University of Maryland

The University of Maryland Dental School is the direct descendant of the world’s first dental college, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery (BCDS), which was chartered by an act of the Maryland General Assembly in 1840. It has successfully upheld the aspirations of its founders, Drs. Horace H. Hayden and Chapin A. Harris. The Dental School is an exciting place to be, a place with unique history and tradition in our profession, yet eager to embrace a future that assuredly will be different. The School’s mission is to improve the quality of life in Maryland through education, research and service related to health, with special emphasis on improving dental, oral and craniofacial health through comprehensive education, research and service programs.

The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery offers exceptional educational programs for prospective members of the oral health professions. Founded as the first school in the world to offer a science-based curriculum in dentistry, the Dental School is committed to maintaining its position as a leader in oral health education in the 21st century. In addition to the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, which BCDS originated, the Dental School offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Dental Hygiene and graduate programs in oral and craniofacial biological sciences and experimental pathology. Also offered are programs in advanced education in general dentistry, hospital-based general practice residency, and advanced dental education programs in seven of the recognized clinical specialties including Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, and prosthodontics. A six-year combined certificate/MD program is offered in Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery. A National Institutes of Health Training Program in Oral Biology and Neuroscience and funds from the Dean’s office support selected PhD and DDS/PhD students. The School’s student body is one of the most diverse in the nation and it has more than 6500 living graduates working in the oral health professions throughout the world today.

The Dental School is Maryland’s predominant provider of comprehensive and emergency oral health services for individuals of all ages, including the underserved and disadvantaged. Each year, nearly 35,000 persons are served through more than 122,000 patient visits. It is the largest provider of oral health care to persons living with HIV disease and Medicaid-eligible children in Maryland. The Special Patient Clinic provides easy access and specialized care for medically challenged patients.

From local to global, the Dental School has a long history of service to the world community. The School currently has collaborative agreements with a number of academic and public health institutions throughout the world. In Maryland and elsewhere in the United States, dental students participate in a wide range of externship opportunities as a required part of the curriculum, and a number volunteer for non-academic community service throughout the country and the world.The University of Maryland Dental School is rapidly developing its research programs. The Dental School currently ranks 4th among the nation’s dental schools in NIH funding. The Dental School is the home of the University of Maryland’s Organized Research Center on Persistent Pain, devoted to multidisciplinary approaches to the mechanisms and management of chronic pain. Through the Center, Dental School researchers collaborate with colleagues from the School of Medicine, the Baltimore VA Medical Center, and the Johns Hopkins University.

In early 1999, the School celebrated the opening of the Center for Clinical Studies and the Brotman Facial Pain Clinic. The Center and Clinic provide facilities for studying and treating facial pain and conducting clinical trials and clinical research.

Currently, Dr. Norman Tinanoff, professor, chair of the Department of Health Promotion and Policy, and director of pediatric dentistry in the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery at the University of Maryland, is a Co-Principal Investigator along with Dr. Nancy Kressin and Dr. Paul Geltman of Project 1: Partnering with Community Health Centers to Prevent ECC.