University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry

University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry
Name	University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry
Established	1964
Type	Public
Dean	Craig S. Miller (Interim)
City	Los Angeles
State	California
Country	United States
Campus	Westwood

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University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry is a professional school located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. It forms part of the University of California, Los Angeles campuses and contributes to clinical care across the California health system, partnering with institutions such as Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and regional clinics including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Harbor–UCLA Medical Center. The school offers doctoral, graduate, and continuing education programs and maintains research collaborations with entities like the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, and private foundations.

History

The school was established during a period of expansion in the University of California system similar to earlier developments at University of California, San Francisco and University of Southern California. Early decades saw faculty recruitment influenced by leaders from Columbia University, Harvard University, and University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, while clinical models echoed practices at Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Hospital. Significant milestones include accreditation milestones aligned with the American Dental Association and program growth during the administrations of Chuck Young-era statewide higher education initiatives. The school’s trajectory intersected with broader Los Angeles health planning involving agencies such as the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and regional policy efforts by the California Department of Public Health.

The school confers the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree and offers advanced specialty trainings comparable to programs at University of Michigan School of Dentistry, University of Washington School of Dentistry, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. Postdoctoral residencies include specialties linked to boards such as the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, American Board of Endodontics, and American Board of Periodontology, with coursework coordinated with graduate programs at UCLA School of Medicine, UCLA School of Public Health, and the UCLA School of Public Affairs. Continuing education activities draw visiting faculty from institutions like King's College London, University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry, and Karolinska Institutet.

Research efforts align with national initiatives from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and collaborations with industry partners including GlaxoSmithKline, Colgate-Palmolive, and Pfizer. Centers and laboratories focus on oral biology, biomaterials, and population oral health, hosting projects with scholars from Stanford University School of Medicine, California Institute of Technology, and UC San Diego. Interdisciplinary centers coordinate with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, and the UCLA Bioengineering Department, while major grants have linked investigators to programs at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Clinical training and patient services operate through teaching clinics and partnerships with community sites such as AltaMed Health Services, Union Rescue Mission, and county programs coordinated with Los Angeles County Health Services. Specialty clinics offer care in areas comparable to programs at NYU College of Dentistry and Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, with services spanning pediatric dentistry, oral surgery, prosthodontics, and orthodontics. Public-facing initiatives engage with community organizations like United Way of Greater Los Angeles and policy forums convened by California Health Care Foundation.

Admissions processes reflect standards used across California public professional schools, with application cycles coordinated through entities similar to the AADSAS model and interview practices influenced by protocols at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Yale School of Medicine. Student life connects learners to campus organizations associated with UCLA Health, student government bodies modeled on the Associated Students UCLA, and professional groups tied to the American Student Dental Association and specialty societies such as the American Association of Orthodontists and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Extracurricular engagement includes outreach with civic partners like City of Los Angeles youth programs and volunteer services coordinated with Habitat for Humanity affiliates.

Facilities include clinical operatories, research laboratories, and simulation suites comparable to those at University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. Affiliations extend to regional hospitals such as Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, and community clinics operated with Community Health Councils, Inc. and AltaMed. Collaborative training pathways exist with federal and state agencies including Veterans Health Administration clinics and county oral health initiatives run with Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Faculty and alumni have included leaders who moved between institutions like UCLA School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Stanford University, and national bodies including the American Dental Association and Academy of General Dentistry. Many have served on advisory panels for the National Institutes of Health and contributed to practice guidelines promulgated by organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and the Fédération Dentaire Internationale.

Category:Dental schools in California