Diving Deeper Into Dentistry: Top 5 Dentistry Schools in the U.S.

Dentistry is in your future, but which dental program will give you the best shot at a rewarding career?

According to Dentistry Today, the U.S. boasts seven of the top 10 dental schools. Says Dr. Patrick Ferrillo, Former Dean, University of the Pacific and University of Nevada, Las Vegas,“ U.S. dental students have the advantage of top programs at their disposal. It’s one way we’re helping to improve outcomes throughout the country and the world.”

What makes them stand out from the dental school “crowd”? Let’s do a deep dive into the top five U.S. dental programs.

1. The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor School of Dentistry has the distinct honor of being named the top dental school in not only the U.S, but the world. “Research at the school informs and advances the dental education and patient care aspects of our mission, whether it is translating regenerative medicine into clinical innovations, or discovering the underlying mechanisms of head and neck cancer,” said dean Laurie McCauley, DDS, MS, PhD.

The School of Dentistry placed second among dental schools receiving funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2020, and number one in funding from the NIH’s National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

2. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry retained 2020’s second-place showing. The school offers DDS and dental hygiene programs, as well as graduate and advanced dental education programs, an oral and craniofacial biomedicine PhD, and the Advanced Standing Program for International Research.

Plus, it’s a founding member of the DentAlliance, along with the King’s College London Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, the National University of Singapore Faculty of Dentistry, and the University of Melbourne Dental School—driven to transform education and curriculum development, pursue transformative research and enhance professional practice.

3. Harvard University

Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) educates clinicians, educators, researchers, and leaders in dentistry, with core strength in musculoskeletal-disease research, offering students public health opportunities in local communities and across the globe. Its unique educational model believes that oral health and primary care are interchangeable.

HSDM pre-doctoral students (DMD) study clinical medicine with Harvard medical students and then pursue additional years of intensive, interdisciplinary clinical science education at HSDM and affiliated sites. Advanced graduate students, who work toward a Doctor of Medical Sciences (DMSc) or Master of Medical Sciences (MMSc) degree and/or a specialty certificate, also draw upon the educational facilities and research institutes of the broader Harvard community and Greater Boston area.

4. The University of California San Francisco

The University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry is a leading institution of oral and craniofacial health, with DDS programs and an array of MS and PhD, post-graduate and residency programs. Students and faculty handle over 120,000 patient visits a year in the comprehensive Dental Center, and many students staff 14 community-based externship sites. The school is also one of the top oral and craniofacial research enterprises in the world, ranked the top dental school in the country in research funding from the National Institutes of Health for 25 years and home to several leading translational research programs.

5. The University of California Los Angeles

The University of California Los Angeles School of Dentistry has consistently ranked one of the best dental schools in the nation for over 50 years. The DDS curriculum offers innovative educational programs as well as a wide range of professional development opportunities for students. It strives to provide the knowledge and skills to create leaders in the field, with the expertise to address and embrace the changing role of technologies in health care. A new unit was formed, Innovative Digital Dentistry Systems, with a mission to lead a digital transformation in dental education and oral health care through creativity, innovation and research.

“It’s no surprise that the U.S. ranked high on the list, says Dr. Terri Dolan, Chief Clinical Officer for Dentsply Sirona and Dean Emeritus at the University of Florida College of Dentistry. “We have a strong tradition of hands-on, clinical-based education and research that’s changing the dental landscape.”

How to Pick The Right Dental School For You?

To learn more about these dentistry programs, visit each individual school’s website. To learn more about the schools that made the top 10 list, visit Dentistry Today.

For more information on identifying the right dental school for you, feel free to book a free consultation with one of our expert admissions advisor to learn more about our Graduate Admissions Consulting Programs!