Dentistry Schools and Programs in France

Dentistry Studies in France

Dentistry in France is called odontologie or chirurgie dentaire. It is taught only in university faculties of dentistry (UFR d'odontologie), which work with university hospital dental care centres, and the whole course is in French. Entry is selective and comes after a first year shared with the other health professions. SpainExchange lists 3 universities in France with dentistry: Nantes Université, the Université de Rennes and the Université de Poitiers.

How the degree is organised

To practise as a dentist (chirurgien-dentiste) a student needs the diplôme d'État de docteur en chirurgie dentaire. According to the Ordre national des chirurgiens-dentistes, the national dental council, the studies last 6 to 9 years in three cycles:

• First cycle (3 years): the first year is the health access year (PASS or L.AS, see below). At the end of the third year students receive the DFGSO (diplôme de formation générale en sciences odontologiques), recognised at bachelor's level.
• Second cycle (2 years): the fourth and fifth years bring practical and clinical training, in which students give their first care to patients under supervision. They lead to the DFASO (diplôme de formation approfondie en sciences odontologiques), recognised at master's level.
• Short third cycle (1 year): professional practice and a thesis. After the exams and the defence of the thesis, the university awards the state diploma of doctor of dental surgery.
• Long third cycle (internat): optional, with a limited number of places and entry by competitive exam. It leads to a specialist diploma (DES): three years for dentofacial orthopaedics and for oral medicine, four years for oral surgery.

The general route therefore takes six years, as the faculty in Rennes also describes it.

Admission and language

Since the 2020 academic year, access to dentistry is through one of two first-year routes offered by the universities:

• PASS (parcours spécifique accès santé): a health-focused year with an option in another discipline. A student who does not pass the year cannot repeat it and has to change course through Parcoursup.
• L.AS (licence avec option accès santé): a bachelor's degree in another subject with a health access option. The Université de Poitiers, for example, offers 13 such degrees.

Students who pass the first year can apply for dentistry; those who are not admitted can continue in their bachelor's degree and apply again later. The number of students admitted to the second year is set every year by a joint order of the ministries of higher education and health. At Nantes Université, the second year of dentistry takes 40 students from Nantes itself, 22 from the Université d'Angers and 10 from the Université de Tours, plus a few places for other universities and for the bridge procedure (passerelle).

The first year is entered through Parcoursup, the national platform for first-year admissions. Teaching, exams and patient care are in French, so a high level of French is needed in practice. Students entering the second year in Nantes must also be up to date with their vaccinations, including hepatitis B.

Tuition fees

Public universities charge nationally set fees. For the 2026-27 academic year, according to Campus France, students from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland pay €178 per year for a bachelor's-level programme and €255 per year for a master's-level programme. Students from other countries pay €2,902 and €3,950 per year unless an exemption applies. Nantes Université listed €178 for enrolment in the second year of dentistry in 2025-26, plus the student and campus life contribution (CVEC) of €105.

Where to study

• Nantes Université: the UFR d'Odontologie in Nantes trains students from several universities in western France and overseas. Its students can also apply to a master's degree in biology and health, which foreign holders of a dental doctorate can ask to join in the first year.
• Université de Rennes: the UFR d'odontologie is on the Villejean health campus, with the faculties of medicine and pharmacy. The faculty reports 355 students in initial training and 7 international exchange agreements.
• Université de Poitiers: access to dentistry is through its health access degrees (L.AS).

Recognition and careers

Dentistry is a regulated profession. According to the national dental council, three conditions apply: a recognised diploma, French, EU or EEA nationality (or that of certain other countries), and registration with the council. Holders of the French state diploma are exempt from the nationality condition. Dentists with diplomas from EU and EEA countries are recognised under Directive 2005/36/EC. Dentists who do not meet the diploma or nationality conditions need an authorisation from the minister of health before they can register.

Graduates work in private practice or in hospitals, as general dentists or specialists, or follow an academic career in teaching and research.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to become a dentist in France?

Six years for the state diploma of doctor of dental surgery. Students who enter specialist training (internat) after the fifth year study for eight or nine years in total.

Can I study dentistry in France in English?

No. Dentistry is taught in French in the university faculties, and clinical training involves treating patients in French.

Can I apply directly to a dental faculty?

No. Students first complete a health access year (PASS or L.AS) and then apply for one of the places in the second year, whose number is set every year.

Can a dentist with a foreign diploma work in France?

Diplomas from EU and EEA countries are recognised under Directive 2005/36/EC. Other dentists need an authorisation from the minister of health, and all must register with the national dental council.