Call 800-621-8099 ext. 2795 or 312-440-2795, or email between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CT Monday through Friday. For specific questions or a listing of staff by department, visit the staff directory.

Mailing address: 211 E. Chicago Ave., Suite 700, Chicago, IL 60611

Fax number: 312-440-2820

1. Take the Dental Admission Test (DAT) offered at various Prometric testing centers throughout the U.S.
2. Submit an application to the ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS). Applicants who are Texas residents wishing to apply to dental schools in Texas will use the Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS).
3. Provide additional materials required by the dental schools, as part of a secondary application.
4. Interview at schools that invite you. ASDA developed tips for interviewing.

All predental members of ASDA receive a free copy of the handbook Getting Into Dental School: ASDA's Guide for Predental Students. This guide includes information on the application process, the DAT, interviewing tips from dental students and a listing of each dental school in the U.S. that includes their application requirements, tuition, undergraduate requirements and general information on the school. To obtain a copy, join ASDA as a predental member. ASDA also developed tips for the ADEA AADSAS application.

ASDA created an application toolkit to help you track the materials for your application so you are prepared when you begin the application process.

ASDA predental members receive discounts on Crack the DAT and CourseSaver resources to help you prepare for the DAT exam.

International dental student resources and tips are available here.

ASDA's Getting Into Dental School: ASDA's Guide for Predental Students provides statistics on each U.S. dental school, including the ratio of the number of accepted students out of the number who applied, as well as minimum GPA, DAT average and undergraduate requirements for each applicant.

The most important factor is to get involved with activities that you enjoy. ASDA offers many activities at the local, district and national levels. Many ASDA chapters hold events for predentals. Each of the 11 districts organizes an annual meeting and offer sessions for predentals. At the national level, predental members are invited to the National Leadership Conference, Annual Session and National Dental Student Lobby Day. Additionally, predental members can serve in national leadership positions on ASDA’s Predental Advisory Committee. Other common activities include volunteer work, service trips and research.

ADEA AADSAS opens on June 1 and Dec. 1 is typically the day of first acceptance. Apply early, as some schools have early deadlines for applications. Be sure to check each school’s website for the application deadline.

ASDA has developed a guide to help non-traditional students who may not get into dental school on their first try to determine best options. The information in this guide was provided by non-traditional students based on their experience. ASDA also held a webinar featuring three dental students sharing their experiences and advice on non-traditional paths to dental school. Read the ASDA News article “Refuse to take no for an answer: How I got into dental school after 6 tries.”

1. Apply for a DENTPIN through ADA so you can take the NBDE Part I administered by the ADA Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE).
2. Get an evaluation report identifying the U.S. equivalents of educational qualifications you earned in your country.
3. Take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), an English competency test offered online.
4. Visit CAAPID, which is a centralized application system managed by ADEA. This site has a directory of most schools that have international programs along with application requirements and deadlines for each school. Please note: there are some programs that are not registered with CAAPID, so visit each school’s website and check the application process for each. Many schools require additional papers/information other than those required through CAAPID.
5. For more information on this process, download ASDA’s Guide to Applying to U.S. Dental Schools for International Trained Dentists.

There are three: an education requirement, a written examination requirement and a clinical examination requirement. More information on each requirement is available here.

Visit ASDA's Career Compass for information on obtaining licensure by state and region. Contacting these organizations directly is the best way to ensure you have the most recent information regarding what licensing exam each state accepts.

ASDA developed this webpage for international students. ADA has created a website on state licensure for international dentists. This site includes the steps involved in applying for licensure, a resource guide and frequently asked questions.

Visit our online application page or call 800-621-8099 ext. 2640.

• Predoctoral - $88 (plus any applicable local dues)
• Predental - $71
• International dental students - $101

The dues for predoctoral and international dental students also include joint membership in ADA. All memberships run the calendar year (Jan. 1 through Dec. 31).

Predental membership is for:

• Students currently enrolled in or graduated from an undergraduate or masters/post-baccalaureate program who are interested in applying to dental school
• Non-licensed U.S. residents
• Internationally trained dentist living in the U.S.
• You must:
  • Live in the U.S.
  • Not be enrolled in dental school 

Predoctoral membership is for:

• Current dental students enrolled in a CODA-accredited dental school
• You must:
  • Not be in a post-graduate, masters or residency program

International membership is for:

• Non-licensed international dental students
• You must:
  • Not be a U.S. resident
  • Be currently enrolled in an international dental school
  • Not be a licensed dentist

Your ASDA membership becomes active immediately after your payment is processed, but it can take up to a month to become a member of the ADA (predoctoral and international students only). Many chapters delay sending in dues after they first collect them. Check with your chapter delegate to make sure payment was sent to national ASDA.

Memberships are not processed until national ASDA receives dues from your chapter. Some chapters wait and submit dues until they are collected from all students. Please check with your chapter representative to see if they submitted dues to the central office.

Membership dues are not prorated and are non-refundable.

ASDA membership runs on a calendar year from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, regardless of the date you joined. Dues paid after August will be applied to the following membership year. Most member benefits will begin immediately.

Please view the Member Benefits page for more information. Contact benefit providers directly for applications, policy information and specific questions.

Member addresses are checked against a national change of address (NCOA) registry, but it is possible the mailing list was pulled before edits were made. Addresses of returned publications are marked undeliverable in our database. Please check your contact information online, e-mail our membership department, or call 800-621-8099 ext. 2640.

Publication labels are created in advance. All publications are archived online.

Members are assigned a unique login name and password. Each member will receive an e-mail with this information when their dues are processed. You may change your login name and password on the website. Your ASDA/ADA number is at the top of your member profile. Click "forgot my password" if you do not have a login.

Call 800-621-8099 ext. 2640 or 312-440-2640 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or email us.

The applications for Parts 1 and 2 are available on ADA’s website. Before applying, you must confirm that you read the guide and obtained a DENTPIN. You can also visit ASDA’s Taking the NBDEs web page for information.

The DENTPIN (DENTal Personal Identifier Number) is a unique personal identifier for applicants and students involved with the U.S. dental education system and standardized testing programs. The ADA issues the DENTPIN. You can register or retrieve your number online at ada.org/dentpin.aspx. If you have difficulty retrieving your DENTPIN® or password, email the ADA Dept. of Testing.

You should schedule 60 to 90 days before your desired exam date. Remember, you may schedule your examination appointment with Prometric only upon receipt of your eligibility notification.

Your official results will be mailed to you within three to four weeks after your examination date. Please retain this copy for your records. Additional result reports can be requested using the official result request.

The Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) is the agency responsible for the development and administration of the National Board Dental Examinations. The JCNDE can be reached at 800-232-1694 or email. The ADA's website also has information on Part I and Part II.

The best way to prepare is to study the real exam. ASDA sells National Dental Board Exam reprints for Part I and Part II. To purchase, visit the Online Store or call 1-800-621-8099. Members receive a discount by logging in using their user name and password.

Visit the online store.

All orders should be received within 7-10 business days unless the overnight shipping option is selected. Overnight orders must be placed prior to 3:00 p.m. CT.

The American Dental Association Department of Testing releases exams at their discretion. There is not a release schedule or a way to predict when new exams will become available.

No, ASDA only sells released copies of the National Dental Board Exam. For the DAT and NBDHE study material, contact the American Dental Association Department of Testing at 800-621-8099 ext. 2678.

No, the individual placing the order must have a valid membership with ASDA to qualify for the member price.

These handbooks are published annually. The Guide for Dental Students is typically released in the spring, while the Guide for Predental Students is released at the end of the summer.

ASDA has a no refund, no return policy on all salable materials.

Shipping & Handling fee is estimated based on the shipping address either from your last shopping experience or from your personal record stored in the database. If you have any questions regarding our shipping and handling, please contact American Student Dental Association at 800-621-8099 ext. 2795 during regular business hours of Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST or by e-mail. Overnight Shipping, U.S. orders only, is calculated based on the shipping address from your personal record stored in the database. Overnight orders placed before 2:30 CST Monday - Thursday will be shipped same day. Anything ordered after that will be shipped the next day. All overnight orders placed on Fridays will be delivered the following Monday.

ASDA does not ship to P.O. boxes within the continental United States.

Contact ASDA via email or 800-621-8099 ext. 2795.

If you wish to waive your signature on your package, please send an email. The email must state that you wish to waive your signature, and by doing so you understand that ASDA is not liable if your package is lost or stolen. Please include your full name and order (number) in the e-mail. ASDA will not track your package if you waive your signature.

Contour is published ten times a year (once a month with joint issues for June/July and November/December). You will receive a hard copy in the mail and can also access the digital version here.

Members may view back issues of Contour, ASDA News and Mouth online.

Word of Mouth is ASDA’s monthly e-newsletter sent to all predoctoral members. The newsletter has information on events, issues and initiatives of interest. If you are not receiving this monthly e-newsletter, ASDA may not have an e-mail address on file for you. Please add an email address to your profile to receive this e-newsletter. Click here to access back issues of Word of Mouth.

As of July 2016, predental members receive The Polished Predental, containing news, event information and topics related to getting into dental school.

JADA and ADA News are ADA publications. Contact the ADA Office of Student Affairs via email or 800-621-8099 ext. 4656.

We're always looking for member contributions to our publications. Learn more on writing or submitting photography for ASDA.

Before you write anything, an editor will work with you to determine a topic. If you're passionate about something, you'll most likely be able to write about it. We're always looking for stories about dentistry, dental education, career transition (from dental school to the work place), professional issues, financial advice and "real life" dental school experiences.