UT-Houston
Profile 
Dental Branch Organization Chart (pdf)
History & Purpose
The University of Texas Dental Branch traces its history to 1905 – making it the oldest professional school in Houston and the oldest dental school in Texas. 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. 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.
The primary purposes of the Dental Branch are to train the highest-quality oral health care practitioners for the State of Texas and to engage in leading edge research. A top priority of the Dental Branch is to sustain its role as a primary source of quality oral health care to the traditionally underserved in southeastern Texas.
Instructional Programs
The Dental Branch sponsors 12 accredited academic programs. As such, it is the only school in the US to offer a full array: the eight recognized specialty programs, both of the recognized graduate primary care programs and a dental hygiene program.
Doctor of Dental SurgeryGraduate Primary Care
Advanced Education in
General Dentistry General Practice ResidencyGraduate Specialty Care
Dental Public HealthEndodonticsOral & Maxillofacial
PathologyOral & Maxillofacial
Surgery OrthodonticsPediatric DentistryPeriodonticsProsthodonticsDental Hygiene Program
(Certificate and Bachelor)Formal Combined-degree Programs
Doctor of Dental Surgery/Master
of Public Health DegreeOral & Maxillofacial
Surgery/Doctor of MedicineJoint Programs
Students enrolled in graduate dental programs have the opportunity to enroll in a master of science or a doctor of philosophy degree program offered by 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.
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 dental research, graduate training and continuing education.
Clinical Affiliations/Outreach Programs
In FY 2002, Dental Branch outreach programs were conducted at 81 sites throughout Houston and the Texas Rio Grande Valley – where the school provided oral health education and 88,000 charity treatments. These treatments reflect approximately $760,000 in unsponsored charity care.
A variety of clinical experiences is available to undergraduate, postgraduate and graduate students through affiliations with:
Memorial Hermann Hospital
St. Luke’s Episcopal
Hospital The Methodist Hospital
Veterans Affairs Medical
Center Ben Taub Hospital UT M D Anderson Cancer
CenterLBJ General Hospital
The Institute for Rehabilitation
& ResearchStudents also provide dental care to patients at outreach clinics in Laredo, Brownsville and Richmond. Outreach clinics in the Houston area are located at the Houston Medical Center, Rusk Elementary School, Bering Dental Clinic and multiple sites through the school’s Mobile Dental Van.