Graduates from dental schools leaving with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, along with the lack of clinical experience students are gaining while in schools, are two troubling trends for dentists.
These seven dentists recently connected with Becker’s to discuss the biggest trends in dental schools that are making them concerned about the future of the industry.
Note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What aspects/trends of dental school today make you concerned about the future of dentistry?
Samuel Barr, DMD. Dentist of Dr. Samuel Barr (Oneida, N.Y.): I’m concerned about the sheer quantity of knowledge that a new dental practitioner must learn. They need to know both the older analog and the newer digital techniques. When I was in school, I didn’t have to learn about scanning or 3D printing: there were no such things. Dental students today need to become proficient in both the old and the new. It’s just a lot of information to cram into four years.
Mike Davis, DDS. Dentist of Smiles of Sante Fe (Albuquerque, N.M.): The overwhelming concern is the cost of education and debt incurred by students. Today the average student loan debt is $300,000 and much higher in some cases when other debt is added in. Many if not most of these students will serve in some form of debt bondage after graduation. This debt is not dischargeable in bankruptcy. Recent grads too often are forced into horrific choices for employment in order to meet monthly debt obligation payments.
Secondly, the quality of education at numbers of programs has seen a steep decline. It has degenerated to the point that the State of New York now requires a post-grad GPR prior to licensure. Much of the education for today’s dental students is dependent upon volunteer clinical faculty and extremely low-pay faculty. Salaries are top-heavy at the administration level.
Krista Kappus, DDS. Dentist of Fitch Mountain Dental (Healdsburg, Calif.): One of my primary concerns is the escalating cost of dental education. Tuition continues to rise at an unsustainable pace, which may limit access to the profession to a narrower demographic — potentially reducing diversity and increasing socioeconomic barriers. The heavy debt burden also significantly influences practice decisions after graduation. Many new dentists feel financially obligated to enter corporate or DSO settings, which can make the prospect of owning a private practice feel out of reach, at least initially.
Additionally, while dental schools do an excellent job teaching foundational concepts and theory, they often struggle to keep pace with advances in technology and the practical demands of modern dentistry. Clinical experience in school can be limited or inconsistent, meaning that many graduates need several years of mentorship and hands-on learning to become fully confident and competent in real-world practice.
These trends could ultimately impact the autonomy, quality and accessibility of dental care — and they underscore the importance of reform in how we educate and support the next generation of dental professionals.
Rick Mars, DDS. President of The Dental Care Group (Aventura, Fla.): The shift in dental education over the past few decades has seen a notable decline in clinical requirements, especially in areas like crown and bridge, endodontics and removable prosthodontics is what concerns me most about a trend in dental schools today. Many dental schools today prioritize passing rates and board outcomes over volume and complexity of clinical experiences, which has led to a generation of graduates who may lack the hands-on confidence to practice independently right out of school.
My experience at Georgetown Dental, having to complete 36 units of crown and bridge, clearly gave you the competence to treat real patients immediately. That kind of rigor is increasingly rare, and it’s why so many new graduates feel compelled to pursue a GPR or AEGD, not to specialize, but to become clinically functional general dentists. Essentially, what used to be considered the standard is now being deferred to postgraduate training.
This trend affects not just individual preparedness, but also patient outcomes, practice hiring decisions and the long-term confidence of young practitioners. It’s a systemic issue that needs open discussion between academia and the profession to ensure students graduate not just with knowledge, but with true readiness for real-world clinical dentistry.
Sonalika Rungta, DMD. Dentist of All Smiles (Windsor Locks, Conn.): Dentists are not trained to run a business, and that training should be mandatory. Dental schools are charging $500K for a dental degree. Business education, training the dentist in sales, marketing and operating a dental office is needed in my opinion.
Todd Sarubin, DDS. Dentist of Sarubin Family Dental (Pikesville, Md.): One area that I am noticing with many of the new dentists entering the workforce is their hand-eye coordination, artistic ability and the use of soft or highly skilled hands. Fewer students are applying to medical schools these days and are instead applying to dental schools. We have these obviously brilliant kids coming in that are incredibly book smart, but lack the artistic and highly skilled hand-set that you need to have to be a great dentist. I am not knocking these students, but I don’t believe they truly understand the artistry that dentistry brings to a patient’s smile.
These students often need a lot of practice before they can truly create beautiful smiles. It is extremely important to understand how important this is to the practice, success and reputation of our industry. Yes, we are doctors, but we are artists of the smile. The window to our souls. It is up to the schools to bring that message to their students and help them to be the best clinicians they can be for the success of our profession.
Secondly, most of these new dentists aren’t interested in working hard, putting in the time and most importantly, seeking eventual ownership. Dentistry is not a 9-5 job. It’s a calling. You should want to spend the time refining your craft, catering to your patients and taking on the mentality of ownership. In the end, you need to be there for your practice, your patients, and your staff. Ownership, even if it’s part ownership, allows you to succeed in all those areas.
Lastly, all dentists should be required to do a hospital general practice residency. You are a doctor, you need the understanding and experience of working with physicians, nurses, etc., in a hospital setting. There are more and more patients with medical and intellectual disabilities who need our help. These patients many times have to be treated in the operating room, and we need to be trained properly on how to treat them with tenderness, compassion and competence. Only a general practice hospital residency can give you this amazing education that will help you succeed throughout your career.
Jillian Skeeters Woodruff, DMD. Dentist of Concord (N.C.) Center for Family Dentistry: The soaring cost of dental school is my greatest concern for the future of dentistry. With many graduates burdened by over $500,000 in student debt and limited job opportunities that offer sufficient compensation, they’re often left with little choice but to enter corporate dentistry. This shift, while understandable, is accelerating the decline of private practice and reshaping the profession in troubling ways.
