By the Numbers: Dental Education

September 13, 2017

STUDENT REPORT

Students studying around a desk

12,058

U.S. dental school applicants in 2016

Dental students observing a procedure

6,100

First-time, first-year students enrolled in DMD and DDS programs in the U.S. in the fall of 2016

College campus for dental students

10

Average number of dental school applications submitted by students seeking admission in 2016

A dental hygienist in training

334

U.S. dental hygiene programs accredited by CODA (Commission on Dental Accreditation)

Source: ADEA GoDental: Dental education by the numbers [internet]. Washington D.C.: American Dental Education Association; c2017 [cited 2017 June 27]. Available from: https://www.adea.org/godental.

PROFESSIONAL CONTINUING EDUCATION

Pie chart showing ADA data on dental practice statistics

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), in 2015, dentists practicing in the U.S. had the opportunity to participate in 28,227 continuing education activities recognized by the ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP). With the combined participants in these activities totaling 814,534, U.S. dentists reported their CE participation — in the formats of live education, self-study over the internet, hands-on instruction, live education on the internet, and other types of self-study — as reported in the adjacent chart.

Source: Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition: 2016 annual report. Chicago: American Dental Association. 6-7 p.

Dental professionals attending a live continuing education program

1,539

Dental professionals who attended live continuing education programs sponsored by Glidewell Dental in 2016

Source: Glidewell Dental internal data.

A dental professional taking an online continuing education course

In 2016, 1,820 dental professionals participated in online continuing education courses available from Glidewell Dental. 5,338 tests were taken; 9,196 CE credits were earned.

Source: Glidewell Dental internal data.