1. Apply the fundamental principles of the biomedical and behavioral sciences as they relate to the promotion and provision of oral health care. (CODA 2-12-16; ADEA Domain 3)
2. Apply legal, ethical and regulatory principles to the provision of oral health care, including practice management. (CODA 2-19-21; ADEA Domain 2, 3 & 5)
3. Apply interpersonal and communication skills to empathetically and effectively care for diverse patient populations and function in the health care environment. (CODA 2-17, 2-19; ADEA Domain 3 & 4).
4. Apply critical thinking and problem solving skills to provide evidence-based patient-centered care. (CODA 2-23; ADEA Domain 1).
5. Evaluate various models of oral health management and care delivery. (CODA 2-18; ADEA Domain 5).
6. Participate in improving the oral health of individuals, families, and groups in the community through oral health promotion, education and interaction with other health professions. (CODA 2-17, 2-19; ADEA Domain 3 & 4)
7. Manage medical emergencies and complications that may occur during dental treatment. (CODA 2-25, 2-27; ADEA Domain 6).
8. Recognize and manage pain and anxiety, trauma, hemorrhage, and infection of the orofacial complex by selection, administration or prescription of pharmacological or non-pharmacologic agents in the treatment of dental patients. (CODA 2-25; ADEA Domain 6).
9. Demonstrate competence in providing oral health care within the scope of general dentistry for children, adolescents, adults, and special needs patients.  (CODA 2-25; ADEA Domain 6). This includes:
• Perform a complete dental examination to arrive at a diagnosis of the patient’s oral condition/s.
• Develop, present and implement an integrated treatment plan to address a patient’s oral health needs.
• Prevent, identify and manage periodontal conditions.
• Prevent, identify and manage pulpal and periradicular conditions.
• Identify and manage patients with oral surgical needs.
• Identify and manage malocclusions.
• Manage restorative procedures for single defective teeth, or to restore function in patients with partial or complete edentulism.
• Treat patients with soft tissue lesions and oral manifestations of systemic diseases.
10. Demonstrate the ability to self-assess competency and the outcomes of care. (CODA 2-22; ADEA Domain 6).

The school offers a four-year, eight-semester, two-summer-term curriculum leading to the doctor of dental surgery (D.D.S.) degree. This curriculum is designed to prepare graduates in dentistry to deliver patient care with a scientific basis and a caring manner. As such, it provides a sound background in the biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences with an emphasis on comprehensive oral health care. Exposure to clinical dentistry in the first semester of the first year is a hallmark of this curriculum.

The first year of dental school focuses on instruction in the biomedical sciences that provide a foundation for clinical studies. The first-year student also studies introductory courses in oral diagnosis and dental restorative techniques in a pre-clinical setting. Early clinical exposure is further emphasized through clinic-based courses in both the first and the second semesters. Acquisition of basic diagnostic skills and background knowledge is a goal of the first year of the curriculum.

Biomedical science courses extend into the second year; however, the major thrust of the second year is devoted to pre-clinical technique coursework of increasing complexity. In the preclinical laboratory courses, students continue learning the fundamental procedures of dentistry: operative dentistry, prosthodontics (fixed and removable), and endodontics. Clinically, students are introduced to the basic essential skills needed in preventive periodontics. Classroom lecture sessions are also conducted in each of these areas of dentistry along with didactic courses in periodontics, oral diagnosis, oral radiology, and oral surgery.

The primary emphasis of the third year of the curriculum is the clinical practice of dentistry. The general clinic is organized into subunits called teams. Each team includes an established set of faculty and staff. Patients are assigned to students for comprehensive care, from diagnosis and treatment planning through procedures necessary for successful case completion. While the emphasis of the third and fourth years of the dental curriculum is gaining clinical experience, students also attend advanced classes in periodontics, prosthodontics, oral surgery, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, operative dentistry and oral diagnosis/oral medicine.

The fourth year involves extensive clinical practice. There are a few seminar sessions and formal courses (e.g., practice management), but the student's major responsibility is to perfect diagnostic, patient-management and technical-treatment skills and demonstrate competence in all the skills required by the faculty of the School of Dentistry.

An outline of the four-year curriculum by semester is given below.

First Year
  

Fall Semester                                       Hours

BIOLOGY 203       Cell Biology                        3.0

BMS 9300          Human Gross Anatomy I               5.0

BMS 9308          Histology I                         2.5

DENT 6306         Introduction to Ethics &

                        Professionalism               1.0

DENT 6310C        Clinical Assisting                  3.0

DENT 6316         Dental Morphology (Lec/Lab)         3.0

DENT 6328         Clinical Decision Making            1.0

LS-BIOC 304       Biochemistry & Nutrition            4.0

Total Hours                                          22.5

Spring Semester                                     Hours

BMS 9301          Human Gross Anatomy II              5.0

DENT 6305         Operative Dent I Lecture            1.0

DENT 6305L        Operative Dent I Lab.               2.0

DENT 6314C        Intro. Oral Diagnosis               3.0

DENT 6317         Dental Occlusion                    3.0

DENT 6335         Applied Neuroscience                2.0

DENT 6350         Histopathology                      2.5

LS-PHYS 401       Physiology Lecture                  5.0

Total Hours                                          23.5

Second Year

Fall Semester                                       Hours

DENT 6315C        Preventive Periodontics             3.0

DENT 6410         Operative Dent II Lecture           1.0

DENT  6410L       Operative Dent II Lab               2.0

DENT 6412         Anesthesiology I Lecture            1.0

DENT 6414         Pathology I Lecture                 4.0

DENT 6416         Comp. Removable Pros I Lec.         1.0

DENT 6416L        Comp. Removable Pros I Lab.         2.0

DENT 6422         Fixed Prosthodontics I Lec.         1.0

DENT 6422L        Fixed Prosthodontics I Lab          2.0

DENT 6426         Oral Radiology                      2.0

DENT 6435         Endodontics I Lecture               1.0

DENT 6436         Ortho: Growth and Development       1.0

LS-MCRB 4180      Microbiology                        4.0

Total Hours                                          25.0

Spring Semester                                     Hours

DENT 6411         Operative Dent. III                 1.0

DENT 6415         Pathology II                        2.0

DENT 6417         Rem. Partial Prosthodontics         3.0

DENT 6420         Perio. I                            2.0

DENT 6423         Fixed Pros. II Lecture              1.0

DENT 6423L        Fixed Pros. II Lab.                 2.0

DENT 6431         Ped. Dent. I Lecture                1.0

DENT 6439         Med Emergencies                     1.0

DENT 6440         Oral Surgery I                      1.0

DENT 6442         Endodontics II Lecture              1.0

DENT 6442L        Endodontics II Lab                  2.0

DENT 6524         Prin. Med/Phys. Diagnosis           2.0

DENT 6526         Ortho I Lecture                     1.0

DENT 6526L        Ortho I Lab                         2.0

DENT 6556         Radiographic Interpretation         0.5

DENT 6564         Dental Pharmacology                 2.0

Total Hours                                          24.5

Third Year  

Summer Semester                                   Hours

DENT 6558         Radiographic Interpretation II      0.5

DENT 6650         Applied Ethics                      0.5

CLINIC                                                9.0

Total Hours                                          10.0

Fall Semester                                       Hours

DENT 6429         Dent Behavioral Science II          1.0

DENT 6514         Pathology III                       1.0

DENT 6603         Grand Rounds III                    1.0

DENT 6610         Anxiety and Pain Control            1.0

DENT 6613         Perio. Treatment Planning           1.0

DENT 6614         Dent for Special Patient            2.0

DENT 6617         Pediatric Dent. Seminar             0.5

DENT 6630         Practice Management I               1.0

DENT 6635         Extramural Clinical Rotations II    1.0

CLINIC                                               10.0

Total Hours                                          19.5

1. Demonstration of competencies expected of a graduating student.
2. A passing grade on all sections of Part I and Part II of the National Board Dental Examinations.
3. A cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 or higher for the student's period as a dental student.
4. A demonstrated ability to meet the standards for professional conduct.