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Academic Advising Center

Dentistry

There are two types of degrees dentists can attain: The D.D.S. and D.M.D. degrees are equivalent degrees. Which degree you attain will depend on the type of degree offered by the dental school you attend.

“Dentists are doctors who specialize in oral health. Their responsibilities include:

  • Diagnosing oral diseases.
  • Promoting oral health and disease prevention.
  • Creating treatment plans to maintain or restore the oral health of their patients.
  • Interpreting x-rays and diagnostic tests.
  • Ensuring the safe administration of anesthetics.
  • Monitoring growth and development of the teeth and jaws.
  • Performing surgical procedures on the teeth, bone and soft tissues of the oral cavity.

Dentists’ oversight of the clinical team is critical to ensuring safe and effective oral care. Even seemingly routine procedures such as tooth extractions, preparing and placing fillings or administering anesthetics carry potential risks of complications such as infection, temporary or even permanent nerve damage, prolonged bleeding, hematomas and pain.

More than Just Teeth and Gums

Dentists’ areas of care include not only their patients’ teeth and gums but also the muscles of the head, neck and jaw, the tongue, salivary glands, the nervous system of the head and neck and other areas. During a comprehensive exam, dentists examine the teeth and gums, but they also look for lumps, swellings, discolorations, ulcerations—any abnormality. When appropriate, they perform procedures such as biopsies, diagnostic tests for chronic or infectious diseases, salivary gland function, and screening tests for oral cancer.

In addition, dentists can spot early warning signs in the mouth that may indicate disease elsewhere in the body. Dentists’ training also enables them to recognize situations that warrant referring patients for care by dental specialists or physicians.” ADA 2021 https://www.ada.org/en/about-the-ada/dentists-doctors-of-oral-health.

Dentists can practice in several clinical fields including general dentistry, dental public health, endodontics (dental nerves and pulp), orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics (tissue and bone supporting teeth), prosthodontics, and oral and maxillofacial pathology, radiology, and surgery.

  • Suggested Timeline
  • Pre-Requisite Chart
    • https://www.advising.ufl.edu/docs/PreHealthRequirements.pdf
    • The following are UF courses required for most dental schools. Requirements vary from school to school, so it is your responsibility to check requirements of individual programs. You should check your dental schools to see if they accept online versions of any prerequisite course.
    • General Chemistry: CHM2045/L and CHM2046/L or CHM2051;OR CHM2047/L (CHM2054L may be substituted for CHM2045L and CHM2046L) General Biology: BSC2010/L and BSC2011/L (BSC2044L may be substituted for BSC2010L and BSC2011L) Organic Chemistry: CHM2210 or CHM2212 and CHM2211 or CHM2213 and CHM2211L (CHM3217, CHM3218, and CHM2211L may substitute) Physics: PHY2053/L or PHY2048/L or PHY2060 and PHY2054/L or PHY2049/L or PHY2061 (PHY2064L may substitute for the other Physics labs) Biochemistry: BCH4024 or CHM3218 Microbiology: MCB3020/L or MCB3023/L English: Two semesters of any English department course. Examples are ENC1101, ENC1102, ENC3254, LIT2110) Recommended: Math: Some schools may require STA2023 or MAC2311 Genetics: PCB3063, AGR3303, or PCB4522 Anatomy and Physiology: Some schools require APK2100C and/or APK2105C (some may accept PHY4723C and/or ZOO3713C)
  • The ADEA AADSAS Participating Dental Schools Required and Recommended Courses (PDF, 219 KB)
  •  Electives
  • BCP science GPA Information- BCP GPA: All undergraduate, graduate and cumulative courses identified on transcripts as Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

UF College of Dentistry- Entering Class of 2022 Stats- https://admissions.dental.ufl.edu/d-m-d/why-ufcd/entering-class-stats/

 

  • Applicant Guides

ADEA- https://help.liaisonedu.com/ADEA_AADSAS_Applicant_Help_Center

UF- https://www.sfa.ufl.edu/

  • BS/ DMD- BS/DMD

    The University of Florida College of Dentistry has a program for outstanding college freshmen who know they are interested in becoming dentists, the Honors Combined BS/DMD Program, that saves one year of college. Students accepted in this program complete a BS degree and a DMD degree in 7 years, instead of 8 years. During the first three years of this program, students enroll in a carefully sequenced series of courses to meet both their undergraduate university’s Baccalaureate degree requirements and the College of Dentistry’s admissions requirements. A limited number of majors are available at the University of Florida: you can choose either Microbiology or Nutrition. During what would have been the senior year of college, Honors Combined BS/DMD Program in Dentistry students transfer to the freshman class at the University of Florida College of Dentistry. Credits from the dental program are transferred back to the undergraduate college to complete the Baccalaureate degree requirements.

    Approved students spend a minimum of 90 hours in the bachelor’s program and four years in the dental program. Please refer to the UF College of Dentistry for more information. https://admissions.dental.ufl.edu/d-m-d/combined-programs/b-s-d-m-d/

    Contact email- DMDAdmissions@dental.ufl.edu