Benchmarking

Dentists have an average salary of $145,300 in West Virginia, the lowest-ranked state for dentists to live and work in. 

Dentists have an average salary of $118,030 in Alaska, the top-ranked state for dentists to live and work in. 

West Virginia was ranked as the worst state for dentists to live and work in by career website Zippia.

Alaska was ranked as the best state for dentists to live and work in for the second year in a row by career website Zippia.

The average amount of dental education debt is less than the average amount of education debt, according to data from the American Dental Education Association.

Texas A&M University School of Dentistry in Dallas has a first-year tuition of $23,112 for residents, the lowest of any U.S. dental school, and has a 7.2 percent acceptance rate.

Most dental professionals earn less than the average amount of dental education debt in the U.S., according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the American Dental Education Association.

Loans continue to be the main source of debt for dental education, according to data from the American Dental Education Association.

The University of the Pacific's Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco has a first-year tuition of $119,360 for both residents and nonresidents, the highest of any U.S. dental school, and has a 7.03 percent acceptance rate.

The average amount of dental school debt has declined in recent years to $286,200, according to data from the American Dental Education Association.