FAQs (including the DMD/DDS question)

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What does a dentist do?
What is the difference between a DDS and a DMD?
How much does a dentist earn?
What are the dental specialties?
What is the best major for dental school?
What are the pre-requisite courses necessary for dental school?
What are the major factors in dental school admissions?

------------------------------------------

What does a dentist do?

Dentists diagnose and treat diseases, injuries and malformations of the teeth and mouth. Dentists also improve a patient?s appearance by using a variety of cosmetic dental procedures, educate patients on how to better care for their teeth and prevent oral disease, and perform research directed to improving oral health and developing new treatment methods


What is the difference between a DDS and a DMD?

The DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) and DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) are the same degrees. The difference is a matter of semantics; dentists who have a DMD or DDS have the same education. Universities have the prerogative to determine what degree is awarded. Both degrees use the same curriculum requirements set by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation. State licensing boards accept either degree as equivalent, and both degrees allow licensed individuals to practice the same scope of general dentistry (ada.org).


How much does a dentist earn?

In 1999, the average earnings for a general practitioner who owns his/her practice was $158,000; the average earnings for a dental specialist was $241,000.


What are the dental specialties?

The ADA Council on Dental Education and Licensure recognizes nine specialties:

- Dental public health
- Endodontics
- Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
- Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Orthodontics
- Pediatric dentistry
- Periodontics
- Prosthodontics


What is the best major for dental school?

There is no ?predental? major. Dental schools do not have specific requirements stipulating which major applicants should pursue. Regardless of the major, students must complete the predental course work. You should choose a major you excel in and that you enjoy. You will probably get better grades and your undergraduate experience will be more pleasant. Choose a major you can fall back on if you don?t get into dental school or choose not to go (healthpro.byu.edu).


What are the pre-requisite courses necessary for dental school?

Listed below are typical dental school admissions requirements See the ADEA Guide to Dental Schools for specific requirements of individual schools. Some majors will require you to take a slightly different path in completing admissions requirements. Be sure to check with individual dental schools about their policy.

? General or Inorganic Chemistry?one year (8 semester hours) with laboratory
? Organic Chemistry?one year (8 semester hours) with laboratory
? Biology/Zoology?one year (8 semester hours) with laboratory
? Physics?one year (8 semester hours) with laboratory
? English?one year

Some schools require additional math courses, and many schools are now requiring/recommending biochemistry for pre-dental students. Other recommended courses include gross anatomy, histology, and pathology (adapted from healthpro.byu.edu).


What are the major factors in dental school admissions?

1) GPA: Your science GPA (biology, chemistry, physics, and math) is a very important factor in the admissions process, as is your overall GPA. Dental schools now routinely admit students with GPAs of 3.3 or higher.

2) DAT scores: The DAT consists of four sections: survey of the natural sciences (including biology, general chemistry and organic chemistry), reading comprehension, quantitative reasoning (including general algebra, some trigonometry and math reasoning questions), and perceptual ability. The DAT is offered at Sylvan Learning Centers on computer the year before you plan to matriculate into dental school. Do not take the DAT lightly; treat it as if it were a four-credit science class. Be prepared!

3) Work load: It is important to take full course loads (about 14+ credit hours) each semester. Consistently light loads raise a question about an applicant's ability to handle the much heavier loads required in dental school. Incompletes and unofficial withdrawals on a transcript are detrimental. Withdrawals are detrimental only when your transcript contains numerous W?s and it is apparent that you are withdrawing from difficult classes to keep from receiving undesirable grades. Generally, work may not be total justification for taking fewer hours.

4) Repeating classes: If you receive a C grade or higher in a class, it is usually not recommended that you retake the course. It will only be a waste of your time. When you apply to dental school each grade is treated equally regardless of how many times you have taken the class. You should only retake a class in which you received a C grade or higher if you did not learn the subject matter well enough to do well in subsequent classes and on the DAT. You should repeat classes in which you received a C- or below.

5) Letters of recommendation: Don?t forget to make the letter writers aware of your situation. Often the same people you are requesting letters from have the added burden of writing similar letters for many students. This process is often lengthy and can result in untimely application to dental school. Generally, the earlier you inform your perspective writer of your need for a letter of recommendation, the better (adapted from healthpro.byu.edu).
 
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Why can't I find a list of dental school ranks?
Why are dental schools not ranked?

From http://www.tambcd.edu/DentalCE/askdoc/html/school_rankings.html (no longer valid), may have been the same as this: http://dentalschool.wordpress.com/2006/12/12/what-are-the-top-ten-dental-schools/
There have only been two individuals or organizations that have ranked dental schools; US News and World Report_ in 1993 and The Gourman Report on a periodic basis. Both organizations have multple flaws in the methodology of ranking the schools.

The major problem is that the rankings were based on the perception of Deans, administrators, faculty and others_ about the relative quality of the schools and not on any objective criteria that compared "apples to apples". The dental schools complained bitterly to US News and as a result US News has discontinued ranking US dental schools. Parenthetically, the dental schools were given wide acclaim by our colleagues in higher education as being the only education enterprise that has stood up to US News. As you may know, rankings of all colleges and universities are under intense criticism by our colleagues in the higher education community.

Here is the official statement from the ADA on rankings. It make a lot of sense.

Dental school applicants should be aware that there are proprietary publications available that purport to rank dental schools according to the quality of their programs. The American Dental Education Association and the American Dental Association advise applicants to view these rankings with caution. The bases for the rankings are questionable, and even those individuals most knowledgeable about dental education would admit to the difficulty of establishing criteria for, and achieving consensus on, such rankings.

All U.S. dental schools are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, and all have their relative strengths. A dental school ideally suited to one applicant might not be appropriate for another. The American Dental Education Association and the American Dental Association recommend that applicants investigate on their own the relative merits of the dental schools they might wish to attend.

SDN threads on this topic:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=105170
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63737
 
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Help! I'm trying to register at DentalTown (www.dentaltown.com), but they keep asking me what the O in MOD stands for!

MOD is an abbreviation for mesial-occlusal-distal. That means the O, of course, stands for "occlusal." Enjoy DT! :D
 
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Hopefully, this year new applicants will check this out before reposting redundant questions. If anyone experienced with the application process has anymore insightful information for new applicants, they should post it here and hopefully it won't be overlooked and the same questions asked (over and over again).

For example:

Verified vs Submitted:
The date you submitted your application online (i.e. the date your application is available to other schools online) is NOT the date your GPA is verified. The date your GPA is verified is the final step before your application begins processing for mailouts. This also means if you delay sending your transcripts from your school(s), it doesn't matter when you submitted your application.

As other posts have mentioned, if you do not know the date you GPA was verified, call them and ask. It is not located anywhere on the AADSAS application.

The transcript received date is just that, the date they received your transcripts but it is NOT the date your GPA was verified.

Supplemental materials:

There is a tab when you are on the AADSAS website under Instructions, Dental School Supplemental Information, where it will tell you the supplemental information to send, where to send it, and when to send it. If the information for the school to which you are applying says to wait until an admissions officer contacts you, then wait! If it says to send stuff at the same time as your e-submission to AADSAS then you should do so.

LORs:
Missing LORs do NOT hold up mailing of your application from AADSAS to different schools. AADSAS will mail the missing LORs when they receive them. Only the schools themselves won't consider your application complete until they receive all of them.

AADSAS 2008 has implemented a new Letter of Evaluation (LOE) process that provides the option for each individual to submit a Letter of Evaluation as either an online electronic document or as a paper letter that is mailed to AADSAS. Applicants may submit a maximum of four individual Letters of Evaluation or one Committee Letter/Report plus the option of one additional individual Letter of Evaluation.


DAT:
If you list on your AADSAS application that you are writing a future DAT, the schools won't review your application or consider your application complete until they receive your latest scores. This means your application from AADSAS will still occur, the hold up will be at the schools.

Lateness for applying:
There really is no guidelines for when it is too late to apply. Every year is different. It is also dependent of many factors. For example, if you have good DAT and good GPA including dental experience/shadowing hours you could apply in August (or later) and still get in. Just keep in mind Dec. 1st is the day dental schools notify for first round admissions. If you are late, this only means you will be considered for rolling admissions.

From AADSAS:
Do not wait to the last minute to submit your AADSAS application! You are strongly encouraged to submit your AADSAS application at least four weeks prior to the earliest application among your designated schools.

Many dental schools begin interviewing candidates in August and September. December 1 is the date that dental schools begin extending offers of admission. Applications received early have a much better chance of being seriously considered.

Dental school Application deadlines:
There is a tab when you are on the AADSAS website under Instructions, Dental School Supplemental Information. Under the specific school is the dealine for applying to the school.

From AADSAS:
The AADSAS deadline date indicates the date by which your application must be received by AADSAS. Dental schools will consider applicants whose AADSAS application, fee payment and official transcripts are received at AADSAS by the stated deadline. Your AADSAS application must be completed by 11:59 pm eastern time.

After you e-submit your application and your official transcripts are received, allow 4-8 weeks for AADSAS to process your application. Deadline dates are not extended if they fall on a weekend or holiday

Adding Additional Schools after e-Submission:

From AADSAS:
To apply to additional schools after you have submitted your AADSAS application, log on to your application, go to "Dental School Designations" and select additional schools. The processing fee for additional designations is $75 for the first school and $70 for each additional school to which you are applying. You cannot apply to a school after its deadline date has expired.

Do not create a new AADSAS application to apply to additional dental schools!

Dental school rankings/stats:
There is no official dental school rankings for best dental schools. For admission statistics, go to: www.predents.com

The AADSAS link for this year is:
https://portal.aadsasweb.org/
ADEA AADSAS Customer Service Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 9am - 4:30pm (Eastern Time), except federal holidays.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 617-612-2045 (applicants inquiries only)

Lastly, there is a search feature on SDN which allows you to search for answers to a question which may have been posted previously similar (the same) as yours.

Good luck this cycle!
 
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dear friends,,, i am a foreign grad recently completed my batchelors n dental surgery from dharwad india,,,m very much passionate for maxillofacia surgery.....my gpa is 3.2 is it goood enuf to apppling directly for residency(prettty bad i knw) ???elz do i need to do dds first.... ultimately at the end i wanted to do maxillofacial which s my dream....,,, another q????,,. can i directly apply for universities aft gvng nbde part1 nd 2 thru b1(visiting) visa??? or shud i do mph r mha or cell biology to increase my gpa 1st and den appply for dds.... heard that the fees for 3yrs s willl be more than 350k....is it worth spending tht muchr ,,, hw many yrs it willl take to re pay tht loan ,,, r elz its better to do maxillofacial n india cracking indian exams which s 3yrs+2yrs fellowship,,, friends plz help me thru ..... any one dng subspeciality gng thru dis post plz help me by droppping me ur no so dat i can contact u....
thanku friends
 
I don't have a non-science professor LOR.. does that mean no need to apply for Creighton?
 
Does anyone know which dental schools prefer viewing your GPA's without the -/+ components taken into account??
 
I was wondering if someone could help me with answering these questions about reapplying:

1. Do you need to get new reference letters? Or can the same letters be used?
2. If you begin a 2 year Masters program, do you have to finish the program before you can reapply?
3. Would it beneficial to study dental assisting instead of taking a 5th year or Masters?
4. Should you rewrite your entire personal statement? Or can the same one be used?

Thanks for the help!
 
English is not your first language - that is why they ask for it. Sometimes it is waved if you have 5 years of full time study in English. You need to ask them.
Anyway, TOEFL is not that hard and only $180
 
One of the schools I was going to apply to had that requirement too. English wasn't my native language but I have lived here for about 15 years now. Im also pretty proficient in 3 other languages.
 
ItsGavinC said:
What does a dentist do?
What is the difference between a DDS and a DMD?
How much does a dentist earn?
What are the dental specialties?
What is the best major for dental school?
What are the pre-requisite courses necessary for dental school?
What are the major factors in dental school admissions?

------------------------------------------

What does a dentist do?

Dentists diagnose and treat diseases, injuries and malformations of the teeth and mouth. Dentists also improve a patient?s appearance by using a variety of cosmetic dental procedures, educate patients on how to better care for their teeth and prevent oral disease, and perform research directed to improving oral health and developing new treatment methods


What is the difference between a DDS and a DMD?

The DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) and DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) are the same degrees. The difference is a matter of semantics; dentists who have a DMD or DDS have the same education. Universities have the prerogative to determine what degree is awarded. Both degrees use the same curriculum requirements set by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation. State licensing boards accept either degree as equivalent, and both degrees allow licensed individuals to practice the same scope of general dentistry (ada.org).


How much does a dentist earn?

In 1999, the average earnings for a general practitioner who owns his/her practice was $158,000; the average earnings for a dental specialist was $241,000.


What are the dental specialties?

The ADA Council on Dental Education and Licensure recognizes nine specialties:

- Dental public health
- Endodontics
- Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
- Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Orthodontics
- Pediatric dentistry
- Periodontics
- Prosthodontics


What is the best major for dental school?

There is no ?predental? major. Dental schools do not have specific requirements stipulating which major applicants should pursue. Regardless of the major, students must complete the predental course work. You should choose a major you excel in and that you enjoy. You will probably get better grades and your undergraduate experience will be more pleasant. Choose a major you can fall back on if you don?t get into dental school or choose not to go (healthpro.byu.edu).


What are the pre-requisite courses necessary for dental school?

Listed below are typical dental school admissions requirements See the ADEA Guide to Dental Schools for specific requirements of individual schools. Some majors will require you to take a slightly different path in completing admissions requirements. Be sure to check with individual dental schools about their policy.

? General or Inorganic Chemistry?one year (8 semester hours) with laboratory
? Organic Chemistry?one year (8 semester hours) with laboratory
? Biology/Zoology?one year (8 semester hours) with laboratory
? Physics?one year (8 semester hours) with laboratory
? English?one year

Some schools require additional math courses, and many schools are now requiring/recommending biochemistry for pre-dental students. Other recommended courses include gross anatomy, histology, and pathology (adapted from healthpro.byu.edu).


What are the major factors in dental school admissions?

1) GPA: Your science GPA (biology, chemistry, physics, and math) is a very important factor in the admissions process, as is your overall GPA. Dental schools now routinely admit students with GPAs of 3.3 or higher.

2) DAT scores: The DAT consists of four sections: survey of the natural sciences (including biology, general chemistry and organic chemistry), reading comprehension, quantitative reasoning (including general algebra, some trigonometry and math reasoning questions), and perceptual ability. The DAT is offered at Sylvan Learning Centers on computer the year before you plan to matriculate into dental school. Do not take the DAT lightly; treat it as if it were a four-credit science class. Be prepared!

3) Work load: It is important to take full course loads (about 14+ credit hours) each semester. Consistently light loads raise a question about an applicant's ability to handle the much heavier loads required in dental school. Incompletes and unofficial withdrawals on a transcript are detrimental. Withdrawals are detrimental only when your transcript contains numerous W?s and it is apparent that you are withdrawing from difficult classes to keep from receiving undesirable grades. Generally, work may not be total justification for taking fewer hours.

4) Repeating classes: If you receive a C grade or higher in a class, it is usually not recommended that you retake the course. It will only be a waste of your time. When you apply to dental school each grade is treated equally regardless of how many times you have taken the class. You should only retake a class in which you received a C grade or higher if you did not learn the subject matter well enough to do well in subsequent classes and on the DAT. You should repeat classes in which you received a C- or below.

5) Letters of recommendation: Don?t forget to make the letter writers aware of your situation. Often the same people you are requesting letters from have the added burden of writing similar letters for many students. This process is often lengthy and can result in untimely application to dental school. Generally, the earlier you inform your perspective writer of your need for a letter of recommendation, the better (adapted from healthpro.byu.edu).
Click to expand...
 
ItsGavinC said:
You should only retake a class in which you received a C grade or higher if you did not learn the subject matter well enough to do well in subsequent classes and on the DAT. You should repeat classes in which you received a C- or below.
Click to expand...
I was just wondering if this still holds true. Have the requirements and/or expectations for repeating classes with <C- changed in the last 10 years?
 
Hi Dr. Phan,

I am currently pre-med and graduated from college 2 years ago. Time in the real world gave me more maturity and I am now looking into dentistry and trying to see if it is a career path that fit my values best. Can you let me know if I am basing my decision on sound reasoning. Here are the reasons why I am looking into dentistry:

Pro:
1. I am still able to provide the community with quality healthcare, and have rewarding relationship with patients. (Maybe you can shed some light on this, I have only shadowed one dentist).
2. The time investment can be less than medical school if I choose not to specialize, and I will still be able to practice (which is much less nerve racking than entering medical school with at least a 7 year investment and maybe not getting the specialty that you want).
3. I am very family oriented and after helping my family run our business (just for fun it's the typical nail salon) and working 65-70 hours a week I can not imagine pulling those types of hour off as a career or even for 6-7 years. Time is too precious, and I want to invest it in the people I love as well.
4. I LOVE owning my own business and being my own boss! There is just so much potential for self development and dentistry has enough security in it where if something was to happen to the business that I built I would still have a very desirable skill set as an employee.

Con:
1. I don't know the depth of the dentist-patient relationship. (Again maybe you can give me some insight here.)
2. I have no relevant EC except for shadowing. (Most volunteering and research experience has been medicine based).
3. Will the small business model of dentistry practice still exist long term?
4. Dental school tuition is much higher than medical school tuition. Can I pay it off in a decent amount of time and invest in a private practice and mortgage at the same time?
5. Some of my lifelong goals has been to work for the Gates Foundation. Can I still fulfill these goals with a DDS?
6. I am 26 and feel like I am starting again at square 1.

My stats is cGPA 3.32 sGPA 3.0 which I know is not ideal but it is mostly my second year of college. My last 3 years of college I average from 3.6 to 3.8 each quarter so I know I can pull off the grades if I work hard. How can I improve my stats for matriculation, and what DAT score should I aim for at a minimum? Thanks in advance for all your help.
 
I have a query my friend is doing bds from india and she is in her second year. She wants to do dds in usa after doing bds in india. Should she give the nbde part 1 exam after second year or should give the exam after completing full bds that is after fifth year.
 
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