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Dental Materials

A program that focuses on the scientific study of the biomaterials and inert and active compounds used in dental procedures; the development of dental materials; and their effects on the living tissues of the oral cavity and systemic bodily health. Includes instruction in materials science, dental bioengineering, biocompatibility of materials, physics and mechanics of dental materials, elastic and plastic deformation, surface bonding, and applications to fixed and removable prostheses and restorative procedures. Examples: [Dental Materials (MS)], [Dental Materials (PhD)]

What Dental Materials Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Dental Materials build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Dental Materials graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Dental Materials emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Dental Materials program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Dental Materials careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Dental Materials graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Dental Materials professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS	Medical software	—
Medical condition coding software	Medical software	—
Material safety data sheet MSDS software	Compliance software	—
Turning Technologies TurningPoint	Multi-media educational software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Dental Materials graduates include:

• Medical Assistant Instructor
• Mental Health Aides Teacher
• Chiropractic Teacher
• Serology Teacher
• Clinical Laboratory Science Professor
• Physiology Teacher
• Pathology Teacher
• Opticianry Teacher
• Health Records Technology Teacher
• Educational Therapy Teacher
• Professor
• Nutrition Aides Teacher
• Pathology Laboratory Aides Teacher
• Physical Therapy Teacher
• Optometry Professor

What Can You Do With a Dental Materials Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Dental Materials commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Dental Materials graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	35.9%
Doctoral degree	24.9%
Post-doctoral training	19.1%
Bachelor’s degree	12.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.6%
Postsecondary certificate	2.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do Dental Materials Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Dental Materials graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$209,489
4 years	$191,956
5 years	$225,886

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $225,886 — roughly 8% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Dental Materials Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Dental Materials graduates earn a median of $191,956 four years after completion — roughly 405% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	2,445
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences	1,981
Dental Clinical Sciences, General	426
Orthodontics/Orthodontology	323
Advanced General Dentistry	238
Oral Biology and Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology	187
Endodontics/Endodontology	157
Pediatric Dentistry/Pedodontics	154
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences, Other	150
Prosthodontics/Prosthodontology	95
Dental Public Health and Education	84
Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery	41

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.