The Life of a Dental Student: Educational and Social Changes from 1880 to 2020

If one could attend the same College of Dentistry repeatedly, every twenty years, starting in 1880, the evolution and comparison of student life would be historically meaningful. Such a time travel, as a perpetual dental student through 140 years, is the purpose of this paper. To illustrate this unique perspective, New York College of Dentistry, was chosen. This large East-Coast private school has been in existence since 1865, and reflects the typical dental educational environment at that time. The changes that occurred over 140 years, however, may or may not be typical of most private dental schools in the United States due to a multiplicity of factors. Likewise, the life of a dental student has changed over the past 140 years, as dental education, oral care, and dental practice have significantly evolved.