Dental education differences (U.S. and Costa Rica)

Dentists with Costa Rican Dental Solutions have trained in the U.S. and utilize the latest procedures and technology available. All of our primary dentists continually visit the United States and other countries for additional training to stay on the forefront of the latest advances in dentistry and technology. You will find that our dentists and clinics meet and exceed what you expect when receiving care in the United States and Canada.

As we’ve mentioned in other parts of our website, education is the key to a successful outcome when traveling for medical or dental care.

Patients should be as well informed as possible when making decisions regarding care in another country. For this reason, we want to give prospective patients information regarding dental education differences between the U.S. and Costa Rica.

U.S.

Most dentists in the United States have a undergraduate degree or at least two years of specific college credits before enrolling in dental school.

After completing four years of dental school, they must pass board exams in order to receive the title of DDS. If they wish to specialize in a specific area of dentistry, students complete from 2 to 4 additional years of education depending on the dental specialty.

Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, four main dental schools produce the dentists in the country. Students typically spend 6 years in dental school and an additional two to three years if they wish to specialize in a particular area of dentistry.

We met with the Dean of one of the top dental schools who completed a masters degree in dentistry in the United States.  We asked her opinion on the main differences in dental education between the two countries. In her opinion, the U.S. has the latest technology available for students while they receive their education.

However, she felt that Costa Rican dental students experience more clinical practice on actual patients than U.S. students prior to receiving their dental degree. This has provided them with more hands on training in applying what they have learned as well as developing excellent technique.