The American Dental Association is investigating allegations that at least a dozen dentistry students at the University of California at Los Angeles cheated on licensing tests, the Los Angeles Times reported today.

News of the cheating investigation, which also covers allegations about students at Loma Linda University, New York University, and the University of Southern California, comes on the heels of a report in UCLA’s student newspaper that its orthodontics residency program gave preferential treatment to relatives of major donors to the program.

In the latest scandal, students were alleged to have improperly gotten a sneak peak at questions on a licensing test.

“The ADA is looking into alleged improprieties by UCLA students associated with testing,” said Lawrence Lokman, the university’s assistant vice chancellor for communications. “We would certainly hope any ADA investigation provides adequate due process to the students, and whatever matter they are looking at would be resolved quickly and fairly.” —Katherine Mangan

Update (11/16): The American Dental Association said today that the Times had erred in reporting that New York University was also under investigation. At the university’s request, Gene A. Kramer, secretary of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, wrote a letter to NYU today that said: “Contrary to the allegations in the November 14, 2007, article in the Los Angeles Times regarding a dental-school cheating scandal, this is to confirm that the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations does not have a pending investigation of the New York University College of Dentistry.”