (Doctor of Dental Surgery) and D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine.)
For more information, please contact:
American Dental Education Association
1400 K Street
NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
(202)-289-7201
http://www.adea.org
More about the profession can be found at the American Dental Association website.
General Admittance Requirements
Academics requirements
Dental schools have a variety of requirements for entrance, so it is important to look at individual schools for information. Many schools do not require an undergraduate degree, but completion of a bachelor's degree is recommended by the ADEA.
As an example, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry requires the following courses: 2 semesters of biology, one semester of microbiology, one semester of anatomy, two semesters of general chemistry, two semesters of organic chemistry, one semester of biochemistry, two semesters of physics, and two semesters of English/advanced composition.
You must take the Dental Admission Test (DAT) as a standardized test.
Non-academic requirements
Schools look for well rounded individuals with the ability to communicate, good interpersonal skills, leadership experience, a record of service, and some clinical experience. Specific knowledge and motivation for dental medicine is important. You can gain valuable experience during the summer through shadowing experiences or programs such as the Summer Medical and Dental Educational Program.
Successful applicant profile:
Dental schools are very competitive. Generally, the GPA must be a 3.5 and DAT scores must be about 19.
Recommended MUC Curricula
Dental schools will accept students from any major. There are better paths than others, however. Below is an alphabetical list of majors that are suggested for Mount Union College Students. Click a major to get a detailed four year plan to help you fulfill requirements for dental school.
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Chemistry
Application Process
You can receive help in the application process by joining the American Student Dental Association (ASDA). The American Dental Education Association offers an applicant resource page for general information.
Centralized Application Service
Most dental schools (52 out of 56 U.S. dental schools) work with a centralized service called the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS). You will make your primary application to this service, and they will forward your complete application to all the schools of your choosing. You may then be asked to fill out a secondary application with some individual schools. Look at the AADSAS Instruction Booklet for more information. This concise fact sheet is helpful.
The service costs $195 for the first school, $60 for additional schools up to 10, and reduced amounts for schools after that. There is a fee reduction program.
Admissions Tests
To be admitted to Dental Schools, you must take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT.) The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is conducted by the American Dental Association (ADA) and has been in operation on a national basis since 1950. The Dental Admission Test is administered on computer on almost any day of the year. The testing program is designed to measure general academic ability, comprehension of scientific information, and perceptual ability. While all dental schools require examinees to participate in the Dental Admission Testing Program, test results are only one factor considered in evaluating the admission potential of a examinee. You can get detailed information about the test at their website, The Dental Admissions Test.
- What is on the DAT? The examinee will have a total of 4 hours and 15 minutes to complete the four tests in the DAT battery. Test sections include Survey of Natural Sciences, Perceptual Ability, Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative Reasoning. See the DAT Users Manual and the website above form more help and information.
- Registering for the DAT. You should register online using the link on the Dental Admissions Test page.
- When should I take the DAT? The DAT is a computerized test you can take at authorized centers almost any day of the year. It is recommended that you wait until after completing your third year of college, or about one year before your desired dental school entrance date.
- How much does it cost? The DAT costs $175, which includes the test and reports to five schools of your choosing. You can pay more for additional schools.
Recommendations
The recommendation is a very important part of the application to Dental School. At Mount Union, you should use the committee letter system. It is possible to apply through personal recommendations, but many schools will take this to mean that the committee did not recommend you, which will be detrimental to your success.
Personal Statement
You will need to make a personal statement in your primary application through AADSAS, and you may need to make additional statements in secondary applications.
A good personal statement is essential to your application. You can get help in writing a statement from resources found on reserve in the library. Members of the Pre-Health Professions Committee are also willing to read and comment on your statement.
Deadlines
You may start your primary application through AADSAS on May 15th of the year prior to medical school entrance. You must complete the AADSAS application prior to the deadline of the schools to which you are applying. These deadlines range from September 1 of the year prior to admittance to March 1 of the year of admittance. You need to allow 4-8 weeks for application processing.
See here for an example calendar with additional dates.
Schools of Interest
There are two dental schools in Ohio, Case School of Dental Medicine and Ohio State University College of Dentistry. For contact information for these and all other dental schools across the U.S. and Canada, see the ADEA website.
Reciprocal Agreements
There are currently no reciprocal agreements between Mount Union College and Dental Schools.
