About LSU Health Sciences Center
School of Dentistry
Our Mission, Vision and Values
Mission Statement
The mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry (LSUSD) is to serve the needs of the citizens of the State of Louisiana by:
- Educating future general dentists, specialists, and allied dental professionals to provide excellent and current health care.
- Providing a leadership role in research through investigating new approaches to the prevention and management of disease, developing innovative treatment modalities, expediting the transfer of knowledge for clinical use and enhancing health care delivery.
- Providing health care services to the public and disseminating information to the dental community on local, national, and international levels.
Statement of Commitment to Humanistic Culture
The faculty, staff, and students of LSUSD respect the values of the institution and the community. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical, academic, and clinical standards. Our commitment to a supportive environment with open and positive communication assures that all individuals will meet their highest potential. These statements promote our commitment and explicit responsibility to humanistic culture, and support an environment and culture that promotes professional and ethical behavior among faculty, staff, and students through a variety of programs and activities.
Three out of every four dentists and dental hygienists practicing in Louisiana today
are graduates of the school. From a national perspective, LSUSD is unique among the
more than 65 dental schools in the United States because it offers degrees in dentistry,
dental hygiene, and dental laboratory technology. By training students in all aspects
of dentistry, LSUSD offers a level of education that has resulted in the school's
reputation for outstanding clinical education. Since 1972, the LSU School of Dentistry
has graduated over 6,000 dental health professionals by conferring the following degrees:
Doctor of Dental Surgery: The incoming freshman class is comprised of approximately 75 students. The grade-point
average of the class is around 3.65 and the majority of students come from Louisiana.
Dental Hygiene: Students receive a Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene. Each year 38 students
are accepted into the New Orleans program and six students are accepted into the program
at LSU-Alexandria.
Dental Laboratory Technology: This two-year program offers an Associate of Science and accepts up to 12 students.
In addition to these academic programs, LSUSD offers advanced training programs in the following areas:
- Endodontics
- General Dentistry Residency
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Orofacial Pain
- Orthodontics
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Periodontics
- Prosthodontics
LSUSD is committed to educating dentists and dental hygienists throughout their careers. The school enjoys a national reputation for its continuing education program, which attracts dentists from throughout the United States.
Providing service to our community through patient care and outreach programs is also a vital part of our mission. We care for the poor, the elderly, and the young. We also provide valuable outreach programs to educate children and adults about the importance of proper oral health.
Our students and faculty are affiliated with various health related institutions across the state. Institutional affiliations include:
- University Medical Center, New Orleans
- Southern Regional Research Medical Center (Chabert), Houma
- Pinecrest Services and Supports Center, Pineville
- Veteran's Affairs Hospital, New Orleans
- Veteran's Affairs Hospital, Baton Rouge
- Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center
- Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center
- Baton Rouge General Hospital
- Carolina Center for Oral and Facial Surgery
- Ochsner Hospital for Children