New Data: Enrollment in Dental Public Health Programs in the U.S. Drops 17%, While Pediatric Dentistry Sees 6.4% Growth.

Source: American Dental Association (ADA) Health Policy Institute dental education statistics

DentalGoodNews｜According to dental education statistics released by the American Dental Association (ADA) Health Policy Institute (HPI) on its "Dental Education" webpage (data verified and compiled as of August 18, 2026), based on annual surveys conducted by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), total enrollment across 14 advanced dental education programs in the United States showed notable divergence between the 2021-22 and 2025-26 academic years: enrollment in orofacial pain (OFP) programs increased from 50 to 65 students over the five-year period, a 30.0% rise ranking first among all specialties; dental public health, meanwhile, declined from 53 to 44 students, a 17.0% decrease, marking the largest decline among specialties.

During the same period, oral and maxillofacial radiology grew by 20.8% (from 48 to 58 students), while general practice residency declined by 10.2% (from 1,260 to 1,132 students). Among other specialties, dental anesthesiology grew by 8.8%, pediatric dentistry by 6.4%, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics by 6.2%, prosthodontics/maxillofacial prosthetics by 5.8%, endodontics by 5.5%, oral and maxillofacial surgery by 5.1%, oral and maxillofacial pathology by 4.2%, periodontology by 1.0%, advanced education in general dentistry (AEGD) by 0.6%, and oral medicine — a niche specialty with only 35 students enrolled nationwide — declined by 2.8%, a decrease confined to this small field and not indicative of an overall contraction in dental education.

Parallel to the divergence among specialties, predoctoral (DDS/DMD) and allied education programs continued to expand: total DDS/DMD enrollment grew by 10.3% over five years (from 26,228 to 28,925 students), with 7,015 DDS/DMD graduates in 2025, the first time the figure surpassed 7,000 within the reporting period; total enrollment in dental hygiene programs grew by 15.0% over the same period.

Source: American Dental Association (ADA) Health Policy Institute

DGN previously reported that in April 2026, the ADA, together with multiple organizations, called on the U.S. Congress to increase oral health-related appropriations for fiscal year 2027 and to restore senior dental leadership within the Department of Health and Human Services. In a May 2026 article, ADA HPI suggested that if current growth trends continue, the number of dental graduates could reach 8,000 before the end of this decade.