Study Dentistry in Turkey Through YKS: Program, Ranking, Languages and DUS

Dentistry is one of the health programs that Arab families ask about most often. If you went to a Turkish high school, the way to study dentistry in Turkey goes through YKS. The program lasts five years and uses the SAY score type, and its minimum ranking is second only to medicine. Several state universities also teach dentistry in English. This guide explains who can apply, the ranking, the languages, the fees and what happens after graduation.

Who can study dentistry in Turkey through YKS?

Turkish citizens take YKS, and so do naturalised citizens. Since 2026, foreign nationals, Mavi Kart holders and KKTC citizens who enrolled in or graduated from a Turkish high school can also enter university only through YKS. This includes Syrians under temporary protection, with a few exceptions such as embassy schools.

Foreign students who finished all of secondary school abroad, however, use the international quota, for example with TR-YÖS or SAT. Our complete YKS exam guide explains the exam step by step.

Dentistry in Türkiye: five years on the SAY score

According to the 2026 YKS guide from ÖSYM, dentistry (Diş Hekimliği) lasts five years and uses the SAY score type. In the official program table, only dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine run for five years, while medicine runs for six. Programs taught in English also add a one-year prep class that does not count toward the five years. However, you can skip it with a strong result in the university’s proficiency exam or another accepted exam.

SAY and AYT science

SAY gives TYT 40%, AYT maths 30%, and physics, chemistry and biology 10% each. AYT science has 40 questions: 14 physics, 13 chemistry and 13 biology. Biology and chemistry also come back in the first years of dentistry, so strong science helps you twice. Our guide to AYT science topics shows what each test covers.

The ranking you need for dentistry

In 2026, dentistry required a SAY placement rank within the top 80,000. For comparison, medicine needed the top 50,000 and pharmacy the top 100,000. Foundation universities may also set a stricter limit by senate decision. However, the minimum is only the entry condition, and popular programs can close at much better ranks. So, before you plan to study dentistry in Turkey, check the base ranks of past years on YÖK Atlas.

If you like health sciences but your rank falls a little short, pharmacy is another five-year SAY program. Our guide to studying pharmacy in Turkey explains it.

Study dentistry in Turkey in English

You can study dentistry in Turkey in English at a few state universities. The 2026 programs and quotas guide lists Diş Hekimliği (İngilizce) at Ankara, İstanbul, İÜ-Cerrahpaşa, İzmir Katip Çelebi and Marmara. Other state programs mostly teach in Turkish. The guide shows each program’s language next to its name, so read it before you choose. Also remember that YKS itself is only in Turkish, whatever language your program uses.

Dentistry in Istanbul

Three of these English-taught programs are in Istanbul: İstanbul Üniversitesi, İÜ-Cerrahpaşa and Marmara. Istanbul programs tend to attract strong candidates, so their base ranks can be far better than the official minimum. Check each option and its past base ranks on YÖK Atlas before you decide.

Fees and recognition when you study dentistry in Turkey

Foreign students placed through YKS after a Turkish high school pay a fee equal to the cost per student, the cari hizmet maliyeti. This rule comes from the 2026–27 fee decision in the Resmî Gazete. International-quota students pay at least twice that cost, and each university announces its own amounts.

Before you study dentistry in Turkey, also check how your home country recognises Turkish dentistry degrees. For example, Iraq’s ministry set a minimum high-school average of 85% for dentistry and pharmacy to open a study-abroad file, starting in 2024/2025. Several Arab countries also ask for full-time, in-person study. Our guide to recognized Turkish universities explains how to check.

After graduation: DUS and the right to practise

You receive the dentistry degree without a separate licensing exam. If you want to specialise later, you sit DUS, the dental specialisation exam that ÖSYM runs twice a year. In 2026, for example, there was a spring session and a second session, with applications opening on 16 September. Law 1219 also refers to specialist training in a quota for foreign nationals, so check the current DUS guide for the details.

Working as a dentist in Türkiye is a different question. Turkish law sets conditions, including citizenship, for practising dentistry in Türkiye. So check the current rules with the Ministry of Health, and plan early where you want to work.

A step-by-step plan to study dentistry in Turkey

The 2027 exam is expected in June 2027, and ÖSYM usually announces the calendar in November. These steps keep your year on track:

1. Choose SAY from the first month. Dentistry needs AYT maths, physics, chemistry and biology, as well as a strong TYT.
2. Aim above the minimum. Popular programs can close far higher than the top 80,000, so set your target from real base ranks.
3. Build your Turkish early. YKS is only in Turkish, and long biology and chemistry questions reward fast reading.
4. Take timed practice exams. Then compare your estimated rank with past base ranks on YÖK Atlas.
5. Protect your diploma grade. The OBP adds 30 to 60 points to your placement score, so every grade counts.
6. Mix your list. You can list up to 24 programs, so add other health options such as pharmacy next to dentistry.

How ILEAP Academy helps future dentists

ILEAP Academy is one of the first Arabic centers in Istanbul specialised in YKS. Every student starts with a level test, so you know where you stand in TYT and AYT. Then teachers explain maths, physics, chemistry and biology in Arabic, and they train the Turkish of the exam, including science terms. Regular timed practice exams show your nets in each test, so you can follow your progress toward your target rank. We have three centers in Istanbul, and the same program also runs online. If you want to study dentistry in Turkey, Discover ILEAP Academy and book a level test.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to study dentistry in Turkey?

Five years, or ten semesters. English-taught programs can add a one-year prep class, which does not count toward the five years.

Is there an exam after dentistry?

There is no separate licensing exam to receive the degree. However, if you want to specialise, you sit DUS, which ÖSYM runs twice a year.

Can foreign graduates work as dentists in Türkiye?

Turkish law sets conditions, including citizenship, for practising dentistry in Türkiye. Check the current rules with the Ministry of Health, and plan early where you want to work.