In Memoriam: William Solberg, D.D.S., M.S.D

Black and white photo of Dr. William Solberg, smiling
Dr. William Solberg's most enduring legacy at UCLA was founding and directing the Orofacial Pain and Temporomandibular Joint Center for more than two decades. (Photo courtesy of 1981 ASB Impressions yearbook)
October 8, 2024

Dr. William Solberg, a UCLA School of Dentistry faculty member for 27 years and a significant contributor to the study of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders and orofacial pain, passed away on Sept. 2 in Los Angeles. He was 88.

UCLA will lower the flag at Dickson Court to half-mast on Thursday, Nov. 7 in his memory.

Joining the School’s faculty in 1968 – just four years after its founding – Dr. Solberg held several positions, including chair of the Section of Gnathology and Occlusion. His most enduring legacy at UCLA was founding and directing the Orofacial Pain and Temporomandibular Joint Center at the UCLA School of Dentistry, leading it for more than two decades until his retirement in June, 1995. A prodigious researcher, he authored nearly 80 scholarly publications primarily focused on his core subject area expertise.

“I will always be grateful to Dr. Solberg for seeing my potential as a dental educator when I was a student in the UCLA Class of 1978,” said Dr. Carol Bibb, health sciences clinical professor emeritus. “He offered me a part-time teaching appointment in 1979 and ensured that I would thrive in this position by including me as a collaborator in a major research study for which he was the PI.  It would be an understatement to say that ‘WKS’ – as he liked to be called – jump-started an academic career that has brought me decades of joy and fulfillment.”

Born in Minnesota, Dr. Solberg began his academic journey at Carleton College before obtaining his D.D.S. and M.S.D. degrees concurrently from the University of Minnesota's School of Dentistry in 1966. He furthered his training with a research fellowship in Stomatognathic Physiology and Dysfunction at the Royal Dental College in Denmark.

Beyond dentistry, Dr. Solberg was a man of many talents and interests. He was an avid sailor, woodcarver, and pianist, and he enjoyed cycling and writing in his later years. His engagement with public discourse was evident in the over 50 letters to the editor he had published in the Los Angeles Times.

Dr. Solberg is survived by his wife, Patricia Smiley; his son, Peter; daughter-in-law, Tatiana; and three grandchildren.