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BridgeDDS

How it works

Structure for the road to dental school.

BridgeDDS pairs pre-dental students with people a few steps ahead — then gives every mentorship the tools to stay focused: an agreement, a shared workspace, and a Dental Journey you track together.

Get started Browse mentors

For students

From first message to acceptance letter

Six steps that turn a helpful conversation into steady progress.

  1. 01

    Set up your Dental Journey

    Add where you are — GPA, DAT plans, shadowing and research hours, letters, school list. It becomes the map you and your mentor work from.

  2. 02

    Find the right mentor

    Filter by school, specialty, mentor type and what they help with. Every mentor is reviewed by the BridgeDDS team; many carry a Verified badge.

  3. 03

    Send a thoughtful request

    Share what you'd like help with and how often you'd like to meet. If a mentor is full, join their waitlist instead.

  4. 04

    Agree on goals

    Accepted? You'll confirm a short mentorship agreement — goals, meeting rhythm and expectations — so you both start aligned.

  5. 05

    Meet, then follow through

    Book your mentor's open times, keep a shared recap after each meeting, and leave with action items that actually get done.

  6. 06

    Do the work, get feedback

    Personal statement drafts, DAT practice, school research — submit in your workspace and get specific feedback back.

The workspace

Everything a mentorship needs, in one place

Each mentorship gets its own private workspace. Only the mentor and mentee can open it.

  • ChatOne thread per mentorship, with file sharing and read receipts.
  • MeetingsBookable availability, reminders, calendar sync and shared recaps.
  • NotesShared notes — plus private mentor notes that mentees never see.
  • Assignments & assessmentsSubmissions, revisions, auto-graded quizzes and written feedback.
  • GoalsMilestones and roadmaps you can apply in a click and tailor.
  • Dental JourneyThe whole application picture, shared on your terms.

For mentors

Mentor one student or twenty — without losing track

Built for dental students, residents and dentists with limited time.

  1. Apply

    Tell us about your training and what you'd like to help with. An Owner reviews every application.

  2. Get verified

    Confirm an institutional email or share an enrollment document privately to earn the Verified BridgeDDS Mentor badge.

  3. Set your capacity

    Choose how many mentees you can support — one or twenty — and publish weekly availability. Students see open spots in real time.

  4. Run your roster

    See every mentee's next meeting, open work and progress in one view. Assign work, share resources and announce to many at once.

Full? Turn on your waitlist. Students queue in order, and you invite them when a spot opens — the spot is held for a week.

Become a mentor

Safety & trust

Designed so students can trust the people helping them.

  • Every mentor is reviewed

    Owners approve each mentor before they can accept anyone.

  • Verification you can see

    The Verified badge means we confirmed their school or credentials. Documents stay private.

  • Private by default

    Workspaces are visible only to the two members. Private mentor notes are never shown to mentees.

  • Report and block

    Report any profile, message or resource. Blocking ends contact immediately.

Questions

Frequently asked

Does BridgeDDS cost anything?
BridgeDDS is free for students during our early-access period. Mentors volunteer their time.
Who are the mentors?
Dental students, residents, researchers, practicing dentists and specialists. Everyone applies and is approved by the BridgeDDS team before they can take mentees. The Verified badge means we've confirmed their school or professional status.
What if the mentor I want is full?
Join their waitlist. When a spot opens, they can send you an invitation, which holds the spot for you for seven days. Meanwhile, many mentors run group office hours you can join.
Can my mentor see my whole Dental Journey?
Only if you choose. Sharing is on by default for new mentorships and you can turn it off per mentor — or for everyone — in Privacy settings.
Can I share clinical cases or patient photos?
No. BridgeDDS is a mentorship community, not a clinical system. Never share patient names, records, radiographs, photos or anything that could identify a patient.
How do I end a mentorship?
Either person can pause, complete or leave a mentorship from the workspace menu. Your notes, recaps and resources stay in your archive.

Read our community guidelines — the short version: be kind, be honest, and keep patient information out of BridgeDDS.