The Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) is a four-year graduate degree program designed to prepare students for becoming a Registered Dentist in the Philippines. It aims to develop skills and technical principles of different dental procedures as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of oral diseases. The program also educates students on how to interpret diagnostic information and procedures, develop a comprehensive oral health plan, perform appropriate clinical procedures and provide emergency dental services. 

Recommended Undergraduate Program

Students who wish to pursue the DMD program must complete a two-year pre-dentistry course and have any medical-related Bachelor’s degree program. Those who aspire to become Dentists but graduated with a non-medical undergraduate program may enroll for the pre-dentistry course. 

Subjects and Curriculum

• General Anatomy

• Biochemistry

• Pathology

• Pharmacology

• Oral Anatomy

• Dental Materials

• Oral Pathology

Admission Requirements

Qualifications

• The student must take Dexterity Examination-Exercises where the applicant must obtain a specific weighted average for the dexterity exam to be able to be admitted in the two-year pre-dentistry course.

• The student must complete a two-year pre-dentistry course

• The student must have a pre-medicine undergraduate degree

• The student must obtain a Certificate of Eligibility for Dentistry (CED) from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). 

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• The student must pass the Graduate Admissions Test of the university

Basic Requirements

• Undergraduate Transcript of records (Original and Photocopy)

• Recommendation letters from former professors, deans, or colleagues

• Letter of intent

• Most recent medical and dental health record

• Copy of NSO Certified birth certificate

• Copy of undergraduate diploma

• (1) Latest 2”x2”ID Picture

Areas of Specialization

• Periodontics

• Orthodontics

• Cosmetic dentistry

• Endodontics

• Prosthodontics

• Dental Surgery

• Pediatric Dentistry

Program Outcome

Graduates of Doctor of Dental Medicine are expected to be able to:

• Provide quality oral health care

• Plan and deliver community and extension dental services

• Practice life-long learning and continue to be a life-long learner

• Practice ethical, legal, moral principles and social accountability

• Utilize a systems-based approach to healthcare

Internship

The last two years of the Doctor of Dental Medicine program is spent entirely in the dental internship program. The program involves assigning students to different hospitals or community health centers that offer dental services. The program is done under the guidance of a Senior Dentist employed in the institution and an authorized faculty member. 

The number of hours required for the internship varies from one school to another. Although the clinical internship is done over two years, there is still a required number of duty hours that a student has to accomplish. When students take the board exam, one of the requirements that they need to pass is a summary of their duty hours which must coincide with the standard hours set by the PRC.

Board Exam

To be a licensed Dental Doctor or Dentist in the Philippines, a graduate of the DMD program needs to pass the Dental Board Examination conducted by the Board of Dentistry under the supervision of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

Once a student passes the Dental Board Examination, they now choose a field of specialization. The first step in acquiring a dentistry specialization is to undergo a two-year residency training in accredited hospitals and other health care institutions. Aside from the completion of residency training, an applicant is required to pursue a post-doctoral, master’s degree, or a pecialty education program related to their desired field of specialization.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the DMD program may pursue a career path in public and private medical facilities, educational institutions, government agencies, and private sectors. They may apply as a government dentist, school dentist, public health dentist, military dentist, academician dentist, or a private dental practitioner.