For many years, dentistry has been viewed as a field focused primarily on teeth. Now, the profession is undergoing a paradigm shift, with it being increasingly recognized as dental medicine. This refers to the branch of healthcare that focuses on diagnosing, preventing, and treating oral health conditions, while recognizing the relationship to overall systemic health.
If you’re applying to dental school, this shift directly impacts your application, dental education, and role as a healthcare provider.
Why dental medicine matters
Oral health is inextricably linked to overall health. Gum disease, oral infections, and microbiome imbalances are associated with systemic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and colorectal cancer. Dental school applicants must be aware of this interconnection, as it demonstrates the critical role of dentistry in maintaining oral health and preventing and managing systemic conditions.
1. Dental Education
Dental schools are expanding their curricula to include more medical training, ensuring that future dentists are well-versed in:
- Pathophysiology of systemic diseases
- Immunology
Programs such as Columbia, Harvard, Stony Brook, and more now emphasize integrated medical and dental education.
2. The Dentist’s Role
As a future dentist, you may be able to:
- Screen patients for early signs of systemic diseases such as diabetes.
- Work alongside physicians to create interdisciplinary treatment plans.
- Incorporate preventative medicine into your practice, such as oral microbiome diagnostics and biomarker testing.
As a dental professional, you will be an integral part of holistic patient care.
3. Approach to Patient Care
Patients are becoming more aware of the connections between oral health and systemic health.
As a future provider, you’ll need to:
- Educate patients on how their oral health impacts their overall well-being.
- Address lifestyle factors (diet, smoking, stress) that influence both oral and systemic diseases.
- Advocate for preventative care rather than just treating existing problems.
How to highlight your understanding of dental medicine in your application
If you're applying to dental programs that emphasize the integration of medicine and dentistry, understanding and articulating this shift is a must. Schools like Columbia, Harvard, Penn, and other research-focused programs actively seek students who recognize dentistry as more than just technical skill, but rather as a medical profession with direct implications for systemic health.
1. Personal Statement/Experience/Secondaries
Writing about the oral and systemic health connection may be beneficial to your application, especially if you are a student who is applying to schools that emphasize the systemic aspect of dentistry. There are multiple ways you may highlight your understanding of this topic:
- Personal Statement: Only discuss the connection between oral and systemic health if it genuinely aligns with your passion or has been a meaningful part of your journey. Avoid including it just for the sake of mentioning it. Your personal statement should primarily focus on your story.
- Experiences: Highlight any experiences where you saw the connection between dentistry and systemic health (shadowing, research, patient care).
- Secondaries: Align your goals with the program’s mission. If the school emphasizes dental medicine, express your desire to contribute to interdisciplinary healthcare, preventative medicine, or research in oral-systemic health.
2. Interviews
For applicants to programs that emphasize dental medicine, failing to acknowledge this shift can make you seem outdated in your perspective. Schools want forward-thinking students who are prepared to be leaders in dental medicine.
- Be prepared to discuss why dentistry is more than just fixing teeth. Admissions committees want to see that you understand its medical significance.
- If asked, “Why this school?” reference their curriculum’s focus on dental medicine, interdisciplinary training, or research initiatives in oral-systemic health.
- Be prepared to explain how oral and systemic health is important for dentists and patients.
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