The total enrollment of students in predoctoral programs at U.S. dental schools is 27,082 in 2023-24, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
DDS and DMD programs have the highest enrollment in 2023-24 at more than 27,000, with dental hygiene programs and dental assisting programs with the second- and third-highest enrollment, respectively.
Here are the number of total enrollees in 2023-24 for 18 different accredited dental education programs at dental schools across the U.S.:
DDS/DMD: 27,082
Dental hygiene: 17,057
Dental assisting: 4,645
Oral and maxillofacial surgery: 1,265
General practice residency: 1,155
Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics: 1,146
Pediatric dentistry: 1,004
Advanced education in general dentistry: 926
Periodontics: 582
Prosthodontics/maxillofacial prosthetics: 488
Endodontics: 480
Dental laboratory technology: 386
Dental anesthesiology: 83
Orofacial pain: 55
Dental public health: 54
Oral and maxillofacial radiology: 53
Oral and maxillofacial pathology: 49
Oral medicine: 38