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Pre-Dentistry Preparation at UHMānoa

Text compiled from the American Dental Education Association website,
the ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools, the Dental Admission Test Candidate’s Guide,
NAAHP’s Medical Professions Admissions Guide,and the UHM 2006-2007 Catalog

D.M.D. or D.D.S. Programs
Prerequisites for Admission
What makes a strong candidate?
The DAT
The Application Process
Additional Information
Downloadable Brochure

Dentists are health care professionals whose primary responsibility is maintaining the health of people’s oral cavity and its adjacent structures.

Dentists provide preventive care, diagnose and treat problems affecting both hard and soft tissues, including teeth, jaw, lips, gingival tissue, and tongue, and perform medical procedures such as surgery, laser surgery, and tissue grafts. Dentists also improve their patients’ appearances through cosmetic dental procedures, which requires finely attuned aesthetic sensibilities. Dentists provide a wide variety of services in many community arenas and must be comfortable interacting with people of all ages, cultures, and personalities.

Most dentists become general practitioners and work in private practice, renting or owning an office and employing an average of four employees. Some, however, work in group practices or hospitals. Some dentists also teach, conduct research, or work in public health.

In addition to general dentistry, there are currently nine clinical fields in dentistry:

dental public health(the control and prevention of dental disease through organized community efforts);
endodontics (the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of tissues affecting the vitality of the teeth);
oral and maxillofacial pathology (biopsy services for other dentists and for physicians);
oral and maxillofacial radiology, a new specialty (diagnostic imaging);
oral and maxillofacial surgery (the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, injuries, and defects in the jaw and related structures);
orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics (the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of missing teeth and developmental abnormalities affecting function and appearance);
pediatric dentistry (for children and adolescents);
periodontics (the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases that affect the mucous membranes and other soft tissues surrounding the teeth); and
prosthodontics (the replacement of missing teeth with fixed or removable substitutes);

Related professions include Dental Assistant, Dental Hygienist, and Dental Laboratory Technician.

D.M.D. and D.D.S. Degree Programs

Becoming a Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) or a Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) requires 6 to 10 years of education:

Undergraduate course work (ca. 2-4 years);
Dental School (4 years);
Specialty (2 years).

Technically, some dental schools accept students with as few as two years of undergraduate course work, but most accept students only after three or more years, and virtually all give preference to students who have completed a Bachelors degree. Owing to the level of competition in getting accepted, students should plan on completing a baccalaureate.

The first two years of dental school concentrate on studying the biological sciences, although some programs allow students to interact with patients almost from the start. Years three and four usually focus on clinical training in a variety of settings and often include instruction in business management. Upon graduation, dentists can choose to enter programs in one of the specialized clinical fields.

Earning a D.M.D. or D.D.S. qualifies graduates to take state licensing exams; all dentists must be licensed to practice.

Many dental schools offer combined degree programs, either both the D.M.D. and the D.D.S., or one of those plus another professional degree, such as a Master of Public Health, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science, or a Ph.D.

Prerequisites for Admission

Most importantly, remember that requirements vary from school to school! You must research to create a list of all the prerequisites you will need to apply to the medical schools you are interested in attending.

The following UHM courses are commonly required for admission to dental schools:

Biol 171/171Lab and 172/172Lab	Introductory Biology I and II
Chem 161/161Lab and 162/162Lab	General Chemistry I and II
Chem 272/272Lab and 273/273Lab	Organic Chemistry I and II
Phys 151/151Lab and 152/152Lab	College Physics I and II
English	1-4 courses, including Composition

Additional requirements may include courses such as biochemistry, calculus, psychology, and upper division biology, among others.

What makes a strong candidate?

Admission to dental school is extremely competitive owing to the large number of applicants and limited number of seats available. Dental school tuition, as high as it is, covers only a fraction of the cost of educating a dentist, which means that each new student represents a huge investment by the school. Schools need to be certain that the students they accept will be capable of completing the curriculum and are likely to become good dentists.

Are you capable of completing the dental curriculum?

completed the prerequisites
a high overall GPA
a high science/math GPA
performed well on the DAT
balanced their course load so it is challenging yet realistic

Are you likely to become a good dentist? Will you contribute to the field of dentistry?

excellent oral and written communication skills
demonstrated empathy, compassion, and a commitment to public service
high ethical and moral standards and a conscientious work ethic
demonstrated maturity (judgment, responsibility, dependability)
experience in the field and with what dentistry entails
good manual dexterity and strong sense of aesthetics
a broad liberal arts education that includes the humanities and social sciences
a well-rounded life that balances academics, community service, social activities, and personal interests (hobbies, skills, sports, etc.)
strong letters of recommendation

The DAT

All dental schools require that applicants take the Dental Admissions Test, or DAT. The DAT can be scheduled for almost any day of the year and is available only in computer-based format. To register, you must either mail a paper application with a certified check or money order (cash and personal checks are not accepted) or submit an online application using a credit card at www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat/index.asp

The DAT requires approximately 4 hours and tests your knowledge of natural sciences (biology, inorganic chemistry, and organic chemistry), reading comprehension, math, and perceptual ability (angle discrimination and the ability to visualize and mentally manipulate objects in three dimensions). There is an optional 15-minute break after the second section. Each of the four sections receives its own score on a range of 1-30, 30 being highest. The four scores are averaged to create a composite score using the same range. Scores of 17 are average; scores of 17 or higher are considered competitive for most dental schools.

The Application Process

There are three general steps in applying to dental schools: the initial, or primary application; the secondary application; and the interview.

Primary applications must be filed with the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS). Applications become available every May; you should apply in the summer of your junior year, one full year before you plan to enter dental school. Once your application is complete, AADSAS will forward it to whichever schools you specify. You are not done with this step until you verify that your application is complete.

Also in the summer of your junior year, you must apply to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) program for financial support. WICHE applications become available each July.

After reviewing the AADSAS applications they have received, dental schools send their own applications (often called the “secondary application” or “secondaries”) directly to students who meet their basic criteria for admission. Secondary applications frequently request additional information, essays, and even additional letters of recommendation.

After reviewing the secondary applications, dental schools invite promising applicants to an interview. Applicants are responsible for all costs incurred while interviewing, including airfare, lodging, and meals.

The more you know about the school, the better your chances of being accepted.

advanced placement (AP) credits
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits
courses taken at a community college
courses taken for credit/no credit instead of a grade
residency issues
time limits on acceptable science courses
coursework taken outside the U.S.

Additional Information

UHMānoa’s Pre-Health and -Law Advising Center (PAC) has reference books, lists of volunteer opportunities, academic planning worksheets, and one-on-one advising by peers who can help you prepare for and apply to dental schools.

UHM’s Pre-Dental Association (PDA)
American Dental Education Association (ADEA) (includes links to individual schools)	www.adea.org
American Dental Association (ADA)	www.ada.org
Dental Admissions Test (DAT)	www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat.asp
Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)	www.adea.org/AADSAS
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) (applications become available each July and are due each Oct 15)	www.wiche.edu
American Student Dental Association (ASDA)	www.asdanet.org
Official Guide to Dental Schools by ADEA	Available at PAC