Columbia University College of Dental Medicine

What Columbia University College of Dental Medicine does

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine is a private academic dental school founded in 1916 and operated as a division of Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The institution trains general dentists and dental specialists through a four-year Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) program — enrolling approximately 80 new students per year — alongside nine postdoctoral residency and specialty programs (Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/MD, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, Prosthodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, General Practice Residency, and Advanced Education in General Dentistry) and a recently introduced Master of Science in Oral Sciences. Recent program additions include a Digital Implantology Competency Hub fellowship funded by a Straumann SUPER Grant and an AI Fellows Program co-run with Columbia's Center for Teaching and Learning to integrate artificial intelligence into dental education.

The school's research platform is anchored by the Center for Precision Dental Medicine (established 2017), which uses biometric instrumentation, overhead cameras, and equipment-usage tracking to support advanced training, and the Center for Dental and Craniofacial Research (launched 2020), which unites investigators from dental medicine, bioengineering, and data science. Notable scientific assets include the Embree lab's identification of fibrocartilage stem cells (FCSCs) in the temporomandibular joint and the Wnt molecular signal that depletes them — a research line relevant to the ~10 million Americans affected by TMJ disorders. Clinical care is delivered through the ColumbiaDoctors Dentistry faculty practice and teaching clinics across the main 630 West 168th Street campus, Haven Towers, and a Midtown location at 51 West 51st Street, supplemented by a Mobile Dental Center serving Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across four streams: tuition and fees from the DDS, postdoctoral, MS, and continuing education programs; patient care revenue from teaching clinics and the ColumbiaDoctors Dentistry faculty practice; federal research grants (including a $3.2M award in 2021 from NIDCR/NIH); and philanthropy, including foundation grants (Straumann, Dalio Center for Health Justice) and private bequests such as a $1 million gift from Dr. Norman Kahn for student scholarships. The school does not separately disclose revenue; funding flows through Columbia University, a private Ivy League institution with no external equity or venture ownership.

Name

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine

Legal name

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine

Website

https://dental.columbia.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine is a private Ivy League dental school founded in 1916 that trains DDS students and specialists, delivers patient care through ColumbiaDoctors Dentistry and teaching clinics, and conducts oral and craniofacial research from its Upper Manhattan campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dental Education and Oral Healthcare Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Offices of Dentists (621210)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAGAF

Dental Schools

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Medical & Health Sciences Universities

SECONDARYHLABAAAF

Community & Public Health Dentistry Clinics (FQHC/School-Based/Nonprofit)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Dental Care Services/General & Family Dentistry

SECONDARYHLABAKAB

General Dentistry Group Practices

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Dental Care Services/Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) & Group Practices

SECONDARYHLABAKAD

Pediatric Dentistry Group Practices

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Dental Care Services/Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) & Group Practices

SECONDARYEDAOAJAJ

Dental Assisting

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Healthcare Allied & Clinical Support Training

Keywords

• Dental education
• Dental residency training
• Clinical dentistry
• Oral health research
• Community dental care

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Dental Education Programs: Tuition and fees from DDS program, postdoctoral/residency programs, Master of Science in Oral Sciences, and continuing education programs.
2. Patient Care Services: Revenue from teaching clinics and ColumbiaDoctors Dentistry practice providing dental care services to patients.
3. Research Grants and Philanthropy: Funding from federal grants (NIDCR, NIH), foundation grants (Straumann SUPER Grant, Dalio Center Grant), and private bequests for scholarships and research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine is a private academic dental school that trains dentists through its four-year DDS program, multiple postdoctoral residency specialties, a Master of Science in Oral Sciences, and continuing dental education. It delivers patient care through teaching clinics and the ColumbiaDoctors Dentistry faculty practice and conducts biomedical and clinical research in oral health. The institution also addresses oral health disparities through community outreach programs including a Mobile Dental Center and the Boca Sana pediatric initiative.

Product overview

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine is an educational and healthcare institution offering dental education programs and clinical care services. The institution provides a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) program and postdoctoral/residency specialty programs (Endodontics, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, Prosthodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and others). New initiatives include an AI Fellows Program integrating artificial intelligence into dental education, a Digital Implantology Competency Hub fellowship in digital implantology, and a Master of Science in Oral Sciences program. Research centers include the Center for Precision Dental Medicine (established 2017) and Center for Dental and Craniofacial Research (opened 2020). Community health programs include a Mobile Dental Center and the Boca Sana initiative for Northern Manhattan children. Clinical services are provided through ColumbiaDoctors Dentistry and teaching clinics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ColumbiaDoctors Dentistry: Patient care brand under CDM providing dental services through Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
• World of Smiles

Products and services

• DDS Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 10 million people affected by TMJ disorders in the U.S.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• OverjetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026Partnership to advance collaboration in AI, dental education, and oral healthcare innovation. Dr. Natalia Chalmers, Chief Dental Officer at Overjet, delivered a lecture on AI applications in dental care including improving diagnostic consistency, patient communication, and clinical efficiency.
• Columbia University Center for Teaching and LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026AI Fellows Program partnership - a year-long initiative designed to help faculty integrate artificial intelligence into dental education and clinical training through workshops, consultations, and collaborative projects.
• Dalio Center for Health JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026Grant funding for Boca Sana: Keeping Northern Manhattan Children Healthy at Home initiative. Community-centered program to break cycle of untreated dental disease among low-income children in Washington Heights through prevention and navigation services.
• Straumann USAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2026Straumann University Program for Education and Research (SUPER) Grant to launch Digital Implantology Competency Hub and fellowship program. Provides one-year postdoctoral fellowship training in digital implantology.
• NewYork-Presbyterian HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated hospital partner providing clinical training sites for residency programs and patient care services through Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
• Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-disciplinary collaboration through Center for Dental and Craniofacial Research, bringing together investigators from dental medicine, bioengineering, and data science.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Harvard School of Dental Medicine: Ivy League dental school founded 1867 within a major academic medical center, offering DDS, postdoctoral specialty programs, and clinical care through faculty practice and teaching clinics — directly comparable in mission, scope, and patient population.
• University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine: Penn's dental school offers DDS, postdoctoral specialty training, faculty practice, and research centers — the closest Ivy League peer to Columbia CDM in scale and program breadth.
• NYU College of Dentistry: Largest U.S. dental school with comprehensive DDS, specialty programs, and extensive teaching clinics; major peer for NYC patient populations, faculty recruitment, and research output.
• UCSF School of Dentistry: Top research-intensive dental school with DDS, PhD, and specialty programs; strong translational research focus and significant NIH funding — a comparable research-tier peer.
• UCLA School of Dentistry: Major public dental school with extensive specialty programs, community outreach, and AI/digital dentistry research — comparable in program breadth and innovation focus.
• University of Michigan School of Dentistry: Top-ranked dental school with extensive research portfolio, DDS and specialty training, and large patient care operation — comparable in research scale and clinical training capacity.
• UNC Adams School of Dentistry: Leading dental school with strong research output, comprehensive specialty programs, and significant community service mission — comparable peer for academic depth and public-health focus.
• Tufts University School of Dental Medicine: Private university-affiliated dental school with DDS, specialty programs, and faculty practice; comparable in private-academic positioning and Boston/Northeast patient base.
• University of Washington School of Dentistry: Top-tier dental school with significant research output, regional specialty training dominance, and community health programs — comparable peer for research and regional service model.
• Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine: Private university dental school offering DDS and extensive specialty programs with strong research profile — comparable in private-academic positioning and Northeast location.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/columbiacdm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Columbia University College of Dental Medicine