USU Dental School Acceptance Rates USU Pre-Dental Advising Information
 
 

Dentistry is a profession that combines science and technology with helping people to enhance and maintain their oral health. As health care practitioners, dentists diagnose, treat and help prevent diseases, injuries and malformations of the teeth and mouth. They improve a patient's appearance by using a variety of cosmetic dental procedures, perform surgical procedures such as implants, tissue grafts and extractions, and educate patients on how to better care for their teeth and prevent oral disease. Most dentists engage in general practice, bringing skills in oral diagnosis, prevention and rehabilitation directly to the patient.

 

Recommended high school courses for students who wish to pursue dentistry include algebra, trigonometry, calculus, biology, chemistry and physics.

 

Becoming a dentist typically requires completion of a bachelor’s degree and four years of dental school. Students completing a dental school program earn one of two equivalent degrees:  Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) or Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) The majority of dentists begin practice immediately after a four-year program in dental school, although some pursue one year or more of post-graduate study. The American Dental Association recognizes eight different specialities:  1) orthodontics, 2) oral and maxillofacial surgery, 3) endodontics, 4) periodontics, 5) pedodontics, 6) prosthodontics, 7) oral pathology and 8) dental public health. Most dental schools require completion of the Dental School Admissions Test or "DAT" for admission. For information, visit the American Dental Association Web site at www.adea.org.

 

Admissions requirements to dental schools vary by school. Pre-dental students are strongly encouraged to investigate the specific requirements of schools to which they wish to apply. The majority of dental schools require the following courses:

 

BIOL 1610/1620 --  Biology with lab [2 semesters]

CHEM 1210/1220, Labs 1215/1225 --  General Chemistry with lab [2 semesters]

CHEM 2310/2320, Labs 2315/2325 --  Organic Chemistry with lab [2 semesters]

PHYX 2110/2120 or 2210/2220 --  General Physics with lab [2 semesters]

ENGL 1010/2010 or 3040 -- English [6 semester hours]

MATH 1210 --  Mathematics [1 semester]

 

Many dental schools recommend:

BIOL 2320 -- Anatomy (1 semester)

BIOL 2420 -- Physiology (1 semester)

BIOL 3300 -- Microbiology (1 semester)

BIOL 3060 -- Genetics (1 semester)

BIOL 5210 -- Cell Biology (1 semester)

CHEM 3700/3710 -- Biochemistry (1 semester)

 

For More Information
For more information, contact undergraduate advisor Yvonne Kobe in the Department of Biology at 435-797-2577; The Biology Advising Center, Biology-Natural Resources building, Room 101. Further information is also available on the Biology Department’s Web site.