Dean's Message: Charting New Territory

Thank you for taking the time to read the second edition of the UCLA Dentistry bi-annual magazine. Before you dive into the pages of this issue, I would like to take the time to share several exciting announcements.

We passed our February site visit from the Commission on Dental Accreditation. In fact, we set a new standard. We are the only dental school in the Commission’s history to not have a single recommendation or suggestion for all of the accredited specialty programs that were reviewed. Accreditation happens every seven years, and although it can be stressful, it is a time for our school to shine. I want to thank everyone who was involved in the process. We wouldn’t be who we are without our dedicated staff, faculty, and students.

We officially launched our Community-based Clinical Education program at the beginning of March. Millions of Californians have a problem accessing oral healthcare. Our solution is to bring the dental school to the community through affiliated partnerships with federally qualified health centers and private practices that treat underserved patients. The program introduces our fourth year dental students to caring for vulnerable populations throughout Southern California. Students gain valuable clinical experiences through performing a wide array of services, including cleanings, fillings, dentures, and surgical extractions. My hope is that this program continues to build momentum, and that UCLA Dentistry is part of the solution of access to care through service-based learning. 

Throughout the pages of this magazine, we introduce you to four alums who used their dental degrees to reach new horizons. We feature a first year student doctor who had to take a new perspective because of a vision condition, but he discovered that maybe it was the right perspective all along. We took collaborative research to new heights with the help of funding from the Center for Advancement of Science in Space. Finally, we look back at the last four years of the Centennial Campaign for UCLA. It’s been a long road, and we wouldn’t be at over 80 percent to reaching our $35 million goal without the donors who believe in our mission.

I look forward to charting even more new territory with help from UCLA Dentistry faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends, by my side. If you have an idea for a story or just want to send us your thoughts about what we featured in this magazine, please email us at info@dentistry.ucla.edu. Your opinion and thoughts matter and are important to us.

Sincerely,

Paul H. Krebsbach, DDS, PhD
Dean and Professor