Next Generation of Allied Dental Practitioners: An Analysis of the ADEA 2024 Survey of Graduating Allied Dental Students

This study presents foundational data on US graduating allied dental students. The inaugural ADEA study found that allied dental students felt well-prepared to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation. The lack of educational debt upon graduation among the majority of the students, coupled with moderate levels for those who did have education debt, indicates a financially accessible pathway into allied dental careers. Working in a private practice was the overwhelmingly preferred career path among those intending to work immediately after graduation.