Becoming an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is the longest minimum training path among the dental specialties whose CODA standards this site sources: first the schooling that ends in a dental license — at most programs a bachelor's degree with science prerequisites, then dental school for a DDS or DMD — then a surgical residency of at least four years (CODA's minimum; typically four to six per BLS, some with an option to pursue a medical degree), and optionally ABOMS board certification.
In 2025-26 accredited OMS programs averaged 53.1 months.
The short answer
You become a dentist first, then complete an oral and maxillofacial surgery residency of at least four years — the longest CODA minimum among the dental-specialty standards sourced here — and can pursue ABOMS board certification.
BLS says OMS programs typically take four to six years and may lead to a joint MD; per the CODA/ADA HPI survey, 51 institutions offered accredited OMS programs with an option to pursue an MD in 2025-26.
For how competitive admission is, see how competitive OMS residency is.
For how specialty training works in general — CODA accreditation and board certification — see dental residency & board certification.
The step-by-step path
The route runs longer than the other specialty minimums this site sources:
Earn a bachelor's degree with prerequisites
Most dental programs require applicants to have at least a bachelor's degree and certain science courses (BLS).Complete dental school (DDS or DMD)
Dental school earns a DDS or DMD; licensure usually requires the degree plus written and clinical exams, with requirements varying by state (BLS).Get into an OMS residency (at least four years)
Getting in is its own hurdle — see how competitive OMS residency is. Programs run at least four years — the longest CODA minimum among the dental-specialty standards sourced here — and 51 institutions offered programs with an option to pursue an MD in 2025-26. See the CODA-set four-year minimum and 120-week clinical requirement for exactly what the accrediting standard requires.Complete surgical and hospital training
The residency trains the specialty's full scope — the diagnosis and surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries and defects of the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region, which is the National Commission's definition of the specialty. CODA requires dental implant training covering preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative management of the implant patient, at least 32 weeks on anesthesia and medical services — including at least 20 functioning as an anesthesia resident — and graduating residents trained to competence in general anesthesia and deep sedation for patients 8 and older.Earn ABOMS board certification
After residency, surgeons can certify through the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery — voluntary, and not a license, but it is the certifying board the National Commission recognizes for this specialty. See how ABOMS certification works.
What schooling does an oral and maxillofacial surgeon need?
Before any surgical training, an oral surgeon completes the same schooling that ends in a dental license.
Most dental programs require applicants to have at least a bachelor's degree and certain science courses, dental school applicants usually take an entrance exam that schools weigh alongside GPA, interviews and recommendations, and the program itself awards the DDS or DMD — all per the BLS.
Our dental school guide covers the program itself — length, cost, and admission — in detail.
The education requirements, in order:
- A bachelor's degree with science prerequisites — most dental programs require applicants to have at least a bachelor's degree and certain science courses (BLS).
- An entrance exam — dental school applicants usually take one, and schools weigh it with GPA, interviews, and recommendations (BLS).
- A DDS or DMD from an accredited program — the degree specialty training builds on; DDS vs. DMD explains the two names.
- A state dental license — licensure usually requires the degree plus written and clinical exams, with requirements varying by state (BLS).
The schooling stage carries real cost: average education debt was $297,800 for 2025 dental graduates who had debt and responded to ADEA's senior survey — debt carried at graduation, before any residency.
For the surgical stage that comes next, see what the OMS residency requires.
How long does it take to become an oral surgeon?
The OMS-specific stretch — the residency — runs at least four years of full-time study: CODA's accreditation minimum, and the longest CODA minimum among the specialty standards sourced on this site.
BLS describes OMS programs as typically taking 4 to 6 years, and per the CODA/ADA HPI survey accredited programs averaged 53.1 months in 2025-26.
The three numbers measure different things — a regulated floor, a typical range, and an actual average — so read them side by side:
| What's measured | Time | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Accreditation floor | At least 4 years of full-time study, with a minimum 120 weeks of clinical OMS inside it | CODA's accreditation standards — the regulated minimum |
| What's typical | 4 to 6 years, possibly including a joint medical degree | BLS, describing OMS programs |
| Actual average | 53.1 months | CODA/ADA HPI survey of advanced dental education, 2025-26 |
There's no single published total for the whole path: CODA sets floors, BLS describes what's typical, and the HPI survey measures averages — our sources publish no one number for bachelor's degree through board certification.
The base under the residency is the dentist clock itself — our how long it takes to become a dentist guide runs it stage by stage.
And the 4-to-6 range hides one decision of its own: whether to train in a program with an option to pursue a medical degree, which is the 4-year vs. 6-year (MD) decision.
What it takes — and what it pays
The trade for that long path is the top of BLS's May 2025 pay table for the dental specialties it tracks separately: OMS post a median of $352,220 a year (SOC 29-1022), with the 90th percentile at $622,640.
BLS's OEWS wage estimates leave out the self-employed and owners and partners in unincorporated firms.
For the full role, see what an oral surgeon does.
This article is general career information; pay figures are national BLS medians and vary by source, ownership, and location.