Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health

Dear Dental Students,

I am honored to welcome and congratulate you for choosing the Missouri School of Dentistry and Oral Health (MOSDOH) for your professional education. Your experience at ATSU-MOSDOH will be premier in scope. Not only will you receive an outstanding education but through your involvement in community service, you will emerge as an excellent leader with a strong desire to serve in your respective communities.

This is an exciting but challenging time in your lives as you embark on a four-year pursuit that will culminate with you earning a highly respected dental degree. You have made an excellent career choice! Your dental degree and certificate in public health will distinguish you from your peers and will serve as a reminder of ATSU-MOSDOH’s commitment to graduate community leaders who will serve those in need.

Along your journey, you will be supported by experienced staff, faculty, and administrators who will take interest in your professional development and experiences. We know that as ATSU-MOSDOH graduates, you will help to advance the dental profession through your contributions to dental practice, research, and service.

We are proud to have you join the ATSU-MOSDOH family. Best wishes to you as you pursue your professional goals. 

Sincerely,

Dwight E. McLeod, DDS, MS
Professor of Periodontics
Dean, Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health

About ATSU-MOSDOH

ATSU-MOSDOH offers students a contemporary dental education guided by an exceptional cadre of motivated administrators, faculty and staff in both the preclinical and clinical phases of the degree program. In addition to the issues of oral health and the skills of dentistry, students learn from and are encouraged to become caring, community-minded healthcare providers. Graduates will be leaders in their community and managers of public, not-for- profit, and private sector oral health organizations.

The dental program features:

• Innovative Curriculum: Integrating science, human systems and clinical care.
• Simulation Technology: Accelerating skill development for clinical excellence.
• State-of-the-art Facilities: Utilizing new facilities and digital resources for the faculty and students of tomorrow.
• Needs Focused: Educating competent, compassionate dentists for underserved communities.
• Service Education: Coordinating student partnerships with communities of need.
• Leadership Training: Educating dentists to be community health leaders.

In the first and second year, students receive foundational knowledge in the basic sciences, didactic instruction, preclinical and early clinical experiences. Third-year students work side-by-side with licensed dentists in our St. Louis clinic. Fourth-year rotations at community-based dental clinics may include experiences at a community health center, and Indian Health Service clinic. Additionally, students who enter the program and do not have either a certificate or master’s degree in public health earn a certificate in public health with dental emphasis while enrolled at ATSU-MOSDOH.

ATSU-MOSDOH Mission Statement

The Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health is an innovative and socially responsible institution that is committed to whole person health, advancement of educational excellence, scholarship, community service, diversity, inclusion, leadership and technology. Graduates will serve communities in need while engaging in lifelong learning.

Program Accreditation

Effective August 3, 2017, the Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree program has been granted full accreditation without any reporting recommendations by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, Phone: 312.440.4653.

Student Complaints

Students may file complaints about the four-year predoctoral dental program with the Senior Associate Dean, Academic Affairs. The Office of Academic Affairs will work with students to verify complaints and seek resolutions. Students may also file an anonymous complaint by using the Student Complaint link on the MOSDOH Student Portal. All student complaints will be logged and made available on-site to the CODA visit committee at the next regularly scheduled CODA site visit in March 2025.

Student Filing of Complaints to CODA

Students enrolled in the DMD program may file a complaint regarding the School’s adherence to the Predoctoral Education Standards by contacting the Commission on Dental Accreditation at: Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL  60611, Phone: 312.440.4653.

Predoctoral Program Competencies

Professionalism

CODA 2-10, 2-11, 2-17, 2-21

Practice dentistry guided by professional values, ethical principles, self-assessment and as required by legal principles and regulatory concepts to address the oral health needs of individual patients and the community.

Scientific Practice

CODA 2-10, 2-11, 2-18, 2-22

Apply critical thinking, problem-solving, quantitative knowledge and reasoning (including analysis of data, appraisal of evidence, synthesis and integration of new information) to the practice of dentistry.

Human Sciences

CODA 2-10, 2-12, 2-13, 2-14

Apply knowledge of molecular, biochemical, cellular and systems-level mechanisms that maintain homeostasis and of the dysregulation of these mechanisms to the prevention, diagnosis and management of disease in the dental patient.

Behavioral Sciences

CODA 2-16, 2-17, 2-23, 2-24 e,d

Apply behavioral principles to function successfully in a multicultural work environment, to manage and educate a diverse patient population, and to promote, improve and maintain the health of dental patients.

Treatment Planning

CODA 2-10, 2-24 a, c, o, 2-25

Formulate a provisional, differential and definitive diagnosis and a comprehensive, sequenced treatment plan, alternative plans and limited care plans for dental patients; make referrals to other providers; describe prognosis; obtain informed consent, evaluate outcomes of treatment, and recommend recall.

Patient Care

CODA 2-10, 2-22, 2-23, 2-24 b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o; 2-25, 2-26

Assess and manage the oral health care needs of patients within the scope of general dentistry in all stages of life (infants, children, adolescents, adults, geriatric patients and patients with special needs).

Practice Management

CODA 2-18, 2-19, 2-20

Apply principles and philosophies of patient management, models of health care delivery and leadership of an oral health care team.

Public Health

CODA 2-10, 2-18, 2-26

Work collaboratively to assess, address and/or solve population-based health issues using the public health principles of assessment, policy development and assurance.

Interprofessional Practice

CODA 2-19, 2-20, 2-24 c

Function effectively, respectfully and ethically in an interprofessional team to plan and deliver patient-/population-centered care.

Contact ATSU-MOSDOH

School Policies

Grading

ATSU-MOSDOH programs adhere to the University grading scale . Grading details for each course are outlined in the course syllabi.

International Student Admission

All ATSU-MOSDOH applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Programs

• Dental Medicine, DMD (MOSDOH)