The first year of the curriculum introduces students to the concepts of human biology as they pertain to medicine in general and to dental medicine in particular. The curriculum reflects an emphasis on integration of scientific information by grouping courses into common educational themes. This includes studies relating to the principles of oral disease prevention, patient management, and physical examination. A major segment of the curriculum focuses on the structure and function of oral tissues and contiguous structures. During this time, students will also begin an integrated preclinical course in restorative dentistry combining several disciplines (e.g., dental anatomy and occlusion, operative dentistry and dental materials), including extensive use of the School’s Simulation Laboratory. Clinical experiences begin upon entry into the DMD program and increase with each succeeding year. In the first year, students begin clinical rotations in oral medicine, periodontics, health promotion, radiology, and within their assigned clinical groups. Students assist D3 and D4 students on the clinic floor as part of the yearlong DAU first year course where they begin to learn and implement the fundamentals of team-based care. A series of courses focus on Professional Practitioner Development, which explores concepts in professionalism, ethics, and practice management, is started in the first year and continues throughout the second and third years. Additionally, the concepts and practices in community oral health and public health are introduced to create the foundation for our comprehensive, four-year clinical and didactic program in community care. Penn Dental Medicine is the first school in the North America to longitudinally integrate instruction on One Health, climate action, sustainability and sustainable development throughout the curriculum.
First-Year Courses
This is an interdisciplinary course designed to introduce best practices in patient interaction and management, concepts of physical and medical evaluation of the dental patient accompanied by an introduction to histology, gross anatomy and physiology of the human body, including oral cavity and skull, radiology and considerations around ethical and inclusive treatment of all patients.
Molecular Basis of Health and Disease
This interdisciplinary course aimed at providing students with a thorough understanding of the basic principles of molecular biology and general biochemistry; the biochemical concepts underlying healthy metabolism, nutrition and selected disease states, and comprehension at an advanced level of selected topics in cell biology including mechanisms and manifestations associated with cancer and bone disorders
The course is structured to provide basic information about the evolutionary relationship, structure, physiology and molecular biology of prokaryotic cells and viruses, and basic mechanisms of immunology in relation to oral health. In addition, this course focuses on the study of the structural, biochemical and functional abnormalities that develop within cells, tissues and organs resulting in disease. The underlying cause of disease may result from one (or more) of the following pathogenic mechanisms: inflammation, immunity, vascular disturbances, abnormalities of growth, infection and/or genetic alterations. Students will also be introduced to clinical laboratory testing and interpretation. The concepts presented in this course will prepare the student for understanding the mechanisms associated with systemic and organ-specific disease.
Students will gain the necessary knowledge and skills in oral health promotion and disease prevention activities with individuals, communities and populations through lectures, seminars and clinical activities. Course topics include discussion of the philosophy, modalities, rationale and evaluation of health promotion and disease prevention activities related to caries, periodontal diseases and oral cancer. Focus is placed on assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of strategies designed to target the individual patient, the community and a population perspective. Students will be introduced to basic biology concepts applied to the healthy and diseased periodontium. Macroscopic and microscopic changes of the periodontium will be featured as well as how these are altered by disease. Emphasis will also be placed on how oral microorganisms participate in plaque/biofilm formation, caries and periodontal disease. Pre-clinical laboratory and clinical experiences will be included within this course.
This course focuses on the study of the general principles of anatomy, histology, and physiology of the human neuroanatomic system, with an emphasis on the regulation of the orofacial complex and basic mechanistic principles of pharmacology and local anesthesia. Integration of the gross anatomy learned throughout the first year will culminate with the meticulous regional dissection of a human cadaver. In addition to enabling visualization of both anatomical structures and their clinically significant relationships in a three-dimensional context, the course provides initiation into the tactile manipulation of the human body.
The objective of the Dental Development, Anatomy and Occlusion course is to provide foundational knowledge regarding tooth development, primary dentition, permanent dentition, tooth numbering systems, tooth classification (incisors, canines, premolars, molars), set traits (traits between primary and permanent dentition), class traits (traits for each kind of tooth), arch traits (traits of maxillary vs. mandibular teeth), and type traits (differences between teeth within the class). Dental morphology relative to Operative Dentistry procedures will be discussed. This knowledge will be called upon throughout all four years of the dental curriculum. This course includes lecture and laboratory component where waxing of teeth will be done to reinforce didactic material.
Module 1 will include a series of lectures focused on the basic principles of radiology. These include sessions on radiobiology, radiation medicine and technique. A hands-on component will provide the student with experience in taking radiographs. Module 2 is designed to teach the first-year student four-handed dental assisting technique which will be used to assist third- and fourth-year students in clinical practice. In addition, skills such as patient communication, team building, and record keeping are taught. Students gain clinical experience and assist in the same procedures that they are encountering in Operative Dentistry and Periodontics I, thus forming a clinical bridge to pre-clinical learning. Lectures, a written exercise, a lab, clinical rotations and completion of a clinical exam make up the didactic portions of the course.
This course is a continuation of the fall semester course designed to teach the first-year student four-handed dental assisting technique which will be used to assist third- and fourth-year students in clinical practice.
The objective of the course is to give foundation knowledge of operative instrumentation, operative dentistry terminology, principles of cavity preparations, the basics of single tooth restorations, and the dental materials used for these restorations, including the biophysical properties of these materials.
The objective of the course is to develop an understanding of the normal, healthy stomatognathic system and to introduce fundamental didactic and psychomotor skills, relative to operative dentistry procedures, in order to restore the dentition to its healthy state. This is accomplished through the review of individual tooth anatomy and the study of occlusion to define normal and healthy. The study of cariology and treatment of the pathologic process continues afterward. Restoration of form and function with basic intra-coronal amalgam and composite procedures then follows. Throughout the entire course, the study of occlusion as it applies to restorative dentistry procedures is continued.
Lectures, seminars and community experiences provide students with foundation knowledge in general principles of public health and community health, with specific application to the following dental public health concepts: access to care, cost, quality of care and international health. Students complete community experiences that provide foundation experiences in developing and implementing community oral health promotion activities. This course also focuses on preparing students to enter the clinical practice of dentistry; building relationships with patients, colleagues, and faculty; and developing a moral framework for clinical decision making.
The Selectives Program expands the dimensions of the predoctoral curriculum by allowing students to individualize their education to reflect some of their professional and personal interests and study areas that fall outside the core curriculum. The Selectives Program includes didactic, clinical, community dental health service, and research opportunities, many of which occur in small group seminars or individualized settings that promote close student-faculty interactions.
For the D1 year, the Selective requirement is to complete Reflect & Connect:
Penn Dental Medicine partners with The Reflect Organization, a 501(c) nonprofit, to offer Reflect & Connect, an evidence-informed peer-to-peer support program. Reflect & Connect provides all first-year DMD students with small-group forums to seek and offer mutual support on a regular basis, helping students forge a strong community right from the start.
In addition to helping create a positive and supportive environment for the next four years, this program is designed to foster skills, connections, and resilience that can contribute to personal and professional development for years beyond graduation.