Updated October 2026
TL;DR
This list covers dental internships for high school students in dental school research labs, NIH research groups, dental offices, a vocational dental-assisting program, and a virtual startup internship. Depending on the program, students may run lab experiments, shadow dentists, practice dental-assisting or simulation skills, and present their findings. Formats range from a one-week observation to a two-year shared-time program. Ladder Internships offers an 8-week virtual startup internship, with a Health Tech & Mental Health field for students drawn to dentistry.
If you've ever wondered what it takes to keep a smile healthy, dentistry is worth a closer look. A dental internship in high school lets you see this work up close, whether that means shadowing in a clinic, helping with research, or learning how oral health ties into overall health. It's also a smart way to test your interest before committing to the long road to dental school.
If you're curious about healthcare beyond dentistry, check out these medical internships for high school students! Health science internships are another great way to explore the field, and if you want to make the most of your break, these summer health internships are worth a look too!
Why should you do a dental internship?
A dental internship shows you parts of dentistry that a biology class rarely covers, such as patient care, infection control, and oral-health research. Seeing that work up close helps you judge whether a long pre-dental path suits you. If you want to explore health innovation remotely, Ladder Internships offers an 8-week virtual startup program with a Health Tech & Mental Health option.
What skills can you pick up in dental internships?
Dental settings reward fine motor control, attention to detail, and consistent infection-control and safety habits. You also practice communicating clearly with patients, mentors, and teammates, which matters in any patient-facing health career. Research-focused experiences build data collection, analysis, and presentation skills that stay useful whether you pursue clinical dentistry or oral-health science.
How do you choose the right option?
Make sure to keep your own situation in mind before applying. Think about your grade level, where you live, your academic background, your schedule, and your budget. It’s also super important to read through the specific requirements for things like GPA, coursework, and even residency or citizenship, since every program is a little different.
Not sure where to start? This blog post breaks down how to choose the internship that fits you best.
|
Program type |
Top programs |
Cost / Stipend |
Best For |
|
Virtual Programs |
Cost: Varies depending on the program type; full and partial need-based financial aid available |
Students who want to explore dentistry through health tech and project-based startup work instead of direct clinical practice |
|
|
Dental School Research Programs |
Stanford STaRS Internship Program; OHSU School of Dentistry Research Internship Program; University of Maryland School of Dentistry D-REX; UMMC School of Dentistry UPSTART Summer Research Program |
Cost |
Students curious about oral-health science, dental materials, or regenerative medicine who want mentored lab research |
|
Biomedical and Health Research Internships |
NIH High School Summer Internship Program (HS-SIP); UConn High School Student Research Apprentice Program |
Cost |
Students who want research experience in the wider health sciences while keeping dentistry among their options |
|
Clinical Shadowing and Observation |
Virginia Center for Orthodontics Summer Internship; Anchor Future Dentist Program |
Cost |
Students who want a short, real-world look at daily work in orthodontic or general dental offices |
|
Hands-On Dental Skills and Pre-Dental Training |
MCVSD High School Dental Assistant Program; Texas A&M Summer Pre-Dental Enrichment Program (SPEP); Harvard MEDscience@HMS Dental |
Cost |
Students who want to practice dental procedures, assisting skills, or simulated patient care while preparing for a pre-dental path |
1. Stanford STaRS Internship Program
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, California
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 20 interns invited per summer
Dates: June 15 – August 7
Application Deadline: November 30
Eligibility: High school or community college students; at least 16 years old on the program start date; applicants from anywhere in the US and its territories
You conduct full-time biomedical research in Stanford’s Jill Helms Laboratory, gaining hands-on experience with histology, immunohistochemistry, imaging, genotyping, laboratory experimentation, and analysis before presenting your findings. You apply research skills directly to NIDCR-funded projects in dental regenerative medicine. Mentorship, workshops, and scientific communication activities help you develop laboratory, research, and presentation skills relevant to dentistry and biomedical science.
Who is it best for: High school students interested in exploring dentistry, dental regenerative medicine, biomedical research, and hands-on laboratory science.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Virtual; worldwide
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies depending on the program type; full and partial need-based financial aid available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~10%; 70 spots
Dates: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter cohorts offered; Winter starts December 7; standard internship duration is 8 weeks
Application Deadline: Winter: November 15; Spring, Summer, and Fall use separate cohort-specific deadlines
Eligibility: High school students; 5–10 hours/week for 8 weeks
You work on a real-world startup project, develop deliverables with guidance from a company manager or coach, and present your completed work to the company. Students interested in dentistry can select the Health Tech & Mental Health track. This program helps you develop project, communication, and professional skills in a healthcare-startup setting.
Who is it best for: High school students who want to explore dentistry through healthcare innovation, health tech, and project-based startup experience rather than direct clinical practice.
3. High School Summer Internship Program (HS-SIP) by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Location: Multiple NIH laboratories located across the U.S.
Stipend: Before graduation: $2,530 per month; After graduation: $2,840 per month
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; approximately 1,000 interns total across all NIH summer programs
Dates: 8 weeks starting mid-to-late May or June and ending in early August
Application Deadline: January 26
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents; graduating seniors who are 17 years of age or older on June 1 and turn 18 by September 30 and have a permanent home address within 40 miles of an NIH campus; must be currently enrolled at least half-time as a senior in high school
You will work in research groups under a Principal Investigator's (PI) supervision on a basic, translational, or clinical research project. You will also receive access to professional development programs, educational and career advising, and presentations at the final Summer Poster Day.
Who is it best for: Students interested in biomedical, behavioral, or health-related research who want hands-on experience working alongside NIH scientists in a professional research environment.
4. Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Dentistry – Research Internship Program
Location: Portland, Oregon, USA (OHSU School of Dentistry research labs)
Stipend: $15 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not stated
Dates: Six weeks between June 22 – August 14 for high school students
Application Deadline: Not specified; application open in November
Eligibility: At least 16 years old; currently enrolled in high school
At OHSU’s School of Dentistry, you’ll spend six weeks working on a dental or oral-health research project with an experienced researcher as your mentor. You’ll give a group presentation on a scientific article and an individual presentation about what you learned; the internship is paid, and its research areas range from the oral microbiome to dental materials and tissue engineering.
Who is it best for: Students who want paid, mentored lab experience in areas such as the oral microbiome, dental biomaterials, tissue engineering, or dental public health.
5. University of Connecticut’s High School Student Research Apprentice Program
Location: Farmington or New Britain, Connecticut
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~14 high school students
Dates: June 15 – July 17
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Completed 11th grade with a B average or better; age 16 by program start; first-generation college, low-income, and educationally under-resourced students; Connecticut residents attending a Connecticut high school with a year-round guidance counselor (school requirement waived for Connecticut graduates or students 18 at start)
You spend five weeks working on a research project in a basic science or clinical laboratory at UConn Health or Central Connecticut State University, then present your findings at a closing research symposium. Past high school cohorts have conducted projects in the laboratories of UConn School of Dental Medicine and UConn School of Medicine researchers. This hands-on lab work can help you develop laboratory techniques and scientific communication skills while giving you a closer look at research related to dental medicine and the broader health sciences.
Who is it best for: Students who want hands-on laboratory research experience and are exploring future careers in dental medicine, medicine, or biomedical research.
6. Virginia Center for Orthodontics (VCO) – Summer Internship
Location: Arlington, Virginia
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 3 students
Dates: One week, with the intern attending 4 days during that week; hours are flexible within VCO’s normal business hours
Application Deadline: Rolling / until positions are filled
Eligibility: All high school students interested in healthcare; must follow patient-safety and office protocols and maintain a high level of professionalism
You observe an orthodontic practice and learn about braces materials, panoramic X-rays, bite conditions, and sterilization guidelines. You also complete a thesis project on quality improvement, small-business management, or patient experience, giving you a way to explore both clinical dentistry and how a practice operates.
Who is it best for: High school students who want to explore orthodontics through clinical observation and a short, practice-focused project.
7. Monmouth County Vocational School District (MCVSD) – High School Dental Assistant Program
Location: Hazlet, New Jersey
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not stated
Dates: Two-year shared-time program; five-week dental-office internship each spring
Application Deadline: March 19
Eligibility: Grades 10–11; C GPA; fewer than 15 absences/year
You study dental and general anatomy, terminology, microbiology, infection control, patient management, and dental-office procedures while practicing chair-side assisting, charting, instrument preparation, sterilization, CPR, and working with dental materials. Each spring, you participate in a five-week internship at a dental office. The shared-time format lets you build practical dental-assisting and workplace skills while continuing regular coursework at your home high school.
Who is it best for: Students interested in exploring dentistry through hands-on dental-assisting training and real-world experience in a dental-office setting.
8. Anchor – Future Dentist Program
Location: Commerce Township, Michigan
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not stated
Dates: One week in summer, typically, June–August
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students in grades 11–12
For one week in the summer, you shadow a practicing dentist in a clinical setting, seeing how dental care is delivered day-to-day and how HIPAA-protected patient confidentiality builds trust. After the shadowing days, you move into a hands-on session where you take an impression of a typodont and pour up a model in stone. With mentoring on applying to dental school included, the program can help you test your interest in dentistry and build early familiarity with clinical practice and basic dental lab techniques.
Who is it best for: High school students seriously considering dentistry who want to observe a dentist at work and try simple hands-on dental lab procedures before committing to a pre-dental path.
If you live outside Michigan or don’t want to commute every day, consider Ladder Internships, which pair you with startups to work on real projects in a fully virtual format.
9. Texas A&M University – Summer Pre-Dental Enrichment Program (SPEP)
Location: Dallas, Texas
Stipend: Paid, to help cover the cost of food, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 70+ students
Dates: Grades 10–11: July 13–17; Grade 12: June 1–26; Collegiate I (graduating seniors): June 7 – July 8
Application Deadline: Grades 10–11: May 8; Grade 12: February 27; Collegiate I: February 26, 2027
Eligibility: Rising 10th–11th graders (SPEP 10–11), rising 12th graders (SPEP 12), or college-admitted graduating seniors (Collegiate I); Dallas-area school; U.S. citizens or permanent residents, with a Social Security number for Collegiate I; minimum 2.75 GPA; history of overcoming adverse circumstances, or disadvantaged/dentally underserved background for Collegiate I; first two Hepatitis B doses for SPEP 12
You explore dentistry through preclinical lectures and hands-on laboratory exercises with dental materials, investigate a dental topic and present your findings, and take part in a cultural competency seminar at Texas A&M College of Dentistry. Depending on your grade, you can join the one-week SPEP 10–11, the four-week SPEP 12 with SAT preparation, or the five-week Collegiate I, which adds two Dallas College courses, a pre-DAT course, and observation of dental students. These experiences can help you build foundational dental knowledge, research and presentation skills, and study strategies for college and, eventually, dental school.
Who is it best for: High school students who want an early, hands-on introduction to dentistry and structured preparation for college and dental school, particularly those who hope to serve communities with limited access to dental care.
10. Harvard University – MEDscience@HMS Dental
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: $2,800; limited partial-to-full scholarships for eligible Greater Boston students / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; ~13 students
Dates: August 3–7
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Grades 9–12 at application; rising 10th–12th graders or graduating seniors for Summer; MEDscienceClinical, MEDscienceLAB, or MEDscienceLAB Forensics alumni ineligible
You work through oral-health and dental-disease cases in HMS MEDscience’s high-tech simulation lab, evaluating, diagnosing, and treating lifelike interactive patients while practicing tooth carving, impressions, digital oral scanning, cavity fillings, suturing, and IV placement. You also learn from dentists, physicians, Harvard School of Dental Medicine students, faculty, and residents, helping you develop clinical reasoning, practical hand skills, teamwork, and an understanding of dental careers and oral health’s connection to medicine.
Who is it best for: Students who want hands-on exposure to dentistry, clinical procedures, simulated patient care, and dental career pathways.
11. University of Maryland School of Dentistry – Dental Research Experience (D-REX)
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Stipend: Up to $5,400
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 5 students
Dates: Section I, June 1 – July 31; Section II, June 15 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors at the time of application; enrolled in a Maryland public high school; minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA, with a STEM GPA of 3.5 or higher preferred;
You spend up to nine weeks full-time working one-on-one with a University of Maryland School of Dentistry faculty mentor on a hypothesis-driven research project in oral, dental, and craniofacial health, in areas such as biomaterials and tissue engineering, pain, microbial pathogenesis, cancer, and epidemiology. About 80% of your time goes to your research project, and the remaining 20% goes to research education and development activities such as science lectures, career seminars, and skills workshops. This can help you develop laboratory research skills and gain a clearer view of careers in dentistry and oral health research.
Who is it best for: Students who want to explore dentistry through hands-on laboratory research and are considering careers in oral health care or dental and craniofacial science.
12. University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry – UPSTART Summer Research Program
Location: Jackson, Mississippi
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not stated
Dates: Summer; flexible schedules depending on the research project
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: High school students in good academic standing
You work with a School of Dentistry faculty mentor on dental or basic-health-science research, with 2026 projects spanning dental biomaterials, oral-cancer drug delivery, implant surfaces, facial esthetics, and other oral-health topics. The program combines hands-on research with weekly research-methodology seminars and culminates in an UPSTART Symposium where you present your findings. The experience can help you develop research, laboratory, and scientific-communication skills while exploring academic dentistry.
Who is it best for: High school students interested in exploring dentistry through faculty-mentored scientific research and hands-on investigation.
Can a dental internship help with your college applications?
A dental internship can give you specific experiences to reflect on, whether you investigated oral-health questions in a lab, observed patient care, or practiced dental procedures in a simulation. You might describe how analyzing research findings changed your understanding of dental disease or how shadowing clarified the responsibilities of a dental team. Such details can show informed interest and thoughtful reflection without implying an admissions advantage.
How do you apply for a dental internship?
Start with each program's official page for eligibility, deadlines, and required materials, because processes differ between research labs, dental offices, and school-based programs. Anything a program lists, such as a recommendation letter or transcript, is mandatory, while steps like asking a teacher to review your essay are optional but helpful. Applying early also leaves time to fix missing documents.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Will my research be about teeth, or could it involve broader health science?
Both are possible, depending on the program. The dental school labs keep projects close to oral health, with topics such as the oral microbiome, dental biomaterials, implant surfaces, oral-cancer drug delivery, and dental regenerative medicine. The wider health research programs place you in basic, translational, or clinical research groups, and past projects have run in both dental and general medical labs.
2. Would I perform dental procedures or mainly observe them?
Both kinds of experience appear on this list. Some office-based opportunities focus on shadowing, while others let students practice impressions, assist with tasks, or do simulated patient care rather than treat patients independently.
3. How competitive are these dental programs?
Most of them are selective, and many keep their cohorts very small. Several research and clinical options take between 3 and 20 students, while larger programs admit 70 or more, and the national research program brings in about 1,000 interns across all its summer tracks. Several others say they are selective without giving a cohort size.
4. Will I get paid, or do any of these dental programs charge a fee?
Most of the programs here are free, and several of the research placements pay you. Pay comes as an hourly wage, a monthly stipend, or up to $5,400 total, depending on the program; one simulation-lab week charges $2,800 and offers limited scholarships for local students. If program costs are a concern, Ladder Internships offers remote startup internships with financial aid available.