Canada is home to some of the top-rated universities in the world and sits atop several prestigious global rankings for numerous subjects. The country offers a lot for international students, from a reasonable cost of living to excellent post-study work opportunities. It’s little wonder that Canada has proven to be a popular destination for students looking to study dentistry. We’re here to guide you through the top-rated universities in the country for dentistry.
To put together our list of the best Canadian universities for dentistry, we have used the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2024 (THE) and the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 (QS).
University of Toronto
Any list of top Canadian universities would not be complete without the university of Toronto. The university holds the distinction of being rated as the top institution for dentistry by THE and ninth in the world for the specialisation. QS ranks the institution in the world’s top 100 for dentistry.
The university is home to just under 100,000 students spread across three campuses in Toronto. The student body also hosts almost 25,000 international students. If you choose to study at the university, you will call The Faculty of Dentistry home, becoming part of its 145-year history. The faculty is world-renowned for its research and clinical practice. Some of the programmes you could study include:
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MSc or PhD in clinical dentistry
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Dental public health
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Dental anaesthesia
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Endodontics
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Orthodontics
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Periodontics
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Maxillofacial surgery
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MSc or PhD in dental research
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Dental biomedical sciences speciality
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Find out just what it is that makes Canada so unique as a study destination.
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is located in one of the top cities for students in Canada, Vancouver. The city is ranked in the top 20 best student cities by QS 2025. UBC is considered the number three institution for dental studies in the country and 34th globally by THE. QS also rates the institution in the world’s 100 best for dentistry.
UBC is no stranger to accolades, having produced eight Nobel laureates and rated as one of the top universities for sustainability (4th globally) by QS. You’ll also find yourself amongst many international students, with just over 27 per cent of students at the Vancouver campus coming from overseas. Almost 21 per cent of students at the Okanagan campus come from an international background.
The Faculty of Dentistry at UBC has a 50-year track record of teaching in the field. The faculty does not only focus on academic teaching and research, it also provides dental services to patients in the community. You can study in various areas of dental specialisation at the graduate and postgraduate levels. Some of the specialisations you can pursue include:
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Periodontics
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Paediatric dentistry
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Prosthodontics
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Endodontics
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Craniofacial science
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Oral pathology
Discover why Canada is such a popular study destination for international students.
McGill University
Montreal is cosmopolitan, diverse, and the heart of French-speaking Canada. It is also home to one of Canada’s top five universities for dentistry, namely McGill University. Over 30 per cent of the students studying at McGill are international, and the university hosts over 10,000 graduate students.
McGill is rated as the number two university in Canada for dentistry and 26th in the world by THE. QS places McGill in the top five institutions for dentistry and a top 100 overall worlwide. The Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences was established in 1904 and has a stated commitment to high standards of research and innovation. Programmes on offer at McGill include:
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Doctor of dental medicine
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PhD in oral health sciences
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Master of dental science
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Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Read more about where studying dentistry abroad can take you.
University of Alberta
Another top-rated university in Canada is the University of Alberta (U of A). The university sits comfortably within the world’s top 100 for dentistry according to QS. THE shares a similar opinion ranking the university at 73rd in the world and 5th in Canada.
The university is situated in Edmonton, in the central region of Canada, and is home to over 40,000 students from 156 countries. U of A has a comprehensive range of courses and degrees, almost 700 in total between undergraduate and postgraduate.
The U of A School of Dentistry celebrated its centenary in 2017, the same year that the university launched a new MSc degree in periodontics. The school has several dedicated research units, including for applied oral health and biomedical and maxillofacial research. Programmes available to study at U of A include:
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Dentistry
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MSc
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Doctor of Dental Surgery
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Dental hygiene
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BSc
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MSc
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Oral biology
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Oral medicine
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Orthodontics
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Periodontics
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Remember to always check with your prospective university about entry requirements and English language requirements for your desired course.
Now that you are familiar with the top universities for dentistry in Canada, it might be time to explore more about the country. You can read more about the most popular degrees for international students in Canada, the top five graduate jobs in the country, and famous alumni of Canadian universities.
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