The Indiana University School of Dentistry is one of the oldest dental schools in the nation. Our history dates back to 1879, when the Indiana State Dental Association established the Indiana Dental College in Indianapolis. In 1925, Indiana University assumed ownership of the college, and it became the Indiana University School of Dentistry.
For 140 years, weve made a difference in the lives of the people of Indiana, the U.S., and the worldand were just getting started. Under the leadership of Dean Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch, were continuing to advance oral health by preparing the next generation of oral health professionals, conducting innovative research thats shaping the profession, and providing oral health care to thousands of people each year.
The mission of the Indiana University School of Dentistry is to advance the oral and systemic health of the people of the state of Indiana and globally through excellence in teaching and learning, research and creative activities, patient care, civic engagement and service.
Excel in high-quality, innovative research and scholarly activities that engage faculty, students, and staff; attract external funding; increase our national standing; and lead to improvements in oral and systemic health
Serve local, state, national, and global communities through partnerships involving clinical care, service learning, and community-engaged scholarship in addition to serving the university and the profession
The School of Dentistry is the only dental school in Indiana, and it trains 80 percent of the states dentists. In addition to the D.D.S. program, our academic programs include undergraduate programs in dental assisting and dental hygiene, a masters degree in dentistry, and a Ph.D. in dental sciences. We also offer an International Dentist Program for dentists from other countries who want to become licensed to practice in the U.S.
The school is home to nine academic departments with nearly 300 faculty who teach, conduct research, and provide clinical care. Our world-renowned faculty are leading authorities in their fields, and some of them have literally written the book on their areas of expertise.
Researchers at the School of Dentistry played a key role in one of the most significant public health advancements in human history: the development of the first fluoride toothpaste. In the 1950s, Dr. Joseph Muhler led a team that patented a toothpaste that used stannous fluoride and a calcium pyrophosphate abrasivethe formula that became Crest toothpaste, which Procter & Gamble began selling nationally in 1956.
Today that spirit of innovation is alive and well at the School of Dentistry. The Oral Health Research Institute, which was established using royalties from the sale of Crest, is a globally recognized center for preventive dentistry research and product testing. School of Dentistry researchers also are making strides in emerging areas ranging from dental informatics to bone and tissue engineering.
Each year more than 19,000 patients receive care from students training to become dentists, hygienists, and other oral health professionals at the School of Dentistry. We offer a full range of oral health care services, including general dentistry, advanced care, and emergency care, in the state-of-the-art Fritts Clinical Care Center, which opened in 2018.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion arecore valuesof IU School of Dentistry. We believe that these core valuesenrich and empower us to provide better education for our students, better care for our patients, a better working environment for our employees, and better citizenship to serve our world.
At IUSD, we are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse faculty, staff, and student population across all areas of learning, research,andpatient care. We are committed toremoving barriers andempoweringcurrent and future members of ourcommunity to realizetheirfull potential. We strive to create, celebrate,and uphold work, research, patient care, learning environments and global community engagements that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.
IUSDs Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee is made up of approximately 60 faculty, staff, and student members across departments. It includes individuals of diverse races, ethnicities, and cultures. Our subcommittees are Climate Evaluation and Assessment, Health and Wellness, Resources, Communications, and Events, Awards, and Speakers.
Indiana University School of Dentistry will be a global leader, advancing oral health as an essential component of overall health, through excellence and innovation in education, patient care, research, and community engagement and service, in Indiana and around the world.
The mission of the Indiana University School of Dentistry is to advance the oral and systemic health of the people of the state of Indiana and globally through excellence in teaching and learning, research and creative activities, patient care, civic engagement, and service.
Priority 2. During the COVID-19 pandemic, temporarily adjust our educational model (didactic, preclinical and clinical curriculum) to allow students to progress in a timely manner through the curriculum while providing comprehensive patient care.
Priority 2. Implement programs to educate and raise awareness among students, staff, and faculty about unconscious bias, microaggressions and bystander training to provide basic tools for cultural competency.
Priority 3. Regularly assess the climate of the learning environment for faculty, staff, and students at the School of Dentistry, using best practices to inform plans to advance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Create a patient-centered clinical education model, built upon the concepts of entrustment and interprofessional collaboration that is financially sustainable and generates resources that support our mission.
Priority 2. Develop Hospital Dentistry program to sustain capacity for dental care for patients with special needs and train future healthcare providers able to care for patients throughout the state.
Increase the quality and impact of our scholarship, through strategic recruitment and retention of the best investigators, building upon our strengths, and focusing on increasing federally funded projects.
Priority 1. Develop an IUSD business intelligence environment (BI) that provides robust data reporting and analysis capability related to all IUSD missions and business functions. The BI environment will produce timely, accurate, and meaningful management information to support IUSD leaderships strategic and operational decision-making needs regarding financial, administrative, and other matters.
Priority 2. Determine the optimal administrative organizational structures and processes to support the strategic priorities of the School and our tripartite mission of education, research, scholarship and patient care.
Priority 3. Determine the optimal academic departmental organizational structure to support the strategic priorities of the School and our tripartite mission of education, research and scholarship, and patient care.
Increase our impact throughout the state of Indiana, and globally, through excellence in community engagement and interprofessional collaboration that meets community needs and enhances our education, teaching and service missions.
Priority 3. Develop globalization initiatives that increase our impact through education, research and service. To enhance the globalization of the IUSD community, primarily students and faculty, including an awareness of the internal and external political agendas; and where possible, generate additional revenue for the school.