Dental schools often require students to take two semesters of English, according to the Pre-DDS website. However, some schools may require less. For instance, the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine only requires one semester of a "writing-intensive" social science or humanities class. Courses like English, philosophy, literature or history would fulfill such a requirement.
Biology courses are among the general prerequisites demanded by most dental schools. The Pre-DDS website recommends taking two semesters of general biology with laboratory studies in order to prepare for dental school. According to Vanderbilt University, a lab course "provides first-hand experience...(and) the opportunity to explore methods used by scientists," giving students a chance to carry out actual experiments in a scientific setting. Some lab experiments may take a few hours to complete, whereas other might involve months of research.
The Pre-DDS website recommends that aspiring dentistry students take chemistry courses. Tufts University, for example, requires students in its dental school to have taken four semesters of chemistry in total. Students typically need to take both general and organic chemistry. The work of organic chemists often relates directly to developments in the pharmaceutical industry, highlighting its importance to those entering a medical field.
A general dental admission test is a prerequisite for all students applying to dental schools. The examination, which is administered throughout the year at testing sites across the country, measures "general academic ability, comprehension of scientific information, and perceptual ability," according to the American Dental Association (ADA). Students must apply to take the test, which requires one year of college education, with the ADA. Students who wish to take the test more than three times must apply for special permission to do so.