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School of Dentistry

Creighton University School of Dentistry Fact Sheet

Overview

Since its beginning in 1905, the Creighton University School of Dentistry has graduated 5,183 students. In 2011-2012, 340 students were enrolled in the school, which has 109 full- and part-time faculty members as well as numerous contributed-services faculty.

The first clinical patient was treated in the present facility, the Harry N. and Maude Boyne School of Dental Science in July 1973 following completion of the building.

Many Creighton dentists continue to participate in community service as alumni, sustaining Creighton’s mission to train students to become “men and women for and with others.”

Faculty

  • Mark A. Latta, D.M.D., M.S., serves as dean.
  • There are four endowed chairs in the School of Dentistry:
    • The Dr. Raymond W. Shaddy Endowed Chair in Operative Dentistry, held by Dennis R. Higginbotham, DDS. ’67.
    • The Dr. Oscar S. Belzer Endowed Chair in Dentistry, held by Terry M. Wilwerding, DDS. ’77, M.Sed. 2000, M.S. 2008.
    • The Dr. Edward J. “Eddie” and Neta DeRose Endowed Chair in Dentistry, held by James H. Howard, D.D.S., M.S.
    • The Dr. Philip Maschka Chair for Ethics in Dentistry, held by Gary H. Westerman, DDS.’69.
  • Student-faculty ratio is 6.1:1.
  • At the forefront of their profession, School of Dentistry faculty have a national reputation for excellence and serve on local, regional and national boards and associations.

Students

  • Creighton’s School of Dentistry received 2,727 applicants in 2012 for 85 available seats. More than 28 percent of the national applicant pool has an interest in attending the dental school.

  • The undergraduate grade point average of incoming freshmen is 3.62 on a 4.0 scale. For incoming freshmen, the average dental aptitude test score is approximately 19-20 on a 30 point scale, compared to the national average of 18-19.

  • Forty-six percent of the student body come from states without dental schools. Nearly 13 percent are from Nebraska.

  • Creighton’s School of Dentistry holds state contracts with Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. These agreements provide a guaranteed number of seats or preferential access for students from these states. The school also offers Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) seats for New Mexico, North Dakota and Wyoming.

  • The School of Dentistry has a chartered chapter of the American Student Dental Association. This organization promotes participation in the activities of student-directed organizations.

  • The school received a $200,000 grant in 2008 to increase the number of Native Americans in dentistry. This 27-month grant, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Dental Pipeline program, encourages recruitment of Native American students into the nation’s dental schools. The school currently has 12 Native American dental students, the second highest enrollment of Native American dental students in the country.

Alumni

  • Alumni are active in providing care in all dental-care settings from general dentistry to specialties.
  • School of Dentistry graduates live and work in 48 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Curriculum

  • The dental school curriculum is focused on the development of a competent general dentist. Creighton students are prepared to enter residency programs, dental practice or continue with advanced degrees and specialty training.
  • While Creighton focuses on training general dentists, 20 percent of the students go on to specialties – a figure that mirrors the national average.
  • A student research group provides a forum for dental students to participate in research seminars and projects.
  • The clinic-management system in the dental school allows students to view digital patient records and X-rays directly from monitors and provides real-world business function experience.
  • A Master of Science in Oral Biology program started in 2010 and its third class will enter with the 2012 fall semester. This is an interdisciplinary research thesis program in collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences.

Research

Research in the School of Dentistry has enjoyed significant expansion over the last decade with growing extramural funding support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) and numerous foundations and international corporations. Extramural funding has now exceeded $1 million for the first time. The school has active programs in basic biological and material science, health services and translational and clinical trials. General areas of research include:

  • Basic molecular studies evaluating the role of small ribonucleic acid (miRNA) and cell cycle control molecules in cell differentiation, proliferation and function. These investigations are targeted primary at systems in the cranio-facial complex.
  • Studies evaluating lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and cytokine regulation of G proteins especially in wound healing. These investigations are learning about these processes and their relationship to periodontal disease and diabetes.
  • Basic research into self-healing dental materials using microencapsulation to provide the materials with a controlled release of bioavailable remineralizing agents. These investigations will lead to dental restorative materials with greater longevity and the ability to inhibit the formation of dental caries (cavities).
  • Translational and clinical research of new dental materials including investigations in dental adhesives and composite resins, dental cements, fatigue life of new materials and the clinical effectiveness of new dental therapies and devices.
  • Health services research evaluating certain clinical indices as prognostic indicators for the new therapies and clinical approaches to periodontal disease.

Points of Pride

  • Creighton dental students continue to perform well on National Boards and licensing exams. Creighton students exceed the national pass rate average on National Boards with a pass rate of 97 percent. Creighton graduates also enjoyed an average pass rate of nearly 95 percent on regional licensing exams.
  • Dr. George Blue Spruce, the first Native American dentist in the country, and a professor of dentistry at Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health at A.T. Still University, is a 1956 Creighton dental school graduate.
  • Creighton’s dental students and faculty participate in activities that provide dental care to underprivileged adults and children and volunteer hundreds of hours of service. These activities include Omaha’s One World Community Health Center, “Give Kids a Smile” (dental education and dental services outreach for needy children), service in the Dominican Republic and Special Olympics/Special Smiles Program.