Pre-Dentistry
Student Advising Services
109 Norton Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260
Phone: 716-645-6013
Web: prehealth.buffalo.edu
Elizabeth Morsheimer
Pre-Health Advisor
etm3@buffalo.edu
About Pre-Dentistry at UB
In the United States and Canada, dentistry is a four-year doctoral level program that prepares men and women for the practice of general dentistry or entry into one of the specialty training programs in dentistry. With the anticipated shortage of dentists in the United States in the near future, there will be an increased demand for dentists throughout the country.
Few colleges or universities have a specific pre-dental program, and this is true of UB as well. Most students pursuing a career in dentistry choose a major area of study in the biological sciences. The latter's degree requirements generally include all the prerequisite courses necessary to enroll in a D.D.S. program. However, it is not necessary to choose a major in the sciences. If a student chooses a major outside the biological sciences, he or she is advised to complete aulitional course work in biology beyond the prerequisite courses, specifically in areas such as biochemistry, microbiology, histology, molecular biology, and cellular biology. Courses in biology at the molecular or microscopic level provide excellent preparation for the basic science course work during the first two years of dental school.
Degrees Offered
Graduate: D.D.S.
About Our Degrees
In order to enroll in a specialty-training program, it is necessary to first complete a D.D.S. degree. All specialty-training areas are competitive, while oral maxillofacial surgery and orthodontics are extremely competitive. Programs are between two and six years in length depending on the specialty.
Some Dental Specialties:
- Endodontics
- Oral maxillofacial surgery
- Oral pathology
- Orthodontics
- Pediatric dentistry
- Periodontics
- Prosthetics
- Public health dentistry
Acceptance Information
Although no particular major is required to apply to the School of Dental Medicine, we do require completion of certain courses. Please see the Advising Information section below for aulitional information.
All applicants to the School of Dental Medicine are required to complete the Dental Admissions Test (DAT), administered through the American Dental Association in Chicago. Nearly every dental school in the United States requires the DAT. After registering with the ADA, an applicant can schedule a convenient time to complete the exam at any Sylvan Learning Center.
All applications to the School of Dental Medicine are received through the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSA) administered by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) in Washington DC. Nearly all U.S. dental schools participate in AADSAS. One application completed with AADSAS can be directed to any of the participating schools.
Each year, the school receives approximately one thousand applications for admissions. Approximately two hundred and fifty are invited to the school to meet with members of the admissions committee, faculty and dental students. From those invited, a class of eighty-five is selected each year. In order to receive consideration for acceptance, an applicant should have a minimum overall GPA, and a minimum science GPA, of 3.3. DAT (Dental Admissions Test) scores should, at minimum, average 17 (scored on a 30-point scale).
Early Assurance Program with the UB School of Dental Medicine
Each year, well-qualified undergraduates may receive formal acceptance to UB’s School of Dental Medicine after the second semester of their sophomore year. To qualify, students must possess a minimum GPA of 3.3 and complete specific science courses. Upon receipt of the baccalaureate degree, the dental phase begins. This is not an accelerated program. The preprofessional health advisor (108 Norton; 716-645-6013; see http://prehealth.buffalo.edu) can provide further information.
Advising Information
In order to enroll in the D.D.S. program at the University at Buffalo, an applicant must complete all of the courses listed below as part of his or her undergraduate experience.
- Two semesters of general biology with a laboratory experience
- Two semesters of general chemistry with a laboratory experience
- Two semesters of organic chemistry with a laboratory experience
- Two semesters of general physics with a laboratory experience
- Two semesters of English, including composition
The prerequisite courses for other U.S. schools are very similar. It is advisable to review the prerequisite courses at the various schools of interest early on in the undergraduate years so that all courses can be completed prior to beginning the dental school application process.
In order to enroll in the School of Dental Medicine, an applicant must have completed at least ninety hours of undergraduate course work, including all of the prerequisite courses. There is no requirement to complete a bachelor’s degree. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to do so. Individuals who will not complete a bachelor’s degree prior to enrolling are rarely accepted and then only with outstanding academic records.
As mentioned above, while there is no required major area of study, most applicants choose biology or one of the biological sciences for their undergraduate studies. While course work in the sciences is important to success in dental school, dentistry is very much a “people profession” and course work in psychology and the humanities is also very important to an aspiring professional.
While it is not a requirement for admissions, all applicants are strongly encouraged to gain experience in clinical dentistry while in an undergraduate program. This can be done in a private practice, general or specialty; a hospital dental clinic; or at the UB School of Dental Medicine. This experience provides the future dentist with the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of the activities and responsibilities that comprise the practice of dentistry.