# Eastman Institute for Oral Health

Eastman Institute for Oral Health of University of Rochester is a school of dentistry and department of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry located at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York, United States. Unlike other dental schools in the United States, it does not have an undergraduate dental program. It is affiliated with Strong Memorial Hospital.
The institution records over 180,000 patient visits a year and receives over $9 million in research funding as a location for oral health research in North America. Its programs receive over 1,200 applications every year for 40 positions, resulting in an acceptance rate of 3.3%. In 2011, it underwent a $5.9 million renovation. The school has ranked within the top 10 of National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) research funding to dental institutions several times, including ranking seventh in 2020. In the year 2020, the Eastman Institute for Oral Health published over 150 peer-reviewed research publications.

## History

In 1928, the University of Rochester Medical Center created the first oral biology research center in the US. The center grew into the Department of Dental Research in the School of Medicine and Dentistry.

## Programs and Specialties

University of Rochester Eastman Institute for Oral Health includes the following programs:
* Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
* Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
* Pediatric Dentistry
* Prosthodontics
* Periodontics
* Dental Public Health (DPH)
* General Practice Residency (GPR)
* Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD)

## Notable work

In several landmark papers in the 1940s, Dr. Basil G. Bibby, D.M.D., Ph.D. was the first to demonstrate that fluoride plays a significant role in preventing dental caries.
In 1955, Dr. Michael Buonocore developed the foundations of dental bonding and adhesive dentistry with the "acid etch technique." Dr. Buonocore and colleagues published the first paper on the application of sealants to pits and fissures of developing adult teeth, today a widely used technique for caries prevention.
As an early pioneer, in 1984 the Eastman Institute for Oral Health was selected by Per-Ingvar Brånemark as one of the few US dental institutions to conduct trials on dental implants.
In 2016, the Eastman Institute for Oral Health was awarded the Gies Award for Achievement, Academic Dental Institution by the American Dental Education Association. The school has a Collaborative School-Based Dental Program that reaches over 10,000 underserved or underinsured children annually.

## Accreditation

University of Rochester Eastman Institute for Oral Health is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association (ADA).

## Notable alumni and faculty

* Finn Brudevold
* Lawrence A. Tabak
* Thomas Diekwisch
* Martha Somerman
* Gary Greenstein
* Bernadette Drummond
* Cecile Feldman
* George A. Freedman
* Joseph F. Volker
* Lyndon F. Cooper, Dean of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry
* Hector L. Sarmiento
* William Calnon, president of the American Dental Association
* Esther Wilkins

## Institution Leadership

* Rudolph H. Hofheinz 1915 - 1916
* Harvey J. Burkhart 1916 - 1946
* Basil G. Bibby 1947 - 1970
* William D. McHugh 1970 - 1992
* Dennis H. Leverett (Acting Director) 1992 - 1992
* Ronald J. Billings 1992 - 1999
* Cyril Meyerowitz 1998 - 2013
* Eli Eliav 2013 - Present