Pediatric Dentistry

24-month Advanced Education Program (Gainesville or Naples)

This 24-month Advanced Education Program is designed to prepare dentists for the diverse specialty practice of pediatric dentistry and to qualify them for certification by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Didactic instruction and clinical training develop skills necessary to comprehensively care for the dental needs of both the normal child and the physically, mentally, and emotionally handicapped child. This program is highly competitive, receiving many applicants each year.

This program will provide a Certificate of Completion in Advanced Dental Education in Pediatric Dentistry.

To be eligible for admission, applicants must graduate from an American Dental Association (ADA) or Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC) accredited Dental School. In addition, applicants must be a United States citizen or a Permanent US Resident.

A stipend is available. No tuition is required.

For additional program information, please visit the links below:

• Program Description (Gainesville)
• Program Description (Naples)
• Department Website
• Tuition, Fees & Stipends
• Financial Aid Information – Students in the program are not eligible for federal financial aid; the university does not certify private educational loans, and students are responsible for securing their own funding.
• Matriculant Requirements

Contact Information

Dr. Pamela Sandow
University of Florida College of Dentistry/Pediatric Dentistry
P.O. Box 100402
Gainesville, FL 32610-0402
Phone: 352-273-5956
Email: GradAdmissions@dental.ufl.edu

Application Process

The deadline to apply to this program is Monday, September 15, 2025.

We strongly encourage all applicants to have complete applications on file with PASS and UFCD prior to the deadline.

PASS Application Status Updates

All program applicants must apply through PASS (Postdoctoral Application Support Service), sponsored by the American Dental Education Association (www.adea.org). ADEA PASS is the centralized application service for applicants for advanced dental education programs.

• Please be aware that it may take up to four weeks to process a PASS application.
  • Within two weeks of submitting your PASS application, you will receive a confirmation via email.
  • Within four weeks of submitting your PASS application, you will receive an email with your current application status and/or any remaining actions that you may need to take.
• Applications that have met all requirements, including uploaded documents, will be forwarded to the program director for review.
• Incomplete applications or those that do not meet all requirements will not be eligible for review.
• Please email our office at GradAdmissions@dental.ufl.edu with questions. No materials from applicants should be mailed to our office.

Checklist for Candidates Applying to the Pediatric Dentistry Program

Application Requirements (Deadline – September 15, 2025)

  1. Apply to ADEA PASS (All Applicants)
  2. Upload Documents to PASS Application (All Applicants)
  3. Submit the following materials to UF College of Dentistry (All Applicants)
  4. Register for the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program (All Applicants)

Matriculation Requirements (Upon Request Only)

  1. Interview (Upon Invitation Only)
  2. Provide Official Documents (Upon Request for Accepted Candidates)

Instructions for Checklist Items

Application Requirements (Deadline – September 15, 2025)

1. Apply to ADEA PASS (All Applicants)

Applying through ADEA PASS (opens in May) is mandatory for this program. We advise applicants to apply as early as possible. Only one application per cycle is permitted.

For an application and instructions, please contact:

ADEA PASS
Email: passinfo@passweb.org
Phone: (617) 612-2065

2. Upload Documents to PASS Application (All Applicants)

All application documents that are listed below should be uploaded with the PASS application.

• National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Parts I and II or Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) score report
  • An official NBDE or INBDE score report submitted to ADEA PASS from the JCNDE is preferred.  If necessary, an unofficial NBDE or INBDE score report uploaded to PASS is sufficient at time of application. An official NBDE or INBDE score report sent directly to the University of Florida College of Dentistry is required after acceptance into the program.
• CV/Resume
• Personal statement
• Three Professional Evaluation Forms (PEF)
  Please note: an Institution Evaluation Form (IEF) does not equal a PEF

3. Register for the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program (All Applicants)

All program applicants must register with the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program.

National Matching Services
20 Holly Street, Suite 301
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M4S 3B1
416-977-3431
Email: dentres@natmatch.com

Matriculation Requirements (Upon Request Only)

1. Interview (Upon Invitation Only)

• Selected candidates are required to participate in an interview for the Pediatric Dentistry Program* at the University of Florida College of Dentistry.
• Interviews for the Pediatric Dentistry (Gainesville, FL) Program will be held in November and December.
• Interviews for the Pediatric Dentistry (Naples, FL) Program will be held in November and December.

*Applying to Both Pediatric Dentistry Programs

Applicants who apply to Pediatric Dentistry programs in both Gainesville and Naples will be eligible for one interview invitation only. Invitations for interviews are offered at the discretion of the program director. Applicants applying to both programs will not be able to select the location at which they are interviewed.

2. Provide Official Documents (Upon Request for Accepted Candidates)

For matriculation, the following documents must be on file with the University of Florida College of Dentistry:

• Official electronic NBDE or INBDE score reports
  • Scores must be reported directly to UFCD. Request your scores from: 
    Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations