Department Overview

The mission of the Department is to contribute to improvements in oral and general health through the development, dissemination, and application of knowledge in the socio-behavioral, clinical, and public health sciences.

The Department achieves its goals through research, education, and patient care activities. Its research examines various aspects of the relationships among behavioral characteristics, health status, and the use of health services. Patient care activities focus on the management of chronic pain.

Among its educational responsibilities, the Department provides predoctoral courses in the basic medical and dental clinical sciences and is the academic home to a community-based mentoring program that exposes students to private dental practices. The Division also offers a course in biostatistics to residents and cooperates with other University departments in providing doctoral training for dentists interested in academic careers.