Doctor of Dental Medicine

The Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) degree program is a four year program that educates and trains individuals as dentists who have not only the fundamental knowledge of the profession, but also the qualities and characteristics required of dentists as leaders of dental teams and members of community health teams.

Approximately 295 students are currently enrolled in the College of Dental Medicine’s four-year program leading to a Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) degree. Before receiving their degrees, dental students must be able to recognize and assess disease as it affects the oral cavity and to appreciate the systemic effects of oral disease, to understand the effects of systemic and local therapy on oral health, and to treat or refer for treatment not only the disease but the patient as a whole. A dentist must be capable of preventing oral disease and maintaining and restoring oral health. A dentist must also be aware of his or her professional limitations, be motivated to seek the patient’s best interests, and have the self-confidence to ask others to participate in the treatment of patients.

Throughout their professional lives, dentists must add to their knowledge by evaluating their own observations and those of others, this ability having been engendered by a critical approach to learning and cultural competence.

Admissions

Learn more about the admission steps and requirements for the program.

Curriculum

The curriculum is structured to allow for a balanced work load, time for remediation of weak students, a broadening of the student’s clinical experience, and an opportunity for the honor student to gain additional experience in areas of special interest. The first two years concentrate on preclinical dental science courses, but clinical observations and experiences are incorporated. The final two years concentrate on clinical practice.

Year 1, Summer

DBSCI 724 Gross Anatomy 8
GENDT 802
Introduction to Dentistry 3
Semester Total 11

Year 1, Fall

CLNDM 805 Early Clinics I 3.5
DBSCI 727
Dental Biochemistry  3
DBSCI 728A Cell Bio and Basic Histology 3
DBSCI 728B Oral Histology and Embryology  2
DPOH 806 Preventive Dentistry 1
FXPRO 801 Pre-Clinical Occlusion I 2.5
GENDT 801 Dental Morphology 3
GENDT 804
Nutrition and Oral Health  1
GENDT 819
Infection Control  1
IP 711 IP Foundations & Teamstepps 1
PERIO 802
Periodontics I 2
GENDT 831
Evidence Based Dentistry  0.5
Semester Total 23.5

Year 1, Spring

CLNDM 806 Early Clinics II 3.5
DBSCI 723 Dental Microbiology
FXPRO 805 Fixed Prosthodontics I 2
DBSCI 725 Physiology 6
DBSCI 729
Oral Immunology/Biology  4
MATSC 801 Dental Materials 2.5
PROS 820 Implant Prosthodontics I 2.5
SDENT 880 Behavioral Science 2
Semester Total 26.5

Year 2, Fall

CLNDM 810 Early Clinics III 3
ENDO 816
Principles of Endodontics  3
FXPRO 806 Fixed Prosthodontics II 2.5
GENDT 805 Operative I and Cariology 4.5
OMFS 801 Oral Surgery I  1
ORAD 800 Intro Rad Tech & Interp   2
ORTHO 801 Orthodontics I 2
RMPRO 811 Complete Dentures Pros I 4.5
SDENT 623 General & Systemic Pathology 3.5
SDENT 838 Oral Medicine I 1
Semester Total 27

Year 2, Spring

CLNDM 811 Early Clinics IV 3
ENDO 817
Endodontic Technique  1.5
FXPRO 807 Fixed Prosthodontics III 2.5
GENDT 830 Operative II 4
OMFS 805 Comp. Control of Pain/Anxiety Dentistry 1
ORTHO 802 Orthodontics II  2 
DBSCI 726 Pharmacology 4
PDENT 800 Pediatric Dentistry I 1
RMPRO 813 Complete Dentures II 1.5
RMPRO 835 Removable Partial Pros 3.5
SDENT 907 Oral Medicine II 1
Semester Total 25

Year 3, Summer

CLNDM 812I Junior Clinics* 2
CLNDM 890 Orientation to Clinics 1
CLNDM 896 Junior Attendance I 2
GENDT 835 Treatment Plan Fundamentals 1
GENDT 888 Preclinical Skills Assessment 0.5 
OMFS 806 Clinical Pathopsys of Com Med Cond 0.5
OMFS 810 Physical Diagnosis 1
PEDOR 825 Pediatric/Orthodontic Lab 1
PROS 821 Implant Prosthodontics II 2.5
PERIO 817 Periodontics II 1.5
Semester Total 13

Year 3, Fall

CLNDM 813 Junior Clinics** 3
CLNDM 830 Continued Quality Improvement 1.5
CLNDM 897 Junior Attendance II 3
DBSCI 730
Clinical Genetics  1
ENDO 813 Endo Special Topics 1
GENDT 818
Intro to Research Methods  2
PDENT 801 Pediatric Dentistry II 1
PERIO 818 Periodontics III 1.5
SDENT 839 Oral Pathology I 3
Semester Total 17

Year 3, Spring

CLNDM 814 Junior Clinics*** 12
CLNDM 827 Junior Treatment Plan Clinic 1
CLNDM 831 Continued Quality Improvement II 1.5
CLNDM 874 Oral Rehab Clin Experience I   2
CLNDM 898 Junior Attendance III 3
GENDT 807 Practice Management I 1
GENDT 816
Patient Management  1
MATSC 886 Independent Project 1
PROS 830 Dental Implantology 1
SDENT 840 Oral Pathology II 3
DPOH 808 Dental Public Health 1
ORAD 801
Radiology Advanced Topics  1
Semester Total 28.5

Year 4, Summer

CLNDM 832 Cont. Quality Improvement III 1.5
CLNDM 850 Senior Clinics~ 1.5
CLNDM 892 Senior Attendance I 2.5
GENDT 806 Esthetic Dentistry 0.5
GENDT 825 Comp Clinical Competency I 0.5
OMFS 885 Advanced Concepts in OMFS 1
GENDT 817 Practice Management II  1
Semester Total 8.5

Year 4, Fall

CLNDM 833 Continued Quality Improvement IV 1.5
CLNDM 851 Senior Clinics~~ 4.5
CLNDM 875  Oral Rehab Clin Experience II 2
CLNDM 893 Senior Attendance II 3
GENDT 810  Advanced Dental Seminar Series 1
GENDT 823
Advanced Treatment Planning  2.5
Semester Total 14.5

Year 4, Spring

CLNDM 828 Sr. Treatment Plan Clinic 1
CLNDM 818 Ryan White Wellness Center 0.5
CLNDM 834 Continued Quality Improvement V 1.5
CLNDM 845 Oral Surgery Rotation 1.5
CLNDM 852 Senior Clinics~~~ 8.5
CLNDM 871 Clinical Rest Dent Comp 7.5
CLNDM 872 Oral Diagnosis Rotation 1.5
CLNDM 876 Oral Rehab Clin Experience III 1
CLNDM 880 Oral Head & Neck Cancer Clinical 0.5
CLNDM 894 Senior Attendance III 3
CLNDM 865 Off Campus Enrichment Sites 0.5
GENDT 822 
EBD Capstone  0.5
GENDT 823
Advanced Treatment Planning  2.5
GENDT 826 Comp Clinical Competency II 0.5
Semester Total 30.5
Curriculum Total 225

Junior Clinics

* CLNDM 812I

** CLNDM 813E, CLNDM 813I

*** CLNDM 814A, CLNDM 814C, CLNDM 814D, CLNDM 814E, CLNDM 814I, CLNDM 814J, CLNDM 814K, CLNDM 814L

Senior Clinics

~ CLNDM 850E

~~ CLNDM 851C, CLNDM 815E

~~~ CLNDM 852B, CLNDM 852C, CLNDM 852E, CLNDM 852J, CLNDM 852L, CLNDM 852M, CLNDM 852N