The School of Dentistry is a comprehensive center of dental education, research, and care, dedicated to improving overall health by improving oral health. Each year, roughly 20,000 patients come to our clinics for screenings, preventative care, and treatment. Our faculty, staff, and students work with community partners to treat underserved populations in the Greater Houston area and across East Texas. And over the course of our history, we have educated more than 12,000 dentists, dental hygienists, and postgraduate generalists and specialists—approximately 93% of whom stay in Texas to pursue their careers.
The School of Dentistry was the first dental school in Texas and a founding institution of the Texas Medical Center. Over a century later, we continue to lead the way in oral health education, research, care, and community outreach.
From funding scholarships for students enrolled in our school and pursuing dual-degree programs in partnership with UTHealth School of Public Health and McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, to aiding research in breakthrough disciplines like dental informatics and biomaterials, Many Faces. One Mission. is your opportunity to keep the School of Dentistry where it has always been: on the cutting-edge and the frontlines.
Funding Priorities
Scholarships and Fellowships
Support the students and professionals who will help define the future of dental care.
Faculty Support
Bring health care’s finest to UTHealth to pursue their research and teach the next generation of dentists and dental hygienists.
Research
Support research that helps us better understand the link between oral health and overall health.
Dental Community Outreach
Help us make preventative and urgent dental care accessible and available to the most underserved populations in Houston and East Texas.
Research and Education Centers
Support students, alumni, and faculty in their research efforts and professional development.
“As an alumnus of UTHealth, I can personally attest to how our commitment to education not only helps our students become exceptional dental professionals, but—through the clinical care and community outreach they provide—also helps to improve the oral and overall health of all the people we serve, especially vulnerable and underserved populations like children and older adults.
Our school's vision is to improve overall health by improving oral health, and whether it's amplifying outreach efforts like Give Kids A Smile or pursuing more collaborative research and care with students at other UTHealth schools, Many Faces. One Mission. will provide the resources we need to bring that vision to life.”
John A. Valenza, DDS
Dean
The William N. Finnegan III Distinguished Professor in the Dental Sciences
UTHealth School of Dentistry