Studies & Degrees in Oral Medicine
Oral Medicine Study Programs
Oral medicine is the branch of dentistry that sits closest to medicine. The body that recognises dental specialties in the United States defines it as the specialty responsible for the oral health care of medically complex patients and for the diagnosis and management of medically related diseases, disorders and conditions affecting the oral and maxillofacial region. In practice this covers diseases of the lining of the mouth, signs of general illness that show in the mouth, facial pain, and the oral side effects of cancer treatment. Treatment is mostly non-surgical, which sets the field apart from oral surgery.
Students learn to take a full medical history, examine the patient, order and read laboratory tests, and work with physicians. According to the American Academy of Oral Medicine (AAOM), founded in 1945, a training programme combines biomedical sciences, pathology and pharmacology with oral radiology, oral pathology, orofacial pain and general dentistry. It also includes medical rotations in hospitals and outpatient clinics, which may cover internal medicine, neurology, dermatology and oncology, and a research project.
Qualifications and levels
Oral medicine is a postgraduate specialisation. The first step is almost always a dental degree, and the subject is also taught as a course within that degree.
- Dental degree. In Spain the bachelor's degree (grado) that qualifies a dentist has 300 ECTS credits. In the United Kingdom, the NHS states that becoming a dentist takes at least five years at dental school, followed by one or two years of supervised practice. In Ireland, the Bachelor of Dental Science at Trinity College Dublin is a five-year programme that entitles graduates to register with the Dental Council of Ireland. In the United States, dental schools award the DDS or DMD, and most ask applicants for at least a bachelor's degree first.
- Specialty training in the United States. Oral medicine has been a recognised dental specialty since September 2020; the AAOM calls it the 11th specialty recognised by the American Dental Association. A dental degree, from the US or an equivalent from abroad, is required to enter a programme, and some programmes also ask for a one-year general practice residency. Residencies last a minimum of 24 months. Programmes that add a master's degree or PhD typically take three to five years.
- United Kingdom. The General Dental Council (GDC) keeps specialist lists. Dentists may practise a specialty without joining a list, but only those on the list may use the title "specialist".
- Master's degrees. Elsewhere the subject is usually taught at master's level. In Spain, official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Ask each university what recognition its qualification has and whether it gives access to a specialist title in the country where you plan to work.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 18 active schools under oral medicine: five in Australia, three in Spain, two each in the United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom, and one each in Nigeria, Italy, Ukraine and Russia. Most are universities with a dental or medical school, and they do not all teach oral medicine as a separate degree. Check each school's current course list.
- United States: the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is on the AAOM's list of accredited oral medicine residency programmes in North America.
- Ireland and the United Kingdom: Trinity College Dublin teaches the five-year Dental Science degree at its School of Dental Science. King's College London has a Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences with postgraduate courses that range from specialist clinical training to courses for working dentists. The University of Edinburgh is also listed.
- Australia: the list includes the University of Melbourne, Adelaide University, Griffith University, Charles Sturt University and CQUniversity.
- Elsewhere: Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria has a Faculty of Dentistry with a department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology. Bukovinian State Medical University in Ukraine and Rostov State Medical University in Russia are medical universities.
Programmes in Australia, the United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom are taught in English. Clinical training means treating patients, so a foreign dentist usually needs local registration first. In the United Kingdom the GDC runs the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) for dentists who qualified abroad, and in the United States dentists must be licensed in the state where they work.
Careers
The AAOM gives these examples of career paths: private practice, hospital-based dentistry, teaching posts and department leadership at dental and medical schools, work at cancer centres, and research.
The field is small. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 5,800 jobs in its group "dentists, all other specialists" in 2025, which takes in the specialties it does not count separately. It projects overall employment of dentists to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035.
Frequently asked questions
Is oral medicine the same as oral surgery?
No. Oral medicine deals with the diagnosis and mainly non-surgical management of diseases of the mouth and face, often in patients with other medical conditions. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons operate on the mouth, jaws, teeth, gums, neck and head.
Do I need to be a dentist to specialise in oral medicine?
In the United States, yes: the AAOM states that a dental degree (DDS, DMD or a non-US equivalent) is required before enrolling in an oral medicine training programme. Other countries set their own entry rules, so check with the university.
How long does oral medicine training take?
In the United States a residency lasts at least 24 months after dental school, and three to five years when combined with a master's degree or PhD.