Studies & Degrees in Dentistry
Dentistry Study Programs
Dentistry is the health profession concerned with the teeth, the gums and the rest of the mouth. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), dentists diagnose and treat problems with patients' teeth, gums and related parts of the mouth: they remove decay, fill cavities and repair fractured teeth, and they advise patients on how to look after their oral health.
It is a regulated profession almost everywhere. That shapes the studies: the degree has a fixed length, a large share of supervised clinical work with patients, and it ends with registration or a licence before the graduate can practise.
What students learn
The first years cover the biomedical sciences on which dentistry rests (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology) and the structure and function of the mouth and jaws. Then come dental materials, radiology, anaesthesia, restorative dentistry, periodontics, surgery, orthodontics, prosthodontics and paediatric dentistry, first on simulators and later in the university clinic. BLS notes that dental school programmes typically include coursework in local anaesthesia, anatomy, periodontics and radiology, and that all programmes include clinical experience in which students treat patients under the supervision of a licensed dentist.
Qualifications and levels
- Spain. Dentist is a regulated profession that requires the official bachelor's degree in Dentistry (grado en Odontología). The ministerial order that regulates it sets the degree at 300 ECTS credits, one of the exceptions to the usual 240. At the Universidad de Murcia, for example, the degree takes five years, is taught in Spanish and offers 45 places for new students; the admission cut-off mark for 2025-26 was 12.548.
- Latin America. The degree is also a first degree, and its name varies: the Universidad Abierta Interamericana (UAI) in Argentina awards the title of Odontólogo after five years, while graduates of the Universidad de Valparaíso in Chile receive the title of cirujano dentista.
- United States. Dentistry is studied after a first degree. Most dental programmes require at least a bachelor's degree with certain science courses, and applicants usually take an entrance exam. Graduates obtain a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree.
- Specialisation. General dentists in the United States need no further training after dental school; a specialty usually requires a residency of two to four years. The US commission that recognises dental specialties currently lists 12, among them orthodontics, periodontics, endodontics, prosthodontics, paediatric dentistry and oral and maxillofacial surgery. In Spain, universities offer master's programmes in these areas; ask each school whether the master's is an official degree and what recognition it has.
- Vocational training. Other members of the dental team train outside university. In Spain there are two higher vocational qualifications (FP de grado superior) in the Health family: Técnico Superior en Higiene Bucodental (dental hygienist) and Técnico Superior en Prótesis Dentales (dental technician).
Where to study dentistry
SpainExchange lists 157 active schools for this subject. The countries with most schools are the United States (30), Spain (24), the United Kingdom (12), Brazil (10) and Argentina (6), followed by Australia, Mexico and Chile with four each. Examples are the Universidad de Murcia and the Universidad de Oviedo in Spain; the University of Michigan, the University of Washington and the University of Kentucky in the United States; the Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico; the Universidad de Valparaíso and the Universidad Autónoma de Chile; the UAI in Buenos Aires; and, in Europe, Ghent University and Göteborgs Universitet.
Dentistry is taught in the language of the patients, because students treat the public in the university clinic. Expect Spanish in Spain and Spanish-speaking America, Portuguese in Brazil and English in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, and check the language requirement of each school.
Recognition and careers
A dental degree gives access to the profession in the country where it was obtained. To work elsewhere the degree must be recognised, and the rules are national. In the United States, dentists must be licensed in the state in which they work. In the United Kingdom, the first step is registration with the General Dental Council (GDC), which runs an Overseas Registration Exam for dentists who qualified abroad. In Spain, a degree from outside the European Union has to be recognised by the ministry (homologación) before the holder can practise.
Most dentists work in private practice, alone or with partners or as associates in an established clinic; others work in public health services, hospitals, universities and research. For the United States, BLS projects that overall employment of dentists will grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 4,800 openings a year.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to become a dentist?
In Spain the degree has 300 ECTS credits and takes five years. At the UAI in Argentina the degree also takes five years. In the United States dental school follows a bachelor's degree, and a specialty adds a residency of two to four years.
What is the difference between a dentist, a dental hygienist and a dental technician?
The dentist diagnoses and treats and holds a university degree. In Spain, hygienists and dental technicians hold higher vocational qualifications: Técnico Superior en Higiene Bucodental and Técnico Superior en Prótesis Dentales.
Can I practise in another country with my dental degree?
Only after the regulator of that country recognises it. In the United Kingdom, for example, dentists who qualified overseas may have to pass the Overseas Registration Exam of the General Dental Council.