The Washington University School of Dental Medicine (WUSDM) was the

dental school A dental school (school of dental medicine, school of dentistry, dental college) is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches dental medicine to prospective dentists and potentially other dental auxiliari ...

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...

. Established in 1866, the Washington University School of Dental Medicine was the first

west of the Mississippi River. The school closed in 1991. Over 5,000 dentists were educated at WUSDM. WUSDM was a pioneer in the practice of scientific dental education previously absent in the dental profession. The school was founded by the Missouri State Dental Society and dentist Henry E. Peebles as the Missouri Dental College in 1866. The first dean of the school was Homer Judd. It is the first dental school west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

and only the sixth dental school in the U.S. In 1892 the Missouri Dental College merged with Washington University in St. Louis, becoming the Dental Department of Washington University. In 1908 the first woman was admitted to study at the university. In 1928, Washington University School of Dental Medicine relocated to 4559 Scott Avenue at the Washington University School of Medicine campus. In 1958 the University launched the

Baby Tooth Survey The Baby Tooth Survey was initiated by the Greater St. Louis Citizens' Committee for Nuclear Information in conjunction with Saint Louis University and the Washington University School of Dental Medicine as a means of determining the effects of nu ...

, led by Dr. Louise Reiss and with funding from the Greater St. Louis Citizen's Committee for Nuclear Information (CNI), which studied

strontium-90 Strontium-90 () is a radioactive isotope of strontium produced by nuclear fission, with a half-life of 28.79 years. It undergoes β− decay into yttrium-90, with a decay energy of 0.546 MeV. Strontium-90 has applications in medicine a ...

absorption of children by examining their

deciduous teeth Deciduous teeth or primary teeth, also informally known as baby teeth, milk teeth, or temporary teeth,Fehrenbach, MJ and Popowics, T. (2026). ''Illustrated Dental Embryology, Histology, and Anatomy'', 6th edition, Elsevier, page 287–296. are ...

.Hevesi, Dennis
"Dr. Louise Reiss, Who Helped Ban Atomic Testing, Dies at 90"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', January 10, 2011. Accessed January 10, 2011. During the 1970s the University began an experimental three-year DMD curriculum. In 1989 Wash U's board of trustees voted to close the School of Dental Medicine. The board said that the decision was based upon budget deficits, increasing tuition rates, competition from less-expensive state-funded dental schools, limited outside funding, and a declining student enrollment. By 1991 the Dental School graduated its 125th and final class.

History

*1866–1892 Missouri Dental College *1892–1909 Dental Department of Washington University *1909–1919 Washington University Dental School *1919–1974 Washington University School of Dentistry *1974–1991 Washington University School of Dental Medicine

Notable alumni

Charles J. Burstone Charles J. Burstone (April 4, 1928 – February 11, 2015) was an American orthodontist who was notable for his contributions to biomechanics and force-systems in the field of orthodontics. He was well known for co-development of new orthodontic ma ...

* Glennon Engleman, Class of 1954 *

Thomas M. Graber T. M. "Tom" Graber (May 27, 1917 – June 26, 2007) was an American orthodontist known for his contributions to the field of orthodontics. Graber wrote 28 books on orthodontics and dental anatomy. He also wrote chapters in more than 20 books and ov ...

* Wayne A. Bolton, Class of 1950 * Thomas Lewis Gilmer, Class of 1882 *

Robert J. Gorlin Robert James Gorlin (January 11, 1923 – August 29, 2006) was an American oral pathologist, human geneticist and academic at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. Biography Robert Gorlin was born on January 11, 1923, in Hudson, New ...

Benno Lischer Benno Edward Lischer (June 27, 1876 – October 9, 1959) was an American orthodontist who at one point was the president of American Association of Dental Schools and American Association of Orthodontists Founded in 1900, the American Association ...

, Class of 1900 * Earl Emanuel Shepard *

Mike Simpson Michael Keith Simpson (born September 8, 1950) is an American politician serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for since 1999. The district covers most of the eastern portion of the state, including Idaho Fa ...

, Class of 1977,

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Idaho's 2nd congressional district Idaho's 2nd congressional district is one of two congressional districts in the U.S. state of Idaho, in the eastern portion of the state. Beginning with the 2012 election, the district expanded westward and now includes most of Boise, Idaho, Boi ...

since 1999

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington University School Of Dental Medicine Washington University in St. Louis colleges and schools Dental schools in Missouri Universities and colleges established in 1866 1866 establishments in Missouri 1991 disestablishments in Missouri Educational institutions disestablished in 1991