Avishai Sadan, DMD
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Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California
Dean’s Message
For more than a century, the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC has shaped talented students into outstanding dentists and dental hygienists. Our challenging clinical education, expert faculty members, and lifelong learning opportunities provide students and professionals with the skills they need in order to become leaders in the global and rapidly evolving oral health field.
Dentists and dental hygienists are consistently viewed as some of the most trusted and respected professionals that serve the public and our graduates are part of the reason. The Ostrow School of Dentistry not only educates excellent clinicians but also produces professionals who earn their patients’ trust with unyielding commitment to exemplary ethical standards.
In addition, our research activities present students with opportunities to maximize their educational experiences. The Ostrow School of Dentistry is home to some of the biggest names in oral and craniofacial biology, stem cell science, biofilm research, clinical investigation and more. Many of our students take advantage of this and take their dental education to the laboratory, emerging with a deep appreciation of the science behind the latest advances in dental treatments.
The Ostrow School of Dentistry is also renowned for our community outreach efforts. Our students, faculty, staff and alumni provide oral health services and education to thousands of people in need, whether across international borders or in Los Angeles. Caring for the less fortunate gives assistance to vulnerable populations and provides our students with valuable clinical experiences inspiring a lasting dedication to service.
We at the Ostrow School of Dentistry are all committed to maintaining an environment of excellence and eminence, and this commitment shines through in all that we do.
Avishai Sadan, DMD
Introduction
Founded in 1897, the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC continues a longstanding tradition as one of the nation’s top dental schools by maintaining a global reputation for excellence in clinical education, providing students with unique, intensive clinical experiences using the most advanced techniques and technologies in the field. Graduates form a tightly knit community of proud alumni provide top-notch patient care, conduct world-class research, and lead the oral health field.
The core of the Ostrow School of Dentistry’s strength rests primarily with its expert educators. Their world-renowned expertise, combined with the School’s innovative learner-centered curricula, provides students with the strong clinical education they need in order to become the next generation of great oral health professionals. The school’s traditional curricula include the Doctor of Dental Surgery program, the Baccalaureate in Dental Hygiene program, and several postdoctoral programs in dental specialties. Other available degrees include combined DDS/MBA and DDS/MS programs, Gerontology programs, Master’s and PhD opportunities in the Craniofacial Biology program, and the Advanced Standing Program for International Dentists.
The Ostrow School of Dentistry is a valuable facet of one of the country’s leading private, research-intensive universities. Consistently at the top of the list for research funding among all dental schools, the School’s celebrated status as a dental and craniofacial research powerhouse offers students many unique opportunities.
The Ostrow School of Dentistry and its students also benefit from its location within the city of Los Angeles. With one of the richest traditions of community service of any dental school, the School creates and maintains partnerships that not only provide valuable clinical experiences to the students but also help the most vulnerable members of society improve their oral health.
Highlights
On January 20, 2010, the USC School of Dentistry was named the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC with a donation from 1945 alumnus Dr. Herman Ostrow. The $35 million gift—the largest ever given to a dental school in the country—makes the Ostrow School of Dentistry one of only three named dental schools in the United States.
Student leadership and involvement is highly encouraged at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC. Students regularly participate and/or assume leadership roles in the American Student Dental Association, the American Dental Education Association, the California Dental Association, and many more. Ostrow School of Dentistry students also formed the Student Professionalism and Ethics Committee, a, independent, student-driven group that examines ethical issues pertinent to future dentists and is the first of its kind in the nation. Many other schools are following their lead and establishing student ethics groups of their own.
The Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC is renowned for its extensive history of community outreach efforts, including its flagship program, the USC Mobile Dental Clinic. Founded in 1965 as the Dental Ambassadors Program, the Mobile Dental Clinic has served over 81,000 children in Southern California’s underserved communities, providing free dental care and oral health education.
Some of the biggest names in dental and craniofacial research call the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC home. The Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, founded in 1989, continues to lead the way in determining the forces behind craniofacial and dental development and unlocking the potential of stem cell regeneration. Other world-renowned researchers at the Ostrow School of Dentistry are investigating the principles of biofilm and bacterial infection, the connection of oral health to overall health, the potential success of brand-new clinical techniques, and much more.
History
Established in 1897, the dental school operated under the auspices of the USC School of Medicine. From 1905 to 1947, it was affiliated with USC as the College of Dentistry and became the School of Dentistry in 1948. Its current home on the University Park Campus opened in 1952 and was rededicated with the 1969 three-story addition. In 1990, the school established the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology on the university’s Health Sciences Campus. During the 1997 centennial year, the school completed a 40,000-square-foot renovation creating new preclinical laboratories, orthodontic facilities, and a library-learning center that take advantage of emerging technologies to enhance education, research and patient care.
1897 - The University of Southern California establishes the College of Dentistry; for 56 years, it is the only dental school in the southwestern United States.
1924 - Floyde E. Hogeboom publishes Practical Periodontia and Public Health Dentistry, the first textbook on the dental treatment of children.Beverly McCollum, a pioneer in the field of gnathology, proves the existence of a hinge axis within the temporomandibular joint. Later, he works with Charles Stuart to develop the first device to accurately record the complex movement of the jaw.
1948 - The College becomes the School of Dentistry and officially comes under the full control of USC.
1954 - Renowned oral surgeon Marsh E. Robinson establishes the School’s Oral Surgery program, the first of its kind in Southern California.
1975 - The school’s graduate program in Craniofacial Biology, the first of its kind in the country, is established.
1983 - Researcher Malcolm Snead and his team are the first to identify, characterize and clone the gene for amelogenin, the principal protein in tooth enamel.
2004 - The Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine program, the first of its kind in the U.S., is formed under the direction of Glenn Clark.
2010 - A generous gift from 1945 dental alumnus Herman Ostrow renames the School as the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.
