The Department of Integrative Biomedical & Diagnostic Sciences carries a major teaching load and is responsible for the anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, nutrition, neuroscience, pharmacology, and physiology instruction for first and second year dental students.

The aim of our teaching program is to provide an excellent foundation in basic information, with topics and emphasis directed at the clinical aspects of dental education. This teaching strategy has been well received by our students, who have frequently selected some member of the department for an "outstanding instructor" award

A major goal for the past several years has been to increase clinical correlations and problem-based-learning (PBL) in all our courses. The course instructors also strive to instill the commitment to a lifetime of learning in our students, to enable them to meet the evolving health needs of all segments of society.

The goal of integration between basic science and clinical application includes an emphasis on biological concepts rather than memorized facts, the use of problem-based-learning, and the use of the scientific approach in solving clinical problems. This goal corresponds to the recommendations of the recent report by the Institute of Medicine for an interactive curriculum with problem-oriented learning that emphasizes skills and competencies. We now have some type of clinical case studies and/or PBL in almost all of our courses.

We have begun to incorporate computer-enhanced instruction using cd-rom material into our courses and are developing Web-based modules as an additional resource for students.

In addition to teaching the department’s core courses, faculty members participate in a number other courses. They teach elective courses for the third and fourth year dental students, contribute lectures for courses in other departments of the dental school, give optional review sessions, contribute to the core courses for the dental graduate-resident students, give lectures in the core curricula of the Ph.D. graduate training programs, and supervise the research of graduate and postdoctoral students in the Integrative Biosciences Department.

Department Core Courses (and course directors)

IB701 Biochemistry and Physiology of Oral Health and Disease (Dr. King)
AN711 Clinical Anatomy (Dr. Benninger)
AN712 Head and Neck Anatomy (Dr. Benninger)
AN713 General Histology (Dr. Danilchik)
AN715 Oral Histology and Development (Dr. Kent)
OPTH723 Infectious Disease and Inflammation (Dr. Maier)
OPTH725 Caries (Dr. Maier)
MB721 Microbiology and immunology (Dr. Maier)
MB722 Pathogenic and Oral Microbiology (Dr. Maier)
PHC721 Pharmacodynamics (Dr. Smith)