Addressing the dental practitioner shortage in the Commonwealth:
The role of the dental schools and the role of the dental practitioner
A key consideration is how the dental profession can effectively encourage and facilitate the entry of young people into the field of dentistry. Understanding the profiles of dental school applicants and graduates may reveal significant opportunities. Nearly 60 % of recent graduates stated that they decided to pursue a career in dentistry before graduating high school, while nearly 25 % made their decision during the first two years of college. Additionally, 60 % chose this career due to personal dental experiences, their family dentist, or shadowing experiences, while 18 % made the choice because of a family member or friend in the profession. Only 6 % of graduates were influenced by recruitment efforts, and even fewer based their decision on workforce recommendations. 3
When assessing applicants from the Commonwealth, several important trends emerge compared to other states. The Commonwealth has 30-40 % fewer applicants per million residents, and those applicants are accepted at a 30-40 % lower rate nationally.( Table 1)
This data has remained consistent over the past four years and indicates that the Commonwealth encourages fewer Commonwealth residents to be dentists and of those who applied, there were fewer qualified applicants as seen by the overall acceptance rates.( Singh P, Lawton KB, Istrate EC, Booker CL, West KP. U. S. Dental School Applicants and Enrollees, 2024 Entering Class. Washington, DC: American Dental Education Association, February 2025).
The Commonwealth Dental Schools admitted and enrolled 98 of the 334 Commonwealth applicants applying nationally in 2024.( Table 2)
The eventual return of graduates to their state of original residence is the predominant event in the permanent location of practice. The Commonwealth is a nationally leading state in the percent of students graduating high school yet is in the middle of the ranks for residents completing 4-year degrees.
Table 1
State Population
Applicants per Million Residents
Acceptances per Million Residents
California 38,965,193 3.5 1.9 Texas 30,503,301 3.3 1.6 Florida 22,610,726 4.1 2.2 New York 19,571,216 3.9 2.3 Pennsylvania 12,961,683 2.6 1.3
Table 2
School State
PA
PA
PA
Name of Institution
The Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry, Temple University
University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
Total First-time, First-year Enrollees
Pennsylvania Applicants
Pennsylvania Residents Admitted
135 265 42
63 208 39
167 169 17
*** ADEA Dental School Applicants and Enrollees Report, 2024 Entering Class
24 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2025 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL