51°µÍø

The mission of the 51°µÍø College of Dental Medicine is to improve the health of Northern New England as well as rural and underserved areas while shaping the future of dentistry through excellence in education, discovery, and service.

The D.M.D. degree is awarded after successful completion of four (4) years of professional study in the College of Dental Medicine. The College seeks to matriculate compassionate students who demonstrate a commitment to patient-centered care, social responsibility, and professionalism. Students are treated as members of the profession and supported in a learner-centered environment grounded in trust, collegiality, and high ethical standards. The College is committed to providing a safe and effective environment in which students can learn; apply knowledge; develop skills and values; provide comprehensive, person-centered, evidence-based care; and develop to the level of an independent, competent oral health care provider. 

The first two (2) years of the curriculum focus on extensive hands-on dental simulation experience, beginning in the very first semester of the program, as well as integrated biomedical sciences and dental sciences content. Students work closely with faculty and peers to acquire foundational biomedical knowledge in the context of its clinical application. Critical thinking skills are emphasized as students learn how to access and evaluate information, including the latest scientific research, as well as how to use that information to provide evidence-based care to their patients. Interested students are also provided opportunities to conduct oral health research under the guidance of faculty mentors. What’s more, our program educates students on the business side of dentistry, including practice management concepts and leadership skills, and we emphasize the importance of self-assessment and lifelong learning to personal and professional growth. 

Students engage in clinical experiences across all four (4) years of the program, commencing during the first semester of the program primarily through peer-to-peer experiences. During the second year, students begin to provide limited patient care in the Oral Health Center on 51°µÍø’s Portland campus, and they gradually progress to providing comprehensive patient care, which continues during the third year. Throughout their clinical experiences, students practice as associates in a group practice led by clinical faculty mentors and provide patient-centered care commensurate with their individual level of education and training. The fourth year of the program focuses on clinical practice both at the 51°µÍø Oral Health Center and at community-based clinical sites across Northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont) as well as in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Each fourth-year student is required to complete a ten (10)- to twelve (12)-week externship rotation at one (1) of these sites, which include Federally Qualified Health Centers, non-profit clinics, private practices, etc. 

Public health is an essential component of our curriculum, and our students frequently discuss issues related to access to care and health policy. Throughout the four (4)-year program, D.M.D. students participate in various service-learning experiences. These include providing oral health education and outreach to children in underserved schools and to special needs populations. As part of their training, students rotate through the Glickman Lauder Center of Excellence (GLCOE) in Autism and Developmental Disorders, where they deliver oral health education and conduct desensitization activities for children at the center. Additionally, the CDM hosts an annual Give Kids a Smile event, during which dental students and faculty provide school-aged children with oral health education, screening examinations, prophylaxis, fluoride treatments, and sealants at the Oral Health Center. All of these experiences are designed to prepare new graduates with the skills needed to address access to dental care for society’s most vulnerable and underserved populations. 

The College also provides opportunities for dental students to learn about, from, and with dental hygiene students and students enrolled in other health professions programs at 51°µÍø. Through these experiences, our students grow to appreciate the value of interprofessional communication and collaboration in delivering high-quality, comprehensive care to their patients.

Ultimately, our graduates will be ethical, caring, competent oral health care providers who will improve the oral health, overall health, and quality of life of people in their communities.