Program Overview

General Information

Letter of Intent

First, reply to the email that you received notifying you of your conditional acceptance. This way, the Office of Student Affairs is aware of your intentions as soon as possible. Sign the Letter of Intent, and email it to the Office of Student and Academic Affairs.

Official Transcripts

The Office of the Registrar needs official transcripts of ALL college coursework. Even if nothing has changed since you sent transcripts during the application process, you still need to have final official transcripts sent to the Office of the Registrar.

Student Identification Badges

To better assist our incoming classes, we ask that you send a recent passport-type photo (white background) to be used on your student ID badges. These should be sent electronically beginning April 1 of the year of entry, but no later than June 1.

Core Residency Questionnaire

All residency decisions are determined by TMDSAS and our Registrar's Office will accept these decisions as final and official. The only time a 'Core Residency Form' will need to be submitted to our Registrar's Office is when it is determined that a DDS student is a non-resident by TMDSAS.

DDS Entering Guide

Please read through the entire DDS Entering Guide as it offers very important information to our entering class.

Criminal Background Check

Information for New Students

Please read through ALL the information. The answers to frequently asked questions are provided below, as well as information that you will need to know.

• Once you have completed your application, please review the information you provided before submitting to avoid a delay in your background check.
• If you have your phone or computer set to Auto fill, then you absolutely need to double check the information you entered.
• If there is a problem with your application or additional information is needed, we will contact you using the email address that you provided.
• You will receive an email when your background check has been accepted.
• Your background check will usually begin processing within 1-3 business days; however, we cannot guarantee this time.
• Please complete the process as soon as possible to avoid exceeding the deadline.
• Students with criminal activity or that have lived outside of Texas may take longer to process.
• International students will take longer to process.

Step by Step Instructions for New Students

• Go to the application and click on "Apply Here."
• Fill in your contact information.
• Pay the fee via credit card using the Submit Payment button.
• Click "yes" if you have paid and then Submit Now.
• Read through the Acknowledgements.
• Click Submit Now.
• Provide your Identity Information.
• If you do not have a middle initial, fill the space with a period.
• Please do not put n/a, no middle name, etc. in the middle initial field.
• If you do not have a former name, you can leave this section blank.
• Please do not provide your current name again in this section.
• If you do not have a Social Security Number, fill in the space.
• Click Next Section.
• Complete the Current Residence Section.
• Click Next Section.
• Complete the Previous Residence Section.
• If you do not have a prior address, you can leave this section blank.
• Click Next Section.
• Complete ALL of the Criminal Record Information.
• Click Next Section.
• Electronically sign the Student Release for Background Investigation.
• Click Next Section.
• Complete the Non-United States Residency form.

Immunizations

You must document your immunizations and upload supporting proof of all immunization requirements.

• You must submit a copy of the laboratory report on all titers.
• Please submit your immunization record only when you have uploaded ALL of the required documents.
• Your uploaded documentation must be legible.
• We recommend that students keep a personal copy of their immunizations and titers for future needs.

Insurance

Health Insurance Requirements for All Students:

• The Board of Regents of The University of Texas System mandates health insurance for all students enrolled in the UT System health components.
• As such, each UTHealth student who cannot provide evidence of continuing coverage under another approved plan will be enrolled in the student insurance plan and assessed a health insurance fee.
• Before being able to register for classes each semester, every student must complete the health insurance certification process.
• Through this process, students either provide proof of their own coverage or confirm their participation in Academic HealthPlans.
• To waive this fee you are required to show proof of current health insurance coverage through another provider by completing the information before the twelfth day of class for the Fall/Spring semester and the fourth day of class for the Summer semester of every academic year.

Procedures For Handling Extracted Teeth

Collection, storage, sterilization and handling of extracted teeth to be used for educational purposes at the School of Dentistry follows Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations and guidelines.

• Before being used in an educational setting, extracted teeth that do not contain amalgam can be steam heat sterilized to allow for safe handling.
• Microbial growth can be eliminated by using an autoclave cycle for 40 minutes.
• Extracted teeth containing amalgam restorations should not be heat-sterilized because of the potential health hazard from mercury vaporization and exposure.
• If extracted teeth containing amalgam restorations are to be used, immersion in 10% formalin solution for 2 weeks is recommended for disinfecting both the internal and external structures of the teeth.
  • Sources of extracted teeth:
    • Oral Diagnosis Department - Pathology Laboratory
    • Private Practice - Teeth acquired by students from private practitioners must be placed in a holding solution as described below.
  • Holding Solution - Use 0.5% sodium hypochlorite in wide-mouthed plastic jars for initial collection and storage medium.
  • Sterilization and Disinfection of Extracted Teeth:
    • Steam Sterilization - The teeth must be cleaned of visible blood and gross debris and maintained in a hydrated state in a well-constructed closed container filled with 0.5% sodium hypochlorite until ready for sterilization.
    • Formalin - Teeth with amalgam cannot be steam sterilized and must be disinfected in a solution of 10% Formalin for a period of two weeks.
  • All teeth are to be submitted to Educational Support Services for disinfection.
  • Use of Extracted Teeth for Laboratory/Mock Board/Western Regional Examining Board:
    • Disinfection - Before use in the laboratory or in preparation for mock board and the Western Regional Examining board, all extracted teeth must be sterilized or disinfected as described above.
    • Approval for Use of Teeth - After the extracted teeth have been disinfected as described above, they should be submitted to the Educational Support Staff overseeing the preclinical lab prior to using the teeth in lab.
    • Personal Protective Attire - Wear gowns, gloves, masks and protective eyewear any time that you handle extracted teeth.
    • Holding Solution and Collection Jars - Sodium hypochlorite holding solution is to be poured down the drain followed by generous amount water.
    • Surface Disinfection - Countertops and desktops must be disinfected using Sani Cloth Plus wipes.