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Dental education is getting more expensive. Graduates are taking on more debt. Dental schools are also becoming more diverse, with more women and a growing number of racial and ethnic minority groups pursuing dentistry.

From costs and demographics to advanced education programs and dental licensure exams, dental education in the U.S. continues to evolve. The ADA News examines at how dental schools, dental students and their experiences look today, and compares them to how they were in decades past.

Average cost of four years of dental school

THEN

Public schools in 1969-70:
$42,618

Private schools:
$84,768

(Adjusted for inflation)
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NOW

Public schools as of 2019-20:
$205,019

Private schools:
$335,536

Average student debt

THEN

1980:
$58,603

(Adjusted for inflation)
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NOW

2019:
$292,169

Number of dental students

THEN

16,555 Enrolled in the 1969-70 academic year

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NOW

25,995 Enrolled in the 2020-21 academic year, the most ever

Female graduates

THEN

In 1980,
13.6%

of dental school graduates were women
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NOW

In the class of 2020,
51.4%

of dental school graduates were women

Racial diversity

THEN

Class of 1990 graduates
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Number of dental schools

THEN

In 1950, there were
42

accredited dental schools
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NOW

Today, there are
68

accredited dental schools, including one in Saudi Arabia

Number of international dental graduates
admitted to U.S. dental schools

THEN

113
 international students during the 1985-86 school year

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NOW

708
 international students in the 2019-20 academic year

Gender breakdown of dentists pursuing
advanced dental education programs

THEN

In 1983-84

83%
male dentists

 

17%
female dentists

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NOW

In 2019-20

52.4%
male dentists

 

47.5%
female dentists

Mean GPA of dental school applicants

THEN

3.20
GPA
in 2000

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NOW

3.44
GPA
in 2020

National Board Dental Examinations

THEN

In 1938,
11
states accepted
the results of the NBDE

In 1960,
33

state boards and the District of Columbia accepted the NBDE
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NOW

By 1990,

ALL U.S. licensing jurisdictions
accepted the NBDE

Nonpatient-based dental licensure exam

THEN

1
STATE

In 2010, only Minnesota accepted the Canadian OSCE, a nonpatient-based dental licensure exam. It was only acceptable for University of Minnesota dental school graduates or Canadian dentists applying for licensure.

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NOW

21
STATES

As of July 2021, 21 states and the District of Columbia accepted a manikin-based licensing examination.

Six states have also fully or partially adopted the Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination, or DLOSCE, which utilizes 3D models to assess candidate’s clinical judgement and skills.

Clock hours

THEN

1999-2000 school year
267,318
total clock hours, an average of 4,860 per program.
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NOW

2018-19 school year
339,728
total clock hours, an average of 5,308 per program.
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ADA Library & Archives, Health Policy Institute, American Dental Education Association, CODA, Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, Council on Dental Education and Licensure.

Temple University dental students courtesy Dr. Jay Freedman, University of Oregon Dental School Historical Collections and Archives, Petrified Collection/Stockbyte/Getty Images, Sshepard/E+/Getty Images, Ancika/iStock/Getty Images Plus, zoranm/iStock/Getty Images Plus, werayuth/iStock/Getty Images Plus