Welcome to the University of Maryland School of Dentistry
Contact Information
Address:
650 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1786
Website:
www.dental.umaryland.edu
Patient Information:
410-706-7101
Mission
The University of Maryland School of Dentistry seeks to develop and foster the next generation of leading oral health care professionals while shaping the future of dental health research, education, and care. At the School of Dentistry, we describe our purpose as Advancing Oral Health, Improving Lives, and we will achieve this through scientific discovery and innovation, scholarly activity, and service to the Maryland community and beyond.
Future Vision
As the world’s first dental college, the School played a seminal role in the development of science-based dental education. Moving forward, we remain dedicated to upholding our traditions and improving the quality of life in Maryland through state-of-the-art education, research, and service with particular emphasis on improving dental, oral and craniofacial health.
At the School of Dentistry, we know that good oral health is integral to general health and quality of life. Bolstered by collaboration and partnership with other University of Maryland entities, our forward-thinking, multidisciplinary initiatives and clinical and scholarly programs will enhance and improve public health while sustaining the School’s preeminence through excellence and innovation in education, patient care, research, public service, and global engagement.
In support of this vision, the School’s administration will create and maintain an organizational structure that enhances our ability to achieve our goals. An atmosphere of collegiality and intellectual stimulation will prevail, nurturing students, faculty, and alumni and encouraging creativity, invention, and excellence across the School’s departments and specialties.
History
Formal curricula aimed at preparing students for the practice of dentistry originated 183 years ago with the establishment of this institution, originally called the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery (BCDS). Chartered on February 1, 1840, by the General Assembly of Maryland, the school represented the culmination of the efforts and vision of Dr. Horace H. Hayden and Dr. Chapin A. Harris. The pioneering physicians recognized the need for systematic, formal education as the foundation for a scientific and serviceable dental profession. Together, the two men played a major role in establishing and promoting formal dental education and in the development of dentistry as a profession.
The BCDS soon became a model for other schools throughout America. This was due in no small part to BCDS’s emphasis on sound knowledge of general medicine and the development of the skills needed in dentistry. The present dental school evolved through a series of consolidations involving the BCDS, founded in 1840; the Maryland Dental College, founded in 1873; the Dental Department of the University of Maryland, founded in 1882; and the Dental Department of the Baltimore Medical College, founded in 1895. The final consolidation took place formally in 1924, when the state legislature approved the combination of the BCDS and the Dental Department of the University of Maryland as a distinct college of the university under state supervision and control.
As part of the University of Maryland, the School of Dentistry was incorporated into the University System of Maryland (USM), formed by Maryland’s General Assembly in 1988. Hayden-Harris Hall, the school building erected in 1970 and renovated in 1990, was replaced by an entirely new facility that opened 2006. In 2015, the school proudly celebrated its 175th anniversary.
Programs of Study
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
Advanced Dental Education Programs (Certificate)
Dental Hygiene Preprofessional/Professional Baccalaureate Program (BS)
Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Baccalaureate Program (BS)
Dual BS/MS - Clinical Dental Hygiene Leader
Combined Doctor of Dental Surgery and Doctor of Philosophy (DDS/PhD)
Combined Doctor of Dental Surgery and Master’s Degree (DDS/MS) and (DDS/MPH)
Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences (PhD)
Doctor of Philosophy in Oral and Experimental Pathology (PhD)
Master’s Degree (MS)
The dental school today strives to offer the finest programs of dental education in the world. Continuing efforts are made to provide educational and training experiences consistent with evolving concepts and advances in the delivery of dental, oral and maxillofacial health care.
In addition to the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) program, the school offers a baccalaureate program in dental hygiene designed to prepare students for careers in dental hygiene practice, education, management and research in private and public settings and a dual BS/MS program for students who have already earned their bachelor's degree in another field and wish to obtain their BS and MS in dental hygiene. Combined programs are offered for DDS/PhD, DDS/MS degrees, and DDS/MPH. Graduate programs are designed to prepare students for careers in academic dentistry or to supplement clinical training with knowledge of research methods or public health practice. Research opportunities may also be made available to dental students.
Advanced dental education programs are offered in the specialty areas of endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral and maxillofacial pathology, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and prosthodontics. Also offered is a school-based residency program in advanced general dentistry, providing advanced level training in the practice of comprehensive general dentistry.
Programs in dental education; dental hygiene education; the advanced dental education programs in endodontics, oral and maxillofacial pathology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and prosthodontics; and advanced general dentistry (12- and 24-months) are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and have been granted the accreditation status of approval. These commissions are specialized accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at 312-440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611 and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education can be contacted at 267-284-5000 or at 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Continuing education programming is developed by academic departments to meet the needs of health care professionals for refining diagnostic skills and updating knowledge in technical and scientific areas or practice. The University of Maryland School of Dentistry continues to fulfill, through its graduates, the aspirations of its founders to provide scientifically trained professionals to serve the oral health care needs of society.
Administration
Dean - Mark A. Reynolds, DDS, PhD
Chief of Staff – David L. George, DDS, MBA
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs – Patricia E. Meehan, DDS, BSN
Associate Dean of Administration and Finance – Valerie Sikora, MSF
Associate Dean of Professional Development – Robert Ord, DDS, MD, MS
Assistant Dean of Research and Graduate Studies – Man-Kyo Chung, DMD, PhD
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs – Katherine Noonan, PhD, MSEd
Assistant Dean of Admissions and Recruitment - Monica Schneider, DDS, MS
Assistant Dean for Curriculum Innovation and Scholarship - Mark Macek, DDS, DrPH
Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs – Louis DePaola, DDS
Assistant Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion - Eleanor Fleming, PhD, DDS, MPH
Assistant Dean of Development and Alumni Relations –
Executive Director of Institutional Advancement - Keith Groves, DMIN, MPC
Executive Director of IT and Facilities Management – Kent Buckingham, MS
Departments
Dental Public Health
Professor and Chair: Richard Manski, DDS, PhD
In its teaching, research, and service activities, the Department of Dental Public Health continually develops, evaluates, and disseminates information and methods to meet the needs of dental healthcare providers and the public. The major areas of teaching responsibility are the history of dentistry, oral healthcare delivery, evidence-based practice, and practice administration for the pre-doctoral dental program. The Department is also responsible for coordinating the dental externship program and teaching evidence-based practice for the dental hygiene program. The Department conducts research in a variety of areas that relate to dental public health, health services administration, and health policy. The Department is also responsible for all operations of the National Museum of Dentistry (NMD). The NMD is a Smithsonian Affiliate Organization, has one of the most comprehensive dental collections in the world, is the national collection for the social, cultural, economic, scientific and technological history of dentistry and represents the origins and development of dentistry in the United States as well as a significant portion of its development in the rest of the world. The museum received Congressional designation as the official museum of the dental profession of the United States in 2003.
Advanced Oral Sciences and Therapeutics
Professor and Chair: Thomas Oates, DMD, PhD
The department contains three dental specialty areas and is responsible for major segments of the predoctoral dental curriculum encompassing endodontics, dental biomaterials, geriatric dentistry and fixed and removable prosthodontics and periodontics. The department also includes a dental hygiene program and offers a degree completion and Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene. Three-year certificate programs in postgraduate endodontics, post-graduate periodontics and postgraduate prosthodontics are offered as well as specialty observerships (6 months or 1 year) for foreign-trained dentists in Periodontics and Prosthodontics. Further training for certified periodontists and prosthodontists is offered in an Implant Periodontal – Prosthetic Fellowship for management and treatment of complex implant prosthodontic patients.
The department has an active research program in all aspects of advanced dental care and includes: regenerative biology and therapy, microbial genetics, chemotherapeutic agents, periodontal pathogens, implantology, and biostatistics of endodontic infections and their relationship to systemic disease, digital dentistry, dental materials, nanocomposites, calcium phosphates, novel methods of controlling tooth sensitivity, evaluation of physical properties of numerous dental materials, and bioactive ceramics. Our department members also collaborate with public health to establish best practices for oral health care delivery and access to care.
Comprehensive Dentistry
Associate Professor and Chair: Mary Anne Melo, DDS, MSc, PhD, FADM
Our mission is to educate the students in the art, science and practice of dentistry and to promote professional standards of excellence. We provide students with the highest quality multidisciplinary educational approach. The students are mentored to provide excellent patient care, to promote evidence-based dentistry, lifelong learning, desire to pursue advanced training and foster attachments with institutions of higher learning. We are committed to improving oral health and the quality of life for the people of Maryland.
Microbial Pathogenesis
Professor and Chair: Robert Ernst, PhD
The department conducts multidisciplinary research in microbial pathogenesis, educates students in the biology of oral and other microbial pathogens, and provides service to the School of Dentistry, the University, and the community. Continued development of the department emphasizes integration of its research activities into the graduate and postgraduate programs of the School of Dentistry through a faculty-driven curriculum in interactive classroom settings as well as department-supported research projects.
Neural and Pain Sciences
Professor and Chair: Richard Traub, PhD
This is a research-intensive department focused in the area of neuroscience, with a strong emphasis on the neurobiology of pain. Research initiatives encompass basic, translational, and clinical science programs. Educational missions involve instruction in the School of Dentistry and Graduate School curricula and mentored research training for both predoctoral students and post-doctoral fellows.
Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences
Associate Professor and Interim Chair: Abraham Schneider, DDS, PhD
In addition to providing instruction in radiology, oral medicine, and diagnostic sciences for the predoctoral program, the department presents courses for graduate and postgraduate students and offers programs leading to a certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and/or a doctoral degree. Also, graduate training programs are offered in surgical, clinical, and experimental pathology. Research and graduate training are conducted in the pathobiology of cancer, connective tissues, stress proteins, developmental biology, dental management of medically compromised patients, prevention of infection in immunocompromised patients, evaluation of drugs to treat bacterial and fungal infections of the oral cavity and the role of viruses in cancer and its treatment.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Clinical Professor and Chair: Gary Warburton, DDS, MD, FACS
The department provides instruction in the second, third and fourth years of the predoctoral program. The third year dental students rotate for one week at the University of Maryland Medical Center, participating in the OR and the outpatient clinic. A fourth year clerkship elective in Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery provides students an opportunity to perform more advanced dentoalveolar surgery and participate more fully in surgical care at the University of Maryland Medical Center. The postgraduate program in oral-maxillofacial surgery includes training at the University of Maryland Medical System and University of Maryland School of Dentistry. Research is conducted in chemoprevention of oral carcinoma and pain management techniques. The department is also involved in evaluation of analgesics for postsurgical pain control and tumor immunology.
Orthodontics/Pediatric Dentistry
Clinical Professor and Chair: Vineet Dhar, BDS, MDS, PhD
Predoctoral instruction in orthodontics provides a strong foundation for delivery of limited orthodontic treatment as part of an adult and child patient’s comprehensive dental care. Clerkship and other elective opportunities are available for those who wish to pursue additional course work and clinical experience. The postgraduate program prepares students for specialty certification by the American Board of Orthodontics.
The department conducts research in growth and development, experimental and diagnostic imaging, the biology of tooth movement, properties and biocompatibility of orthodontic materials, and the physiology of the tongue and facial musculature, and the pathophysiology and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in children and adults.
Student Body
Five hundred nineteen students are enrolled in the predoctoral dental education program in the 2022-2023 academic year. A total enrollment of 602 includes 27 dental hygiene, and 56 advanced dental education students.
Dental school students represent a variety of undergraduate institutions across the country.
Alumni Association
The Alumni Association of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry represents more than 8,000 graduates. Alumni representatives from the Doctor of Dental Surgery, Dental Hygiene, Advanced Dental Education, and graduate programs are recruited to serve on the Alumni Association Board of Directors and committees.
The Alumni Association fosters and promotes the dental school and its programs. To accomplish this goal, the association seeks to:
- Connect and engage alumni with their alma mater,
- Support, promote, and recognize the School of Dentistry and its alumni,
- Organize alumni gatherings where longtime friendships may be renewed and new friendships made,
- Inspire alumni to support the needs of the school through their time and philanthropy,
- Encourage alumni participation in school- and Alumni-Association-sponsored activities including continuing education offerings,
- Maintain the high standards and traditions of the world’s first dental college.
The annual meeting of the Alumni Association is held during Alumni Weekend. At this gathering, officers and members are elected to the Board of Directors.
The Alumni Association works closely with the school’s Office of Institutional Advancement to plan activities across the country for alumni and friends. Local events allow alumni and friends the opportunity to interact with students and faculty.
If you are interested in becoming involved with the Alumni Association and its activities, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 410-706-7146 or dentaladvancement@umaryland.edu.
Continuing Education
Executive Director: Keith W. Groves, DMin, MPC
The School of Dentistry is committed to the lifelong learning of oral health professionals in Maryland and neighboring states of the Mid-Atlantic Region. Continuing Dental Education for dentists and dental hygienists is among the missions of the dental school, for today’s many and frequent advances in science and technology impose a greater and sustaining need for timely accession of new information.
In order to fulfill its commitment to lifelong learning, the School of Dentistry provides courses designed to meet the needs of dental and dental hygiene practitioners. Based upon research in the basic and clinical sciences, the Continuing Dental Education Program offers participants educational courses which reflect contemporary professional knowledge of direct benefit to the practice community. These courses are conducted in clinics, laboratories, and simulation facilities of the dental school as well as other regional settings of convenience to course participants. In addition, future courses may be offered through such distance learning media.