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The UCLA School of Dentistry’s 60th Anniversary Celebration will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, at UCLA's Geffen Hall! The event – welcoming students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the wider UCLA and dental communities –  will showcase the four pillars of excellence on which the School was founded in 1964: 

A busy autumn season of professional networking and continuing education for the UCLA School of Dentistry’s Section of Orthodontics included November’s Western Orthodontic Conference (WOCON) and October’s Consortium for Orthodontic Advances in Science and Technology (COAST) Biennial Meeting.

“Raise your hand if you’ve seen a dentist that looks like you,” asked Dr. Laila Hishaw in the UCLA School of Dentistry’s simulation lab, upon which three or four arms sheepishly extended into the air.

***Explore this interactive timeline of the UCLA School of Dentistry's first 60 years on TimelineJS.

Event photo gallery on Facebook

In addition to fillings, extractions, and bridges, there’s been plenty of romance fluttering through the halls of CHS over the past 60 years!

In advance of Valentine's Day, we put out the call to Bruin alums and students, asking for your UCLA School of Dentistry love stories. From Class of 1977 alums approaching their golden anniversary to a couple who found each other on the first day of D1 orientation last September, thanks for sharing your heartwarming tales of matches made in heaven … and scrubs.

February is Black History Month! In celebration, the UCLA School of Dentistry's Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee has created an interactive timeline of Black contributions to oral health care, from early practitioners like Dr. Robert Tanner Freeman and Dr. Ida Gray Nelson Rollins, to Dr. Jeanne Craig Sinkford – the first female dental school dean in the U.S. – to some notable accomplishments here in Westwood.

Students are working with faculty and staff to make sure everyone can see themselves in the profession

For UCLA dental students, Isaiah “Izzy” Sampson and Ryan Davis, entering the dental field was in one word — perplexing.

1967 - A health survey shows that Venice Beach residents need dental care more than any other service. Advocates approach the UCLA School of Dentistry with a proposal to open a community clinic.

1968 - Approvals from Chancellor Charles Young and dental school dean, Dr. Raider Soggnaes, move the clinic project forward. A grant for $38,000 is secured for start-up costs.

Lighting the Way: Giving Angelenos a Reason to Smile

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL ISSUE ONLINE

PLEASE JOIN US ON SATURDAY, SEPT. 28, AT THE UCLA VENICE DENTAL CENTER TO CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF LIGHTING THE WAY FOR ANGELENOS