In 2000-01, the UConn School of Dental Medicine was ranked the top dental school in the nation.

According to American Dental Association (ADA) test results, the School ranked first in the United States after UConn students posted the highest average scores on the National Board Dental Examinations. The ADA administers the exams in the final year of dental education, and the scores are used to evaluate the qualifications of those seeking to practice dentistry.

"This is outstanding," says Dr. Peter J. Robinson, dean of the School of Dental Medicine. "With the test scores and our students' success in the residency placement match, there's no doubt they are the top graduating dental school class this year."

UConn's Dental School has long been regarded as one of the country's best. For more than a decade, the scores of UConn students have regularly placed them in the top ten nationally. More recently, student test takers have consistently ranked among the top five. This is the first time in school history that students occupy the number one spot among test takers nationally. The designation indicates that UConn dental students are among the best prepared as they begin careers in dentistry. UConn also has a high placement rating in advanced dentistry programs. Nationally, 34 percent of dental students enter such programs upon graduation. This year, an incredible 92 percent of UConn dental students went on to study a dental specialty or entered an advanced general dentistry program.

The Dental School's academic standing and reputation are attracting top students from around the country to study in UConn's advanced dentistry programs. The oral surgery program, for instance, includes graduates from some of the most highly regarded programs in the nation. Other dental specialties (including orthodontics, periodontics, endodontics, prosthetics, pediatric dentistry and advanced general dentistry) each received their top choice of incoming residents.

Being the nation's top ranked dental school means that the University is providing Connecticut with some of the best practicing dentists and dental specialists available anywhere. "We provide Connecticut with extraordinarily skilled, state-of-the-art practitioners," says Robinson. "Since more than 50 percent of our graduates stay in Connecticut, state residents have access to some of the finest talent in dental medicine available today."