Message from the Dean
As we enter the Spring semester, I am delighted to report that the academic
year is going well and the School of Dental Medicine is performing in "high
gear".
The School of Dental Medicine was established in 1968, with the first class
of 24 students graduating in 1977. Since then, the school has grown tremendously
in its offerings of dental education, patient care, basic and translational
research and community service. The school remains focused on the overall well
being of patients, and thus has integrated its curriculum with that of the School
of Medicine since its inception. Students devote two years to joint didactic
training and hospital-based clinical rotations, with additional rotations at
Long Island hospitals.
The school accepts 42 students per class and is considered one of the top dental
schools in the nation. As the school's reputation for excellence has grown nationally
and internationally, our number of applicants has soared. This year, an unprecedented
1,239 applications were received for the 42 positions in our first-year class.
We consider our 1,100 alumni to be one of our greatest assets and strengths.
We are constantly working with them to expand our education programs and fundraising
efforts for scholarships and other forms of support. I am proud that many alumni
have returned to serve in part-time or volunteer faculty positions or be a part
of external events to help reinforce our efforts to deliver quality information
to the community at large.
The School of Dental Medicine has an exceptional research record. We are considered
one of the leading schools in the US for translational research. The school
is conducting a major NIH-funded initiative to investigate the relationship
between periodontal disease treatment and diabetes. We continue to expand our
research efforts by aggressively forming collaborations with scientists locally
and abroad.
In patient care, the Dental Care Center at the School of Dental Medicine is
the largest provider of oral care for the 3 million residents of Nassau and
Suffolk counties. Patients registered at the Dental Care Center grew to 13,678
in 2012, resulting in 67,113 patient visits.
Our outreach efforts are impressive. Today we have 90 programs on Long Island,
with international outreach efforts in Chile and Madagascar, as well as a program
in South Dakota. Major renovations to our Dental Care Center, thanks in part
to a HEAL Grant from the State of New York, are slated for completion in the
Spring of this year. The new clinical space will house an additional 35 operatories
and an emergency clinic.
At the end of 2010, the School of Dental Medicine completed a 10-year strategic
plan. The plan focuses on seven areas and provides a dynamic template for growth
and innovation in education, research, patient care, alumni affairs, fundraising,
outreach and a new home for the school.
The school is currently focused on preparations for our Accreditation Site Visit
in September. Faculty, staff and students, with the guidance of David Paquette,
Associate Dean for Education, are enthusiastically completing the self-study
document for the Site Visit.
Clearly it is an exciting time at the School of Dental Medicine and I welcome
your involvement in the various activities, events and programs that make our
School a special place.
Ray C. Williams, DMD
Dean, School of Dental Medicine
Stony Brook University
