Dental Branch Profile

History and Purpose
The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston (UTDB) occupies a unique place in the history of Houston and Texas. When the Dental Branch was founded in 1905, it became the first professional school in Houston and the first dental school in the State of Texas. For nearly 100 years the Dental Branch has remained Houston’s only dental school – even as the city has grown to become the fourth largest in the country. From 1905 through 1943 the school was known as The Texas Dental College. Late in 1943 the school reopened its doors as The University of Texas School of Dentistry – later renamed The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston. In 1945, the UT Board of Regents authorized creation of the School of Dental Hygiene as part of the Dental Branch and the first dental hygiene class was admitted in 1955. Today the school also offers eight accredited postgraduate programs in both primary care and dental specialties.

The primary purposes of the Dental Branch are to educate the next generation of oral health care professionals and undertake research for the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge. These goals are key to advancing the prevention and treatment of oral diseases. As the only dental school in southeast Texas, a top priority of the Dental Branch is to retain its pivotal role as a primary source of quality oral health care to low income families and the traditionally underserved.

Instructional Programs
The Dental Branch sponsors 10 accredited academic programs.

• Doctor of Dental Surgery
• Graduate Primary Care
  • Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD)
  • General Practice Residency (GPR)
• Graduate Specialty Care
  • Endodontics
  • Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Orthodontics
  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Periodontics
  • Prosthodontics
• Dental Hygiene Program (Certificate and Bachelor)

Formal Dual-degree Programs

• Doctor of Dental Surgery/Doctor of Philosophy Degree
• Doctor of Dental Surgery/Master of Public Health Degree
• Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery/Doctor of Medicine

Joint Programs
The Houston Biomaterials Research Center at the Dental Branch offers a Specialized Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences (Oral Biomaterials) in conjunction with the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS). Many Dental Branch faculty have joint appointments at the GSBS and are advisors to MS and PhD students. The postgraduate dental programs also offer the opportunity for residents to earn a Master’s degree.

Facilities
The Dental Branch is housed in a six-floor building located within the Texas Medical Center. The building consists of 325,483 gross square feet and includes basic science laboratories, lecture rooms, an auditorium, a library and learning resources center, faculty offices, clinics, administrative offices, and service and mechanical areas. There is also space for clinical research and continuing education.

Clinical Affiliations/Outreach Programs
In FY 2004, the Dental Branch conducted outreach programs at a variety of sites throughout greater Houston – where the school provided oral health education and 236,823 patient treatments. It is also important to note that through its many clinical affiliations and outreach programs the school provided approximately $1,270,226 in unsponsored charity care. The Community Mobile Dental Van has become an important and valuable participant in the school’s outreach efforts – it visited many sites throughout Texas providing oral cancer screenings and clinical care.

A variety of clinical experiences is available to undergraduate, postgraduate and graduate students throughout the Texas Medical Center.

Students also provide dental care to patients at outreach clinics throughout the greater Houston area such as the Houston Medical Center, Rusk Elementary School, Good Neighbor Health Center, Bering Dental Center and multiple sites through the school’s Community Mobile Dental Van.

Organization Chart

See larger image.