Of the more than two million incarcerated Americans, many suffer from chronic health conditions, disease, and substance-use disorders, however some of their most urgent health concerns can be a throbbing tooth, or aching oral abscess.

Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) students are learning this firsthand by providing care to patients incarcerated at Suffolk County’s Nashua Street Jail. Several HSDM students and faculty operate a weekly clinic at the 640-bed facility in downtown Boston as part of the Crimson Care Collaborative (CCC)... Read more about Dentistry Behind Bars: HSDM Students Provide Care to the Incarcerated

Orientation began the first week of August, as Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) welcomed a new class of Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) students. The talented group of 35 were chosen from more than 1,000 applicants—representing under 5% of the applicant pool. The incoming class includes 17 women and 18 men hailing from 18 different states and representing 29 different undergraduate institutions.

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The Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) Class of 2017 received their degrees on Thursday, May 25, 2017 during Harvard Commencement and Class Day. Under overcast skies and drizzle, the graduating students marched with umbrellas and toothbrushes in hand, into Harvard’s Tercentenary Theatre for Morning Exercises. ... Read more about HSDM Graduates Focus on Learning, Leadership and Service

In a 2017 international ranking of dental schools by QS World University Rankings, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) is ranked fifth in the top 50 dental schools worldwide, and second within the ranking of North American dental schools.

The rankings are based on academic reputation, employer reputation, and research impact (see...

By Ashiana Jivraj

On Monday January 30, 2017 the Harvard School of Dental Medicine community came together for a special tea to promote inclusion and belonging on campus. Dr. Josephine Kim, director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, organized the tea with the newly announced Diversity and Inclusion (D & I) student fellows.

Dr. Donoff greeted the community by urging them to come together to stand for peers from different backgrounds and religions. He then introduced Andrew Carranco, DMD17, a fourth year D & I fellow to share his experience at...

Neither mountains of snow, nor chilly temperatures deterred local families and volunteers from coming to Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) on Saturday, February 11 for the annual Give Kids a Smile Event. The popular event held in the Harvard Dental Center’s Teaching Practices was an opportunity for kids ages one to seventeen to receive free dental care and to learn about oral health.

“Even in the snow, we came, we brushed, and we smiled,” said Mirissa Price, DMD2019, co-coordinator of the Give Kids a Smile 2017 event. Price, along with Carolynn Vuong, DMD2018, Justin...

HSDM students Morgane Amat and Tiffany Chien (DMD 2019 candidates) and their HMS teammates George Agyapong and Jun Liu (MD 2019 candidates) were recently awarded an Agents of Change grant for their project Interventions in Family Oriented Optimal Diet for Development (iFOODD) which aims to spread awareness of nutrition and oral health in families that have children with special needs.

Agents of Change grants from the Center for Primary Care provide...

Colgate-Palmolive Company has made a generous $50,000 gift toward the establishment of the Freeman, Grant, Franklin Scholarship. The scholarship will pay tribute to prominent African American figures in the School’s history — Robert Tanner Freeman, DMD1869, George Franklin Grant, DMD1870, and Dolores Mercedes Franklin, DMD74. The funding will support a DMD student from an underrepresented minority group or with significant financial need.

The need for dentists representing all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds is critical. The percentage of African American dentists has not...

By Ellen Garnett
Ana Fernanda Calles, a fourth-year DMD student, was recently awarded the HSDM Global Health Research Travel Award to pursue research in oral health literacy in diabetics with periodontal disease in Mexico City, Mexico.

“My passion for improving the current state of the Mexican healthcare system comes from my strong roots and cultural ties to the country; both my parents are natives of Mexico City and I am very familiar with the city,” said Calles.

... Read more about DMD Student Receives Award to Study Oral Health Literacy in Mexico

During the first week of August, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) welcomed a new class of Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) students. The Class of 2020 is made up of 35 talented individuals who were chosen from more than 1,000 applicants. The incoming class includes 21 women and 14 men representing 19 states and 27 different undergraduate institutions.

The new dental students participated in orientation events throughout the week, along with their Harvard Medical School (HMS) classmates. On the morning of Tuesday, August 2, they were addressed by acting HMS dean, Barbara...

By Ellen Garnett
Since 2013, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) and Northeastern University’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences have partnered with the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) on Martha’s Vineyard Island to combat oral health disparities within the Native American population. During their three years of collaboration, HSDM students involved in the program have learned that cultural competency is key in effectively treating patients with diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Under the instruction of...

DMD student Hannah Yoo received a Harvard South Asia Institute (SAI) research grant that took her to India over winter session to conduct research on the oral and nutritional health of women and children in the slums of Mumbai. She worked with an organization based at UC Berkeley called India Smiles...

Harvard Commencement and Class Day was held on Thursday, May 26 with celebration and ceremony. The day began with the graduating students marching into Harvard’s Tercentenary Theatre for Morning Exercises. Music, tradition, and remarks by students and deans commemorated the 375th Commencement.

Degree candidates from 13 schools and Harvard College were recognized by school and cheered by the crowd. Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) awarded 61 degrees– 13 Master of Medical Sciences, 12 Doctor of Medical Sciences, 36 Doctor of Dental Medicine degrees.

Later in the...

As an athlete and a first-year DMD student, Sarah Wicheta thinks about her medical classes when she runs. With each stride, breath, and heartbeat, she calculates how her body is functioning and how it corresponds with what she’s learning in anatomy and physiology.

On Monday, April 18, Wicheta will run in the 120^th Boston Marathon. She estimates that she’s logged over 500 miles training for Monday’s race, which she qualified for by running a marathon in her hometown of Wenatchee, Washington in under three hours and thirty-five minutes. 

This winter she ran over...

Second-year DMD student Nisarg Patel, was recently selected as one of ten finalists in this year's President's Challenge. The Challenge, with a grand prize of $100,000, aims to catalyze student-led ventures to solve some of the world’s most critical problems. It provides Harvard students with an opportunity to take their ideas and turn them into startup businesses with the...