Becoming a dental surgeon takes a minimum of 12 years after high school: four years of undergraduate study, four years of dental school, and at least four years of surgical residency. Some training paths stretch to 14 years or more depending on the residency track you choose and whether you pursue additional fellowship training.
Undergraduate Education: 4 Years
The path starts with a bachelor’s degree. You don’t need to major in a science field to get into dental school, but you do need to complete specific prerequisite courses in biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. Most pre-dental students layer these into their first two years, then take advanced science electives in their third and fourth years. Experienced dental students consistently say that additional biology coursework, beyond the minimum requirements, better prepares you for the pace of dental school.
During your junior year, you’ll take the Dental Admission Test (DAT), a standardized exam that dental schools use alongside your GPA and application materials to evaluate candidates.
Dental School: 4 Years
Dental school programs award either a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree. The two are equivalent in scope and recognition. Programs typically run about 45 months, broken into a mix of classroom instruction, lab work, and supervised clinical rotations where you treat real patients.
The first two years focus heavily on foundational sciences: anatomy, pharmacology, pathology, and the biology of oral tissues. Years three and four shift toward hands-on clinical work, where you perform procedures under faculty supervision. During this stretch, you’ll also sit for the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE), a comprehensive test that must be completed between your third year and December of your fourth year. Failing to pass on time can delay graduation and licensure. You’ll also take clinical licensure exams, which are manikin-based practical tests administered in the spring of years three and four.
Surgical Residency: 4 to 6 Years
After earning your dental degree, the next step is a hospital-based residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS). This is where the timeline diverges into two distinct tracks.
The 4-Year Certificate Track
The standard residency lasts four years and is spent entirely in a hospital setting. You’ll train across a wide range of surgical procedures: wisdom tooth extractions, jaw reconstruction, facial trauma repair, corrective jaw surgery, and dental implant placement. By the end of this track, you’re eligible to practice as a fully trained oral surgeon.
The 6-Year MD-Integrated Track
Some residency programs integrate medical school into the training, resulting in both a dental degree and a medical degree (MD). These programs run 72 months and guarantee residents a place in medical school without the usual separate application process. The six years combine medical education with 30 months of dedicated oral and maxillofacial surgical training. This track is particularly common among surgeons who plan to handle complex cases like head and neck cancer, craniofacial reconstruction, or microvascular surgery.
Board Certification
Completing residency qualifies you to practice, but many oral surgeons also pursue board certification through the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS). The process involves two exams taken after residency. First is the Qualifying Examination, a 300-question computer-based test covering 11 subject areas. Once you pass that, you’re eligible for the Oral Certifying Examination, a face-to-face oral exam where you work through twelve surgical cases over 144 minutes. You have three consecutive years after passing the written exam to complete the oral portion.
Board certification isn’t legally required to practice, but it signals a higher level of verified competency and is increasingly expected by hospitals and group practices.
Optional Fellowship Training: 1 Year
Some surgeons add a fellowship year after residency to develop expertise in a narrower area. These 12-month programs, running July through June, offer intensive hands-on training in subspecialties like craniofacial surgery, cosmetic facial surgery, TMJ treatment, orthognathic procedures, or advanced reconstructive techniques. A fellowship isn’t required but can open doors to academic positions or highly specialized practices.
Total Timeline at a Glance
- Shortest path (certificate residency): 12 years after high school (4 undergraduate + 4 dental school + 4 residency)
- MD-integrated path: 14 years (4 undergraduate + 4 dental school + 6 residency with medical degree)
- With fellowship: Add 1 year to either track
- With board certification: Exams are taken during the first few years of practice, so they don’t necessarily add calendar time but do require significant preparation
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is one of the longest training pipelines in dentistry. The payoff is a scope of practice that bridges medicine and dentistry, covering everything from routine extractions to complex facial reconstruction. If you’re starting as a college freshman, plan on entering independent practice in your early to mid-30s.