Dental School and Public Health
Looking to make a difference in your community as a dentist or oral health leader? Undergraduate degrees at the UIC School of Public Health can strengthen your journey toward serving the oral health needs of people in Chicago and around the world.
SPH's BA and BS in Public Health are a good fit for future dentists because it provides the flexibility to complete the required pre-dental courses for future admission to dental school. In addition, students gain a deep understanding of health needs and challenges of communities in Chicago and around the world and strategies to address these needs.
A background in public health provides career flexibility for you after dental school. Not all dental school graduates go into clinical work. Dental public health, recognized as a specialty by the American Dental Association since 1950, focuses on dental and oral health issues in communities and populations rather than individual patients. Access to dental care in the United States and around the world is often limited by financial barriers. Dental public health practitioners lead assessments that determine oral health needs in communities, develop community-based prevention and treatment programs and analyze populations, and focus on health equity and social justice through oral health.
If you're looking to make a difference as a dentist, studying public health is a great way to start.