USC Oral Health Center

For over 100 years, the faculty members of the USC School of Dentistry have been at the forefront of the dental profession. With over 550 faculty, over 800 predoctoral dental, dental hygiene and graduate students and residents in dental specialties, more than 250 full time technicians and staff and more than 8,000 successful and active oral health professional alumni, our academic prominence and expertise are unsurpassed.

As the first university to transition from traditional to problem-based learning, the USC School of Dentistry emphasizes small group-oriented, inquiry-based strategies of learning, with students addressing developmentally appropriate patient problems. Through a variety of community outreach programs and facilities, student dentists, dental hygienists and residents practice under the supervision of experienced faculty. In this way, we are increasing efforts to improve the community’s oral health while infusing leadership skills and tools into health education.

The research at the USC School of Dentistry is far-reaching and comprises basic, translational, educational and clinical studies in a variety of areas. Our doctors repeatedly demonstrate significant impact in the international scientific literature, and their discoveries translate into enhanced oral health care through health promotion, risk assessments, prevention of disease and disorders, diagnostics, treatment planning, treatments and therapeutics, and successful outcomes.