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Dental Public Health & Education

A program that focuses on the scientific study of dental disease prevention and control, community dental health promotion, and prepares dentists and public health professionals to function as dental health specialists. Includes instruction in preventive dentistry, the relationship of oral disease to health and quality of life, patient and practitioner behavior, dental epidemiology, nutrition and dental health, dental care policy and delivery, oral health program planning and administration, biostatistics, and research methods. Examples: [Dental Public Health and Education (Cert.)], [Dental Public Health and Education (MS, MPH)], [Dental Public Health and Education (PhD, DPH)]

Types of Degrees Dental Public Health & Education Majors Are Earning

Those studying Dental Public Health & Education may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	5
Associate’s Degree	3
Bachelor’s Degree	31
Master’s Degree	45

What Dental Public Health & Education Majors Need to Know

Studies in Dental Public Health & Education develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Dental Public Health & Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Dental Public Health & Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Dental Public Health & Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Dental Public Health & Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Dental Public Health & Education graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Dental Public Health & Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Adobe Presenter	Computer based training software	—
EcoLogic ADAM Indoor Air Quality and Analytical Data Management	Data base user interface and query software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Dental Public Health & Education graduates include:

• Nutrition Educator
• Instructor
• Clinical Instructor
• Health and Safety Instructor
• Dental Hygiene Instructor
• Clinical Full Professor
• Pharmacy Teacher
• Psychiatry Teacher
• Health Records Technology Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Anesthesiology Teacher
• Health Education Teacher
• Orthopedics Teacher
• Speech Pathology Teacher
• Podiatry Professor

What Can You Do With a Dental Public Health & Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Dental Public Health & Education 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 Public Health & Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	32.1%
Doctoral degree	22.0%
Post-doctoral training	16.9%
Bachelor’s degree	14.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	11.5%
Postsecondary certificate	2.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Dental Public Health & Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 75% of Dental Public Health & Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	63	75.0%
Men	21	25.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Dental Public Health & Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	31	36.9%
Asian	7	8.3%
Hispanic or Latino	7	8.3%
Black or African American	10	11.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	8.3%
Two or More Races	1	1.2%
Race Unknown	6	7.1%
International Students	15	17.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Dental Public Health & Education Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Dental Public Health & Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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.}

Online Dental Public Health & Education Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Dental Public Health & Education. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Dental Public Health & Education Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Dental Public Health & Education 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
Public Health, General	25,004
Public Health Education and Promotion	3,785
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences	1,981
Behavioral Aspects of Health	623
Dental Clinical Sciences, General	426
Orthodontics/Orthodontology	323
Advanced General Dentistry	238
Oral Biology and Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology	187
Maternal and Child Health	180
Endodontics/Endodontology	157
Pediatric Dentistry/Pedodontics	154
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences, Other	150

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.