Dental Match: An overview and trends in postdoctoral Dental Match process in the United States

Thousands of dental students and prospective applicants participate in dental MATCH each year. This paper aimed to briefly overview the MATCH process and analyze trends in applicants, program and summary statistics from 2012 to 2023 for specialty programs. The aggregated MATCH data from 2012 to 2023 for all residencies were obtained from the Dental MATCH website and by contacting the Dental MATCH organization. The variables used in this study included applicants matched, number of positions offered, number of programs filled and unfilled, same-year graduates and previous-year graduates matched, US and non-US graduates that matched into a program for each year of analysis. The data was analyzed statistically using the Chi-squared test for proportions to estimate if the proportions deviated from expectations across the years using R 4.2.2. The results showed that Orthodontic programs had a distinct dip in ratio of applicants to total positions offered between 2017 and 2020 followed by a rise after 2020. The Orthodontic residency programs had a lower number of unfilled positions relative to total positions offered for 2015–2016 and a higher number of unfilled positions in 2018 and 2023 (p < 0.05). Dental Anesthesiology had a higher number of unfilled positions in 2015 and Pediatric Dentistry programs had a lower number of unfilled positions in 2015 and higher in 2023 while Periodontics had a higher number of unfilled positions in 2018. The Periodontics residency programs had higher non-US graduates matched in 2018 and lower in 2021 (p < 0.05). Orthodontic programs had higher number of same year graduates matched to total graduates among all other residencies. An overview of the dental MATCH process was detailed in the paper. Additionally, important trends observed in the applicant and program statistics outlines the dynamic and changing landscape of advanced dental education.