You are in the same situation my friend was in. He got into his public school which was in a "college town" but realized that clinical exposure was very important, so he went to a school out-of-state in a big city (UCLA). He expressed the same concerns, but it is up to you to resolve them.
1) Price: it would be easier to pay your loans off in 3 years vs. 10 years, but you do pay them off. Dentistry's future is too bright and there are so many opportunities to make the money. It is something to consider, but if people were worried about money, then half the dental schools would close 😉 Even if you do GP, you have no worries...
2) Patients: If you go to a school to specialize, find the ones that have the highest Part I board scores. If you want to have excellent clinical skills, I have noticed that schools in larger "metropolitan" areas provide incredible exposure. The best part of these schools is the ease to replace a patient if one cancels on you. It is not uncommon for some students at these schools to finish their senior requirements in half a year. The more patients you see, the more confident and competent you will be.
Having said that, dental school is simply what you make of it. There isn't a bad dental school out there, but it may be easier in certain areas to see a variety of patients and a variety of cases.
My friend is much more in debt than what he would have been if he went to his state school, but he says it is worth it since he was able to step into a private practice and be incredibly productive. I am sure there are a lot of kids who would want the choice you have....😀
