Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is a branch of medicine that consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the oral cavity, commonly in the dentition but also the oral mucosa, and of adjacent and related structures and tissues, particularly in the maxillofacial area. Although primarily associated with teeth among the general public, the field of dentistry or dental medicine is not limited to teeth but includes other aspects of the craniofacial complex including the temporomandibular joint and other supporting, muscular, lymphatic, nervous, vascular, and anatomical structures.
A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a medical professional who specializes in dentistry, the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aids in providing oral health services. The dental team includes dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, and sometimes dental therapists.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a surgical specialty focusing on reconstructive surgery of the face, facial trauma surgery, the oral cavity, head and neck, mouth, and jaws, as well as facial cosmetic surgery.
The Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) is the dental school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to the DMD degree, HSDM offers specialty training programs, advanced training programs, and a PhD program through the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The program considers dentistry a specialty of medicine. Therefore, all students at HSDM experience dual citizenship between Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Harvard Medical School. Today, HSDM is the smallest school at Harvard University with a total student body of 280.
There are a number of professional degrees in dentistry offered by dental schools in various countries around the world.
The UCLA School of Dentistry is the dental school of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) located in the Center for Health Sciences building in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. The school has several educational and training programs, conducts oral and dental health research, and offers affordable dental care at three locations: Westwood, Venice, and Inglewood. The school also participates in several outreach endeavors, including numerous health fairs during the year, STEM pipeline programs and provides dental care for underserved populations in the region. The School of Dentistry is considered among the nation's best research-intensive dental schools.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine is the dental school of the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). It is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is one of Pitt's six schools of the health sciences and one of several dental schools in Pennsylvania. It is closely affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The School of Dental Medicine accepted 3.6% of applicants for the class of 2016, a record low for the school's entire history.
Oral Medicine is defined by the American Academy of Oral Medicine as the discipline of dentistry concerned with the oral health care of medically complex patients – including the diagnosis and management of medical conditions that affect the oral and maxillofacial region.
Dentistry throughout the world is practiced differently, and training in dentistry varies as well.
The University of Sydney School of Dentistry also known as Sydney Dental School is Australia’s first dental school and a constituent body of the University of Sydney, Australia.
The Melbourne Dental School is one of the graduate schools of the University of Melbourne. In addition to the 4-year graduate dental program the Doctor of Dental Surgery, Melbourne offers speciality training programs combined with the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry degree, advanced training programs, and research degrees including M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs. According to the QS World Rankings, it is the highest ranking Dental School in Australia and often ranks amongst the top 25 in the world.
A dental school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches dental medicine to prospective dentists. Upon successful completion, the graduate receives a degree in Dentistry, Dental Surgery, or Dental Medicine, which, depending upon the jurisdiction, might be a bachelor's degree, master's degree, a professional degree, or a doctorate. Schools can also offer postgraduate training in general dentistry, and/or training in endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology, orthodontics, pedodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, or dental public health.
University of Adelaide School of Dentistry is one of the Schools in the Faculty of Health Sciences at of the University of Adelaide.
The University of Dental Medicine, Yangon, is the leading university of dental medicine, located in Yangon, Myanmar. The university, along with the University of Dental Medicine, Mandalay, is only one of two universities of dental medicine in the country. The annual intake into both dental universities is 300 but from 2017 it introduced the new intake and decrease to only 100 per university per year. The country with a population of over 50 million had only about 1500 dentists in 2005.
The Faculty of Dentistry at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) is the largest dental school in Africa. Located in Belville, near Cape Town the UWC Faculty of Dentistry offers the BChD (DDS) Degree, degree in dental hygiene, and post-graduate MChD, MSc(Dent) degrees.
The Ohio State University College of Dentistry is one of the graduate schools of The Ohio State University. The college is the third largest public dental school in the U.S. and consists of nine academic divisions representing all major dental specialties. In addition to the D.D.S. degree, the Ohio State College of Dentistry offers specialty training programs, advanced training programs, MS programs, and a Ph.D. program in Oral Biology. Outreach and Engagement activities include over 60 active programs and more than 42 extramural sites, which continue to expand.
The School of Dentistry is a dental school within Meharry Medical College located in the United States city of Nashville. The school is one of the dental schools in the state of Tennessee.
The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry is the dental school of the University of Minnesota. It is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.
The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is the dental school of the University of Michigan, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Established in 1875, the School of Dentistry engages in oral and craniofacial health care education, research, patient care and community service. It is currently the number one ranked dental school in the U.S. and fifth in the world according to two independent rankings.
In the United States and Canada, there are twelve recognized dental specialties in which some dentists choose to train and practice, in addition to or instead of general dentistry. In the United Kingdom and Australia, there are thirteen.
