Schools of Dentistry Costs

Once you have made the decision to study to become a dentist, there are many things you need think about and decide, such as the field of dentistry, the type of program, the school of dentistry, and of course, the costs involved with such a course. There are many different schools of dentistry in the United States. While dental school is considered to be expensive in general, the costs involved with different schools of dentistry are varied.

Schools of Dentistry Costs

It is important to understand that the entire cost involved in becoming a dentist is not limited to dental school, but also involves the cost of your undergraduate degree as well. However, let's focus on the schools of dentistry costs alone for now. A few things that can be included as a part of dental school costs are:

Basic Necessities: Your period of study at a dental school might involve living away from home. You would need to then consider the costs of living space and other day-to-day necessities such as food, transport, etc.
Books: You would be required to purchase several books for study as a part of your graduate courses. While many of the books might be available for study at the university or college library, you may have to end up purchasing a few.
Dental Tools: Most schools of dentistry provide excellent facilities and equipment. However, as a student, there are certain dental tools that you would be expected to purchase.
Personal Computer: To complete most of the homework assigned to you as a part of your graduate courses, purchasing a laptop or desktop computer would be of great use to you. Additionally, you might be expected to purchase educational programs such as dental simulation software as well.
Course Fees: This would contribute the biggest chunk to your dentistry school costs. Typical course fees for most graduate schools could range from anywhere between $100,000 to $400,000 for the entire course.
Entrance Examination Fees: Almost all schools of dentistry require GRE and DAT scores to be submitted along with applications. The fees involved in taking such tests as well as the fees for the National Dental Board Examination (NBDE) need to be considered.

Reducing Schools of Dentistry Costs

Financial planning to manage schools of dentistry costs can prove to be quite an ordeal. However, there are a few simple things that can be done to minimize the costs involved in studying to become a dentist. The most obvious of these is, of course, to look for a school that is not very expensive. Unless you are aiming for the very best of schools, a degree from any good school has equal standing and hence, you can prefer the less expensive one. Also, you can prefer schools located in regions where the cost of living tends to be lower. If you are able to find a school of dentistry closer to home, you can save a lot in terms of transportation and other basic costs.

Looking for a school that provides combined programs (undergraduate and dental programs) is also a great way of reducing schools of dentistry costs. Most schools of dentistry provide information on their websites about course costs as well as any student aid provided by the institution.