Welcome to the history of the Washington University School of Dental Medicine
Established in 1866 by the Missouri State Dental Association, the Missouri Dental College was the first dental college west of the Mississippi River and the sixth such school in the nation. The school was initially affiliated with the St. Louis Medical College before becoming a part of Washington University. It graduated its last class and closed in 1991.
In its 125 years of existence, the dental school changed both its name and its location, yet always retained its commitment to the advancement of dental education and dentistry as a profession. The Washington University School of Dental Medicine trained more than five thousand dentists, many of whom built influential careers and contributed to advances in clinical education, operative technique, and scientific research in dentistry.
