Doctor of Dental Medicine

The four-year predoctoral program prepares students to provide basic health promotion and disease prevention, diagnose and develop treatment plans, analyze complex medical and dental cases, and achieve competency in all areas defined for general practitioners. The competency-based curriculum also reflects the school’s commitment to supporting the development of professionalism, life-long learning, and synthesis of clinical and biomedical science concepts.

An essential part of the training of students at Pitt Dental is to learn and practice clinical concepts that involve administering anesthesia, dental hygiene, cleaning, and other facets of dental examination and care. To facilitate this training, part of the educational experience at Pitt Dental requires students to serve as patients for other students.

Since 1896 the School of Dental Medicine has been educating students to take their places among the best dental practitioners, researchers, and educators in our region, across the country, and even around the world. Our accomplishments reflect the dedication and success of each member of the School of Dental Medicine family.

Our researchers expand the horizons of knowledge and are internationally renowned for their groundbreaking developments in the areas of craniofacial genetics and craniofacial regeneration. We identify genes that contribute to complex human phenotypes and are using tissue engineering to heal wounds and restore function and appearance to defects of the face and skull.