Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) Academics Information
The School of Dentistry is the region’s leader in clinical education and patient care.
This is accomplished by very specific strengths:
- Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) students provide comprehensive care at the Center for Oral Health Care & Research, a $96.5 million facility with 198,000 square feet and the most advanced technology available to dental clinicians
- Patient care is coordinated at three levels based on difficulty: dental students, advanced education residents and faculty
- Dedicated and diverse faculty that are experts in their field teaching primarily at the level of a general dentist
- Students have access to the most advanced technology available, including: electronic patient record, digital radiography, CAD/CAM, digital impressions and virtual submission to lab
- An extensive outreach program offers students experience with various models of oral health care systems
- The integrated dental hygiene program allows dental and dental hygiene students to collaborate effectively
- A selective program permits students to have some customization to their experiences based on interests
Beginning with DS1s entering in 2017, the curriculum for the first two years features:
- Integrated basic and clinical sciences; foundation science in context; “just-in-time” learning
- Learning about the craniofacial region, before the systemic health and disease
- Reinforcement of didactic material through preclinical activities
- Earlier hand skills development/earlier clinical experiences
- Earlier transition to clinic with DS 2 didactic and preclinical curriculum ending in mid-March
The curriculum structure divides the courses into three tracks:
- Human Health and Disease (HHD): Emphasizes the integrated foundation knowledge
- Foundations of Restorative Dentistry (FRD): Highlights clinical hand skill development
- Introduction to Patient Care (IPC): Combines tracks for non-surgical patient care experiences in small groups
The contemporary and integrated curriculum provides our students:
- An easier transition to junior clinic
- More meaningful clinical experiences due to the knowledge and skills learned in the first and second year curriculum
- More applications of critical thinking/problem solving skills
A sample plan of study for the Doctor of Dental Surgery program from the catalog shows the normal sequence in which courses are taught.
Unique opportunities
Learn more about the electives/selectives available to our D.D.S. students
Community outreach
Community-based training provided under the supervision of dental school faculty