Dentistry

Is dentistry the career for you? For decades, dentists have helped improve the oral health of children, adults, and the elderly. Dentists have also been a driving force in public health, pushing for fluoridated water in the United States and low-cost dental care for children. Beyond simply improving oral health, cosmetic dentistry is becoming a popular and booming field.

Degrees
After receiving a degree from Cornell, students enter a doctorate in dental surgery (DDS) program. Depending on your interests, you can seek advanced certification in oral and maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics, and operative dentistry.

Cornell Courses
Pre-dental coursework is similar to that of pre-medical coursework. Colleges of dentistry pay attention to a student's academic record yet seek well-rounded applicants who are interested in science and who can work well with people. A commitment to dentistry as demonstrated through job shadowing, research, internships, or part time employment is very important. Prerequisites include biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics, but your undergraduate major does not have to fall under one of these headings. Upper-level coursework in these areas is also beneficial, but not always required.

Because not all dental programs require the same pre-requisites, it is best to check the pre-requisites at each school during your sophomore year. Please see the Dimensions Program Coordinator for school-specific pre-requisite information and use the following two tables as a guide.

All Dental Schools Require the following prerequisites:

Some Dental Schools Require the Following Prerequisites:

Biology	BIO 329 and 330 - Anatomy & Physiology I & II
Chemistry	CHE 334 - Biochemistry
Statistics	INT 201 - Introductory Statistics
Math	MAT 119/120 - Calculus of a Single Variable I & II     or    MAT 121 and 122 - Calculus of a Single Variable and Several Variables
English	W course and any 200 or 300 level

Other Recommended courses: Vertebrate Zoology, BIO 313 - Developmental Biology, BIO 315 - Genetics, BIO 326 - Microbiology, BIO 327 - Immunology, BIO 328 - Neurobiology

Timeline

University of Iowa Deferred Admit Program

Cornell has an agreement with the College of Dentistry at the University of Iowa in which students can apply for early acceptance to its program leading to the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) under the Deferred Admit Program (DAP). Students may apply at any time between the end of their first year and the second semester of their junior year at Cornell. For Iowa residents, acceptance into the program will guarantee you a place in a future dental class contingent upon maintenance of a 3.6 cumulative GPA and a 3.5 science GPA. Only Iowa residents can apply under this program. Applicants must also complete the course requirements for admissions to the College of Dentistry and take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) before beginning the University's Dentistry program.

At the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, prerequisites include:

In 2008, the mean, cumulative grade point average (GPA) for undergraduates accepted into the University of Iowa’s DDS program was 3.69, and their mean science GPA was 3.6.

The faculty Program Advisor for dentistry is Craig Tepper.

If you are interested in learning more about dentistry, and/or applying to dental schools, check out these links:

American Dental Association
American Dental Education Association
Associated American Dental Schools Application Service

Also, stop by the Dimensions Resource Center in 102 West Science and ask about preparation for a career in dentistry at Cornell. The Resource Center has on hand the latest edition of the DAT Kaplan review for student use and information comparing dental schools across the United States.