University of California San Francisco
Tracing our roots: A legacy of dental excellence since 1881
Since its inception in 1881, the UCSF School of Dentistry has expanded and evolved its important mission. We invite you to explore the rich history and pivotal moments that have shaped our school and its programs.
Founding of UCSF Dentistry
1881 – Dental College established by the UC Regents with a $510 budget; receives unexpectedly high demand, including applicants with prior lay dentistry experience from the gold-mining camps.
1882 – First class of 26 students begins; fees set at $130.
1892 – Dental Clinic relocates to downtown San Francisco to increase patient access.
1896 – Dental Alumni Association hosts its first Scientific Session.
1900 – First Mount Sutro buildings open, housing medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry.
Early growth in dental education
1906 – Clinic moves to Mount Sutro after the earthquake and fire; faculty and students care for displaced residents in Golden Gate Park.
1914 – Guy S. Millberry, DDS, becomes dean, a position he holds for the next 25 years.
1918 – One-year dental hygiene program established.
1929 – Pre-dental requirements implemented; prior entrants came directly from high school.
Specialty programs take root
1934 – Clinical Sciences Building opens to expand outpatient dental and medical care.
1939 – Willard C. Fleming, DDS, becomes dean.
1950 – Graduate programs in oral surgery (three-year) and periodontology (two-year) are launched.
1954 – Cleft Palate Panel (now the Center for Craniofacial Anomalies) and continuing dental education are established.
1959 – Oral and Facial Pain Clinic established.
A decade of academic growth
1965 – Ben W. Pavone, DDS, becomes dean.
1967 – School of Dentistry Oral Pathology Laboratory established.
1968 – Postgraduate pediatric dentistry certification begins.
1969 – Two-year orthodontics program launched.
1970 – UCSF name formalized; dental public health certificate program begins.
Pioneering care in the AIDS era
1979 – Community dental clinics open at Buchanan Street and San Francisco General Hospital.
1980 – Dental Clinics Building opens at 707 Parnassus, providing state-of-the-art clinical teaching space.
1981 – School marks its 100th anniversary; John C. Greene, DMD, becomes dean and strengthens research.
1982 – UCSF AIDS Specimen Bank established.
1984 – School participates in Pew National Dental Education Program.
1986 – Oral AIDS Center established.
Modernizing clinics and programs
1991 – Pain Center established within oral and maxillofacial surgery.
1992 – Research Center in Oral Biology established.
1995 – Charles Bertolami, DDS, DMedSc, becomes dean, expanding applied research and technology transfer; first endowed professorship created.
1996 – Oral Cancer Research Center established; 100th Scientific Session held.
1998 – Post-baccalaureate Program launched to support disadvantaged students entering dental education.
1999 – $2.8 million modernization of predoctoral clinics completed.
New programs and digital innovation
2001 – International Dentist Program enrolls its first class.
2004 – School receives a $12M NIH contract to create an international Sjögren’s Syndrome registry; revised curriculum integrates basic and clinical sciences through thematic streams.
2005 – School reorganized into four departments and receives 17 commendations with no recommendations in its CODA review.
2006 – Axium digital patient records system deployed.
2008 – John D.B. Featherstone, MSc, PhD, appointed dean.
2009 – Digital radiography implemented; Pre-Clinical Lab renovated and dedicated to Willard C. Fleming; Dental Center reception areas modernized and Pediatric Dentistry Clinic expanded.
2010 – Craniofacial and Mesenchymal Biology (CMB) lab opens.
Leadership transitions and growth
2011 – Global Oral Health Initiative launched; School celebrates its 130th anniversary.
2013 – Online CAMBRA course becomes the first dental MOOC; 10th Research and Clinical Excellence Day held.
2014 – Dean Featherstone reappointed; UCSF achieves #1 NIH funding across all schools.
2017 – Dean Featherstone retires; Mark Kirkland, DDS, named interim dean.
2018 – Michael Reddy, DMD, DMSc, appointed dean.
2020 – The school adapts with virtual instruction and enhanced safety measures, sustaining essential care throughout the pandemic.
A new era of innovation and access
2022 – School of Dentistry clinics transition to a unified electronic health record with UCSF Health.
2023 – The School holds its 20th Annual Research and Clinical Excellence Day.
2025 – Dean Reddy reappointed for an additional five-year term.
2026 – DDS ASPIRE launches to prepare students to serve California’s underserved communities.