The Ph.D. degree is intended to prepare candidates for a career as a principal research investigator. Candidates will undertake approved customized programs, requiring a minimum of one year of full-time attendance. Requirements include completion of the Doctoral Seminars in Oral Health Sciences course plus additional courses, and submission of a thesis, which constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the field. Specialty dental education may be combined with a Ph.D. for those seeking a research/academic career as a clinician-scientist.

Candidates will be accepted under the general regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Candidates must either be graduates of a program equivalent to the DDS program of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Toronto or have completed an appropriate four-year Bachelor's degree, with an A standing from a recognized university in a discipline appropriate to the intended field of doctoral study. The Ph.D. program is normally targeted for completion in four years. The selection of applicants is subject to availability of supervision, funding and facilities, and to the applicant's suitability for the program.