Overview

The Dental Match is a service to help applicants obtain first-year positions in postdoctoral dental education programs of their choice, and to help programs obtain applicants of their choice. The Dental Match has been endorsed by the ADA and ADEA as well as overseen by a group of eight Sponsoring Organizations representing students and the participating specialty types.

Key Dates

①  Register

To participate in the Dental Match, you must register through the NMS Match System and agree to the Applicant Agreement and Match Rules, and the Schedule of Dates. There is a registration fee of $100 USD to participate in the Match which covers both Phase I and Phase II of the the Match. You must be registered in order to receive interview invitations from programs using NMS Interview, submit a Rank Order List, and be ranked by residencies.

It is recommended that you register for the by October 1, 2026. The final deadline to register for Phase I & Phase II is the Rank Order List Deadline for each Phase of the Match.

②   Manage Your Account

Once registered, you are assigned a 5-digit Match Code Number that uniquely identifies you in the Dental Match. You should provide this Match Code Number to each program where you apply (it is not the same as your DENTPIN or your ADEA PASS ID), and in all communications related to the Dental Match.

You can log into the NMS Match System to manage your Account, Profile, and Participation Status for the Dental Match, including your email address, phone numbers, DENTPIN and dental school information.

If you no longer intend to participate in the 2027 Dental Match, you must withdraw and not submit a Rank Order List.

③   Application Process

You must submit your applications to programs independently of the Dental Match. The Dental Match does not collect application information and is not involved in the submission of applications to programs.

Each program sets its own eligibility requirements, procedures for applications, application deadline dates, and methods of evaluation, so you should check with each program directly regarding its requirements and procedures. Most (but not all) programs use the ADEA PASS Application Service to collect applications. ADEA PASS is a separate and distinct service from the Dental Match run by a different organization. ADEA PASS sends your application to programs before the interview and evaluation process; the Match determines your final placement after evaluations are completed. If you are applying to programs that use the ADEA PASS application service, you should enter your Match Code Number into your ADEA PASS application.

A list of programs participating in the Dental Match will be posted on the Dental Match website by August 1, 2026. While most residency programs participate in the Dental Match, some do not, and some may change their Match participation status prior to the Rank Order List deadline. The list of participating programs is updated regularly; consult the website for current information on program participation in the Dental Match.

④   Interview Process

Each program sets its own policies and procedures for scheduling and conducting interviews, so you should check with each program directly regarding its procedures. Some programs use NMS Interview, which is a module within the NMS Match System, to schedule interviews; some programs choose to schedule their interviews in other ways and do not use NMS Interview.

All interviews must be completed prior to the Rank Order List deadline. You are reminded that, according to the Applicant Agreement and the Match Rules, you may not make any commitments to, or require any commitments from, any participating residency prior to the release of the Match results.

⑤   Ranking Process

Once interviews and evaluations are complete, each applicant and each program submits a Rank Order List of their preferred choices into the NMS Match System by the appropriate Rank Order List deadline. If you intend to rank ORTHO, PERIO, PROS, ANES, AEGD, US GPR, or Canadian GPR programs, you must submit your Rank Order List by the Phase I Rank Order List deadline. If you intend to rank only OMS or PED programs, you should wait until the NMS Match System opens for Phase II rankings and submit your Rank Order List by the Phase II Rank Order List deadline. The Rankings User Guide has step-by-step instructions for submitting your Rank Order List.

The optimal ranking strategy is to list all programs you applied to that you would be willing to accept, ranked in your true order of preference. You should not factor in how a program might rank you when ordering your list.

If you enter and certify a Rank Order List of programs and do not withdraw prior to the Rank Order List deadline, your rankings will be used in the Match. If you are matched, you must accept the position with which you are matched as outlined in the Applicant Agreement and Match Rules.

If you are matched in Phase I, you will not be permitted to submit a Rank Order List for Phase II. If you submit a Rank Order List for Phase I and are not matched to a position, you will be permitted to submit another Rank Order List for Phase II programs by the Phase II Rank Order List deadline.

⑥   Match Results

NMS uses an established and proven matching algorithm to process the Rank Order Lists submitted by applicants and programs. You will be matched to the most preferred program on your Rank Order List that ranks you and does not fill all its positions with applicants it prefers to you. Similarly, each program will be matched with their most preferred applicant(s) that do not match to programs the applicants prefer.

The result you obtain in the Match (whether you successfully matched to a position and, if so, to which program you matched) is provided to you online and by email on the Match Results Day for each Phase of the Match. The Match result constitutes a binding commitment between you and the program to which you matched. If you refuse to accept the Match result, penalties may be imposed on you by the Sponsoring Organizations, as outlined in the Applicant Agreement and Match Rules. Programs with unfilled positions and applicants who do not match may participate in the Post-Match Process to fill available positions.