No-Hee Park, DMD, PhD
University of California Los Angeles School of Dentistry
Dean’s Message
In the four decades since it was founded in 1964, the UCLA School of Dentistry has earned an international reputation for its teaching, research, patient care and public service programs. At UCLA, we are proud of our tradition of producing dentistry’s newest leaders.
Our faculty members write and edit the most widely used textbooks in their specialties. Our continuing education program provides lifelong learning opportunities to more dentistry professionals than any other dental school. And our researchers are at the forefront of the latest advances in dental medicine, specifically in the areas of salivary diagnostics and regenerative dentistry.
The operation of our School and its clinics yields dramatic, positive benefits for the oral health of our community. Our students go above and beyond the call in providing oral health education, screenings and sealants throughout the Los Angeles area. And our predoctoral students, residents and faculty clinics conduct more than 150,000 patient visits per year.
A mature institution, the School has built a family that is large, active, and strong. Some of our alumni return to us as our newest tenure-track faculty. Still more stay affiliated with the School as part-time faculty and volunteers. In clinical practice, academia, and organized dentistry, graduates of the UCLA School of Dentistry are hard at work multiplying our efforts to improve oral health—in California and around the world.
No-Hee Park, DMD, PhD
Introduction
The mission of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry is to improve the oral health of the people of California, the nation and the world. In fulfillment of that mission, the School has established an international reputation for teaching, research, patient care and public service initiatives.
UCLA provides education and training programs that develop leaders in dental education, research, the profession and the community, enrolling students in a number of academic programs including the four-year DDS program, the two-year DDS program for foreign-trained dentists, MS and PhD programs in Oral Biology, combined DDS and MS, PhD and MBA programs, and 13 postdoctoral/residency training programs.
The UCLA School of Dentistry’s cutting-edge research programs generate new knowledge, promote oral health, and investigate the cause, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of oral disease. The results of the School’s research endeavors in the areas of basic and translational science, clinical and health services, and education are used to transform clinical practice at UCLA and around the world. In recent years, the School has ranked in the top ten among educational institutions receiving funding from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
Through the operation of its clinics, the implementation of outreach activities and the efforts of its more than 4,000 alumni, the School delivers patient centered oral health care to its community, the state of California, and individuals beyond U.S. borders.
Highlights
Education—The UCLA School of Dentistry consistently admits one of the most diverse and academically talented dental student classes. The members of the Class of 2009 hail from 12 states, are split nearly evenly between men and women, averaged a total science score of 21.8 on the DAT and entered with majors in subjects from geography to neuroscience. Demonstrating a commitment to excellence in clinical practice, nearly two-thirds of UCLA’s graduates are motivated to seek additional training in general dentistry and specialty areas. UCLA maintains its commitment to lifelong education by operating the largest continuing education program among U.S. dental schools.
Research—Scientists at the UCLA School of Dentistry are conducting revolutionary research at the forefront of 21st Century dental medicine. Our researchers have found a way to predict tooth decay before it occurs; detect osteoporosis in a jaw X-ray, synthesize a “smart” anti-microbial that targets and kills only unhealthful bacteria; identify the earliest signs of cancer in saliva; and isolate a protein responsible for generating bone. Pursuing these and other avenues of scientific inquiry, our researchers plan to revolutionize the face of health care tomorrow, placing the dental office on the front lines of preventing and diagnosing oral and systemic human disease.
Patient Care—The UCLA School of Dentistry provides public service through its ongoing, comprehensive patient care programs and its many community outreach activities. Our students, residency clinics and faculty practices conduct approximately 150,000 patient visits per year; treating everyone from infants to the elderly in an effort to meet the oral health needs of a largely underserved population. The School also participates in a number of community activities led by faculty and students to provide oral health screenings, fluoride, sealants and other care to homeless individuals and low-income families.
History
The UCLA School of Dentistry was established in 1964. Dr. Reidar Sognnaes, founding dean, had the most influence on what was to become the School of Dentistry. Previously a faculty member and dean at Harvard University, in 1960 Dr. Sognnaes accepted the challenge to create a new professional school that he envisioned as a “Harvard of the West.”
Dr. Sognnaes was integrally involved in all facets of the project, from deciding where to place the School’s building and how it should be designed to recruiting 80 full-time faculty members and setting the first standards for admission. When the School opened, it housed the largest dental research facility of any dental school in the world.
The pioneering first class of 28 dental students was impressive; their qualifications were ranked first in the country by the ADA. Margaret Pan, one of only two women in the inaugural class, took valedictory honors at the first graduation in 1968.
The Class of 2007 marked the 40th time that UCLA celebrated the graduation of dentistry’s newest leaders. The newly admitted Class of 2010, composed of 41 female and 47 male students, boasted a Total Science DAT average of 22, continuing the UCLA tradition of academic excellence.
