Department of Comprehensive Dentistry

Modern healthcare requires caring and competent primary care providers who place patient welfare above all other considerations. In dentistry, the general dentist fulfills that role. The traditional term “attending doctor” indicates such a doctor/patient relationship and signifies the philosophy of the department that the general dentist is responsible for leading diagnostic, treatment planning, and therapeutic endeavors for all patients under his or her care.

The Department of Comprehensive Dentistry at the School of Dentistry, located in Dallas, conducts multidisciplinary instruction, research, patient care, and preclinical instruction. The Department also administers instruction in the disciplines of Dental Implants, Dental Materials, Dental Anatomy, Dental Occlusion, and Professional Ethics in a series of courses spread throughout the four years of the dental curriculum.

Preclinical and clinical educational programs operate within the context of the simulation clinic laboratories and clinics within the dental facilities.

The Department of Comprehensive Dentistry supports the following objectives:

  • Developing a concern for the overall health of the patient.
  • Providing comprehensive care in a professional manner.
  • Practicing with a high degree of personal and professional integrity.

In addition to the undergraduate preclinical and clinical dental curriculum, the Department also offers a 35-month combined MS degree in Oral Biology with a Certificate in Prosthodontics and a one-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) Certificate program.