I hope my interviewers ask this question! It's your chance to sell yourself on the school and show them why you really belong there over all the other candidates.
Here's what I'm planning on saying (I'm going for post-grad interviews, I'm already a 4th year dental student right now). I'll adapt it to what sounds more appropriate for a pre-dent at a dental school interview:
"I have a lot to offer this school - I'm dedicated and very involved at my current school and plan to continue this. Dental school is so much more than just studying and I want to stay involved to interact with my colleagues across all the classes and with the faculty. I know your school has a lot to offer through its strong (insert something here - like ASDA) chapter and that is something I definitely want to be a part of. I also plan on staying involved in the community because that is something important to me and I enjoy volunteering at events like the (insert events here). As my previous experiences show, I have an interest in research and I would like to continue with this during dental school and explore new research opportunities, especially in the dental field. I'd like to be able to accomplish a research project to present at the IADR/AADR meeting at some point in my dental career. I am very excited about this school and am prepared to be committed and will be pround to be an alumnus of this school. I am also looking forward to living in (insert city here) because of ...."
I don't know about pre-dent admissions, but I know that post-grad programs want a "team player" so I'll probably throw that in there somewhere. That seems to be a buzz word for these post-grad programs since they are basically a team of 3 - 10 residents per class. But I think this could apply to the pre-dent scenario as well.
Of course, this is how I feel about my dental school experiences and I actually plan on continuing my commitments at the post-grad level. I know many of my colleagues who will say this stuff to get in, and then not lift a finger when it comes to doing anything. However, I hope the interviewer can detect the passionate individuals from the ones who just say stuff to get in.
Basically, I think you have to show enthusiasm for their school, why else should they choose you over the next candidate if your resume is as ordinary looking as the others? Even if you have no intention of being involved, there must be something you are passionate about - learning new clinical techniques, shadowing area practitioners, learning about the different disciplines, a particular feature of the pre-clinical or clinical program that appeals to you, a hobby you can pursue in that place (like skiing/winter sports here in Buffalo). You need to think this over and research your answer before going to your next interview so you can answer this question and not just sit there with a blank look on your face.
Like Tom said, organized dentistry is a good bet, because there are many areas and levels to be involved at with organized dentistry (ADA/ASDA/local dental societies). There is an interesting aspect for everyone in organized dentistry.
Good luck!
