History

The Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine has origins dating to 1958, when Boston University School of Medicine established a Department of Stomatology (medical study of the physiology and pathology of the mouth) to provide post-doctoral education in dentistry. At that time, the institution was the only one in the country devoted solely to specialty education in dentistry.

The Boston University School of Graduate Dentistry was founded in 1963 under the leadership of Dean Henry M. Goldman. Originally located in a three-and-a-half-story brownstone building on East Concord Street, the School in 1970 moved to the current facility at 100 East Newton Street. The three-story building was constructed in response to the dynamic expansion of teaching activities, enrollment, and research. Building on a foundation of strength in post-doctoral education, in 1972 the School initiated a pre-doctoral program leading to the Doctor of Dental Medicine degree. In 1973 the School constructed four more floors, bringing the East Newton Street building to its current seven stories.

The late 1970s and the 1980s were times of impressive growth in every area of the School. Affiliations with area dental practices, extramural sites, educational facilities, and myriad training sites across the country allowed students to improve clinical and practice management skills in a variety of practice types. In 1989, the School implemented the APEX (Applied Professional Experience) Program, where preclinical dental students gained experience in the dental practice environment. The early 1990s saw the School expand onto the University’s Charles River Campus with the Dental Health Center, which provides care to members of the Boston University community.

In 1996, the School had outgrown its designation as a school of graduate dentistry and accordingly was renamed the “Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine” to better reflect the scope of the School’s education, research, patient care, and community missions.

During the late 1990s, the School significantly expanded its research mission with the addition of two new departments, the Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology. In addition, the School strengthened the capacity to evaluate curriculum, programs, students, and faculty with the addition of the Department of Educational Research & Evaluation.

In 2000, the School concentrated the pre-doctoral curriculum under the new Department of General Dentistry. Also in 2000 the School opened the Simulation Learning Center, where preclinical students practice dentistry on virtual patients in a high-tech setting.

With a faculty of more than 325 educators, clinicians, and researchers and more than 250 staff members, the School offers a full spectrum of pre-doctoral and post-doctoral specialty education programs and a complete range of graduate programs and degrees to more than 700 students.

In 2008, Jeffrey W. Hutter was named Dean of the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. Under his leadership the School has embarked on an Applied Strategic Planning Process which will transform the School into the premier academic dental institution, promoting excellence in dental education, research, oral health care, and community service to improve the overall health of the global population.