General Dentist | Endodontist | Oral Surgeon | Orthodontist | Pediatric Dentist | Periodontist | Prosthodontist
Students preparing for a career in dentistry are classified as Pre-Dental. To qualify for dental school admission, students must take the necessary prerequisites for each school; a bachelor's degree is also expected and strongly preferred.
FAQs
What do I need to become a dentist?
In order to become a dentist, an individual must earn a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, DDS, or a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree, DMD. For specialized dental fields, a residency and additional training may be required, such as orthodontics. A residency is not required to practice as a general dentist.
Which major should I select at UNT for a pre-dental path?
Though students can select any major and apply to dental school, we strongly recommend majoring in a hard science. Texas A&M College of Dentistry, located in Dallas, Texas, recommends their applicants to have taken plenty of science coursework to be considered a competitive applicant.
Popular majors among pre-dental students at UNT:
- Bachelor of Arts in Biology, College of Science
- Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry, College of Science
- Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, College of Science
- Option III would be the best fit for pre-health students
For more information about each major, please visit the UNT Catalog and select 'majors, minors, certificates' that is found beneath the link to ‘Catalog Home’.
What courses do I need for dental school?
Please refer to our Pre-Dental Packet for a list of Texas dental school prerequisites. To review prerequisites for dental programs outside of Texas, please refer to each individual school's website.
Timeline: When do I apply for dental school?
Students must apply to dental schools one year before entering a program. On the traditional four-year path, students will apply during the summer after their junior year of college, complete their bachelor's degree at the end of their senior year, and enter dental school the following fall semester.
This timeline will show you an example of the traditional four-year path to dental school.
Note: Each student's timeline is different. Your UNT academic advisor/counselor is committed to creating a plan that accomodates your individual goals and circumstances.
What makes a competitive application to dental school?
Admission to dental schools is very competitive and students should create a strategic plan well in advance. Below you will find typical categories of a competitive application. Please contact our advisors in the UNT Office of Health Professions to further explore each competitive characteristic and to create your pre-dental plan.
Call, click or come by for more information!
Office of Health Professions: 940-369-7500 | HealthCareers@unt.edu | Hickory Hall, Room 256
| CATEGORY | COMPETITIVE |
|---|---|
| GPA | 3.68 (TX avg. admitted) |
| DAT Perceptual | 20.2 (TX avg. admitted) |
| DAT Academic Avg. | 20.9 (TX avg. admitted) |
| Shadowing | 100+ Hours |
| Community Service | 100+ Hours |
What is the DAT?
The DAT, Dental Admission Test, is the entrance exam that must be taken before applying to dental school. The score range for the DAT is 1 to 30. We strongly recommend that you not take the DAT until after most of your prerequisites are complete. For more information about the DAT, please visit the official ADA webpage.
How do I apply to dental school?
Dental schools in the United States use two application services to obtain your information:
Texas Medical & Dental Application Service, TMDSAS
Schools using TMDSAS:
Texas A&M College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas
UT Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry, Houston, Texas
UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry, San Antonio, Texas
Texas Tech, Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine
Associated American Dental Schools Application Service, AADSAS
Schools using AADSAS:
University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston
DDS and DMD programs outside of Texas
Are there any scholarships available to pre-dental students?
Yes! The following scholarships are offered to pre-health students:
Dr. Charles and Mabel Saunders Pre-Dental Scholarship
To qualify, a student must be a pre-dental student, must have 60 hours of pre-dental courses and must demonstrate academic excellence. For more information about this scholarship, please contact Todd Lang.
The Dr. Charles D. and Vernil Mitchell Endowed Scholarship
To be considered, a student must enroll as a full-time undergraduate student in any degree-granting major in the College of Science and be a graduate of any high school in Dallas ISD. For more information about this scholarship, please contact Todd Lang.
These are not the only scholarships available to students interested in going to dental school. General scholarships are also offered through each department and college across campus. Below you will find scholarship webpages for the popular majors listed above:
- Biology and Biochemistry Major Scholarships
If you do not see your major listed under the college listed above, please visit the scholarship website of the college that houses your major.
What pre-health student organizations are there at UNT?
HERE you will find a list of health-related student organizations at UNT.
Professional Organizations and Resources
American Dental Association (ADA)
Texas Dental Association (TDA)
Americal Dental Education Association (ADEA)
ADEA GoDental
Explore Health Careers
Who can help me create a plan for this career path?
If you are a current student, please visit unt.navigate.eab.com to schedule an appointment.
For general questions email: HealthCareers@unt.edu
To view contact information for individual pre-health advisors, visit this site. On the left, under "Office of Health Professions Pre-Health Advising" you will find all of the pre-health advisors' emails.
Current students can join our canvas course to receive important announcements and view resources related to your pre-dental journey.
U.S. News & World Report (2018). Best Health Care Jobs. Retrieved from https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/rankings/best-healthcare-jobs