Fast Facts

The mission of the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine is to develop transformative leaders and oral health providers to improve wellness. Our commitment to education, research and patient care will be driven by a collaborative and entrepreneurial approach that will result in global impact on the profession.

Student Information

• 315 students in the Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) degree program
• 1,801 applicants for 78 seats in the Class of 2029
• Average first-time pass rate is 99% for the Integrated National Board Dental Exam (INBDE), as of May 2025
• 5 students in the dual-degree Dental Scientist Training Program (D.M.D./Ph.D.)
• 51 residents and fellows
  
  

Digital Dentistry in D.M.D. Curriculum

• Instruction in a CAD/CAM lab, including hands-on use of 3D scanners, beginning in the fall of freshman year
• A hands-on CAD/CAM course in fixed prosthodontics in the third year
• Faculty guidance in our unique Innovation Lab, where students can take part in the entire digital workflow, from the initial treatment plan to the final restoration
• 2:1 student-faculty ratio in CAD/CAM-equipped clinic for single-visit ceramic restorations

 

Facilities

• State-of-the-art clinical education center with 193 operatories
• Renovated Basic Science facility and entry lobby
• Two-tiered classrooms exclusively for dental students
• Collaborative Learning Environment classroom
• Pre-clinical Simulation Laboratory with 24/7 access to CAD/CAM software
• Two student lounges
• Two satellite clinical locations, in Charleston and Summerville
• Center for Rural Oral Health Research and Community Engagement at Marion Medical Center
  

 

Research

• $5,415,399 in grants awarded for 2024
• 1 of only 12 NIH-backed dual degree programs at U.S. dental colleges
• Partnerships with industry leaders to advance innovations in dental materials, clinical care, and care delivery models
• Tradition of exploring new teaching methods through scientific research
• Recent faculty and graduate research have explored innovative simulators that incorporate augmented reality as supplemental training tools
• First dental school in the Americas to install interactive Dentaroid robot for study of its potential effectiveness in patient simulations

 

Patient Care and Service:

• 61,321 patient visits in the 2025 fiscal year
• Over 40 providers representing every specialized field of dentistry
• Expansion to Summerville and Charleston’s West Ashley community
• In 2026, the opening of additional care locations in rural communities
• Dedicated clinic for patients with special health care needs
• As part of their fourth-year clinical curriculum, D.M.D. students complete two weeks of community-based care rotations throughout the state, including in Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Mount Pleasant, Summerville, Johns Island, Ladson, and Charleston
• Over 50 students participate in international and domestic volunteer mission trips annually
  

 

Partners in Education and Service

• We collaborate with state health-related agencies on a variety of oral health improvement initiatives
• We partner with safety net and community-based providers in rural and underserved areas to address oral health care access, continuing education, and advocacy
• We partner with community-based coalitions and advocacy groups to support their oral health promotion outreach and education initiatives
• Resources made available through our philanthropic and federal partners make it possible to provide collaborative leadership, integrated care and interprofessional practice

 

Philanthropy

• Over 2,900 alumni have graduated since 1971
• Nearly $5 million in private donations were received in fiscal year 2025, in addition to public grants for research and outreach
• The Pay It Forward scholarship campaign, which started in 2019, has grown to over $6.3 million
• Since its founding, more than $60 million has been contributed or pledged to the college from its alumni and friends

 

Economic Impact

• Faculty: 64 full-time, 28 part-time, 14 emeriti, and 170 volunteer affiliates
• Staff: 164 full-time, 3 part-time
  

Fast Facts Updated September 2025