Overview

The University of Florida College of Dentistry, est. in 1972, is housed in the Dental Sciences Building located on the western edge of the Health Science Center campus. The college is the only publicly-funded dental school in the State of Florida and is a national leader in dental education, research and service. Our students and faculty participate in interdisciplinary learning and research that benefits the college and its patient community, and also results in a well-rounded curriculum that produces dentists skillful in the art and science of dentistry.

The College of Dentistry educates the state’s future dentists and dental specialists through its 16 degree and certificate programs. Each year the college admits a new class of about 80 D.M.D. students consisting of individuals who are among the top predental students in the nation. Students’ performance on standardized examinations is a benchmark of the quality of our academic programs. The performance of the Class of 2006 on the NBDE – Part I was ranked 6th out of the 56 participating dental school classes.

The college is nationally recognized for its oral health research enterprise, emphasizing infectious diseases in dentistry, bone biology, pain and neurosciences, and translational research to improve clinical and dental care. We anticipate building on this reputation by recruitment of mid-career, top-notch basic scientists to achieve excellence in areas of established strength in the college while more closely aligning the college with key initiatives within the university and Health Science Center. These initiatives include genomics of infectious diseases, immunology, autoimmunity, biostatistics, cancer epidemiology and prevention, cell biology/cell signaling, and pain and neurosciences. We will also strive to recruit magnet investigators and junior investigators to provide a nucleus of clinical and translational researchers in areas where we presently have complementary strengths.

The College of Dentistry has a multi-faceted service mission encompassing patient care and community outreach and education. Through its Statewide Network for Community Oral Health, the college improves access to dental care for Florida’s residents, focusing on vulnerable and indigent populations and special needs patients. The college has become one of the largest providers of low-cost dental care in Florida, providing nearly 10 percent of all indigent care to Florida’s residents through comprehensive state-of-the-art clinical services. Our students and faculty also give of themselves in providing free dental treatment to underserved populations during service missions abroad and at home.

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