Dental programs typically involve four years of study. The last two years involve clinical experience with patients.
Universities have the prerogative to determine what degree is awarded.
Both degrees use the same curriculum requirements set by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation. Generally, three or more years of undergraduate education plus four years of dental school is required to graduate and become a general dentist. State licensing boards accept either degree as equivalent, and both degrees allow licensed individuals to practice the same scope of general dentistry. Additional post-graduate training is required to become a dental specialist, such as an orthodontist, periodontist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Entry requirements for a Dental program General Prerequisites Scores from the DAT standardized examinations.