UBC Faculty of Dentistry

What UBC Faculty of Dentistry does

UBC Faculty of Dentistry is the only university-based provider of dental, dental hygiene and graduate specialty education in British Columbia, operating as a department within the public University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The Faculty delivers a four-year Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) program, a Dental Hygiene Degree Program, MSc/PhD research programs, and four post-graduate specialty programs in endodontics, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, and prosthodontics, alongside a Dental Specialty Assessment and Training Program (DSATP) for internationally trained dentists and a Continuing Dental Education (CDE) portfolio serving practicing professionals.

Clinical training and patient care are delivered primarily through the Nobel Biocare Oral Health Centre, a 144-operatory teaching clinic opened in 2006 in partnership with Planmeca (digital dental chairs) and Nobel Biocare, which serves more than 40,000 patient visits annually at reduced fees. A separate 20-operatory Graduate Specialty Clinic handles specialized procedures, and a 123Dentist Simulation Laboratory supports undergraduate clinical simulation training. The Faculty also runs community outreach programs including the 35-year Save a Smile initiative (which has provided over $1.9 million in care to more than 3,000 children across BC), a Geriatric Dentistry Program, a Children's Dental Program, a Summer Student Practitioner Program, and a Global Engagement Program.

Revenue mechanics combine tuition from enrolled students, fees from the high-volume teaching clinic (now augmented by the Canadian Dental Care Plan integrated in 2025), research grants, and donations/endowments (including the Alec Gunning Save a Smile Endowment Fund requiring approximately $180,000 annually). The Faculty employs 81 full-time staff supported by a part-time clinical faculty of approximately 300+ practitioners from the Lower Mainland. Leadership is currently held by Dean pro tem Dr. Andrea Esteves pending the appointment of a permanent Dean.

Name

UBC Faculty of Dentistry

Legal name

UBC Faculty of Dentistry

Website

https://dentistry.ubc.ca

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

UBC Faculty of Dentistry is the only university-based dental education provider in British Columbia, offering DMD, dental hygiene, graduate specialty, and continuing education programs, delivering care through the 144-operatory Nobel Biocare Oral Health Centre.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dental Education and Clinical Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Dental Schools (EDAHAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pediatric Dentistry Academic/Teaching Clinics (HLABAGAL), Oral Hygiene Instruction & Patient Education (HLABAHAG), Dental Assisting (EDAOAJAJ)

Keywords

• Dental education programs
• Dental hygiene training
• Graduate dental specialty
• Continuing dental education
• Clinical dental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Patient Care Services: The Faculty operates the Nobel Biocare Oral Health Centre providing dental care to the community at reduced fees. In 2025, the Canadian Dental Care Plan was integrated into the clinic, helping to cover costs for eligible Canadian residents.
2. Educational Programs: Tuition and fees from DMD, Dental Hygiene Degree Program, and Graduate Programs including MSc/PhD and specialty training programs.
3. Donations and Endowments: The Faculty receives donations through the Development office, including the Alec Gunning Save a Smile Endowment Fund. Save a Smile program requires approximately $180,000 annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UBC Faculty of Dentistry offers dental and dental hygiene education programs from undergraduate through graduate specialty levels, including the DMD, Dental Hygiene Degree, MSc/PhD, and post-graduate specialty training programs. It operates the 144-operatory Nobel Biocare Oral Health Centre teaching clinic providing patient care at reduced fees, delivers continuing dental education to practicing professionals, and conducts oral health research supported by digital dentistry technology and dedicated simulation and research facilities.

Product overview

UBC Faculty of Dentistry is an academic institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and clinical services. The core educational offerings include the Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree, Dental Hygiene Degree Program (DHDP), graduate research programs (MSc/PhD), and post-graduate specialty programs in endodontics, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, and prosthodontics. Supporting infrastructure includes the Nobel Biocare Oral Health Centre (144-operatory teaching clinic), Graduate Specialty Clinic, and 123Dentist Simulation Laboratory. The institution provides continuing dental education through CDE courses, including certificates in dental practice management and orthodontic training. Patient-facing services include a Patient Portal and Sleep Apnea Dental Clinic. Community engagement encompasses the Save a Smile program (35-year children's dental initiative), Children's Dental Program, Geriatric Dentistry Program, Summer Student Practitioner Program, and Global Engagement Program. Alumni services include professional posting services for career support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nobel Biocare Oral Health Centre: The main clinical facility at UBC Dentistry, a 144-operatory clinic providing patient care, education and innovation. The clinic welcomes more than 40,000 patient visits annually.
• Save a Smile Program
• Nobel Biocare Oral Health Centre (NBOHC)

Products and services

• Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) Program Four-year professional degree program preparing students for careers as general dentists; the primary undergraduate dental education program at UBC Dentistry.
• Dental Hygiene Degree Program (DHDP) Undergraduate degree program preparing students for careers as dental hygienists, including entry-to-practice option.
• Graduate Programs (MSc/PhD) Research-focused graduate programs in oral health sciences leading to Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
• Post-Graduate Specialty Programs Advanced specialty training programs in endodontics, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, and prosthodontics.
• Dental Specialty Assessment and Training Program (DSATP) Program for assessing and training international dental graduates seeking to practice in Canada.
• Continuing Dental Education (CDE) Professional development courses and programs for practicing dental professionals, including certificate programs, study clubs, and online learning.
• Certificate in Dental Practice Management Professional certificate program for dental professionals seeking business and management skills.
• Orthodontic Module for CDAs and Hygienists Approximately 50-hour continuing education program on expanded duties in orthodontics for certified dental assistants and dental hygienists.
• Nobel Biocare Oral Health Centre 144-operatory teaching clinic providing dental care to the community at reduced fees, integrated with the Canadian Dental Care Plan in 2025, welcoming over 40,000 patient visits annually.
• UBC Dentistry Graduate Specialty Clinic Graduate specialty clinic featuring 20 operatories (eight enclosed and 12 open) for specialized procedures, including radiology suite and consultation rooms.
• 123Dentist Simulation Laboratory Transformative simulation space for undergraduate oral health programs featuring advanced learning technology to enhance clinical experience.
• Patient Portal Online platform enabling existing patients to access documents, view appointments, update records, pay clinic fees, and manage dental care.
• Sleep Apnea Dental Clinic Specialized clinic providing dental services for patients with sleep apnea conditions.
• Children's Dental Program Community outreach program providing dental services to children.
• Geriatric Dentistry Program Program focused on providing dental care to frail and older adults, including research and education components.
• Summer Student Practitioner Program Program placing dental students in community practices for hands-on experience.
• Global Engagement Program International programs and partnerships connecting UBC Dentistry with global oral health initiatives.
• Save a Smile Program 35-year initiative supporting access to urgent dental care for children in need across British Columbia, having provided over $1.9 million in dental care to over 3,000 children.
• Professional Posting Services Services for alumni including associate postings, dental hygienist postings, and practices for sale listings.
• Patterson Dental Learning Centre Learning centre supporting dental education through equipment and resources from Patterson Dental.

Named customers5 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BCDA Oral Health FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026The British Columbia Dental Association launched the BCDA Oral Health Foundation to improve access to oral health care for British Columbians in need. The Foundation continues the 35-year Save a Smile program partnership with UBC Dentistry, transitioning administrative management while UBC continues to steward the Alec Gunning Save a Smile Endowment Fund.
• PlanmecacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2006UBC forged a partnership with global healthcare technology leader Planmeca to create advanced digital dental chairs for the Nobel Biocare Oral Health Centre. This collaboration continues today with chair upgrades in 2022.
• Nobel BiocarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNobel Biocare contributed to naming and supporting the Nobel Biocare Oral Health Centre, which opened in 2006 as the main dental clinic for UBC Dentistry.
• Alumni and Community DonorscoreOthersEstablishing the Nobel Biocare Oral Health Centre was made possible through generosity of alumni, corporate partners and friends of the Faculty. Support ranged from in-kind contributions to funding key components, with graduating classes and individuals adopting operatories.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• University of Washington School of Dentistry: Pacific Northwest dental school with comparable teaching-clinic scale and research intensity. Operates in a separate national jurisdiction but competes for cross-border talent, research collaboration, and continuing-education partnerships.

Direct peers

• Western University Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry: Ontario dental school offering DMD and dental hygiene programs with a comparable teaching-clinic model. Direct Canadian peer competing for similar applicant pools, faculty talent, and provincial/federal funding lines.
• Université de Montréal Faculté de médecine dentaire: Major Quebec dental school with DMD and graduate programs. Direct peer offering the same academic-clinical model and competing for francophone applicants, federal research grants, and clinical training infrastructure investments.
• Dalhousie University Faculty of Dentistry: Atlantic Canadian dental school operating DMD, dental hygiene, and graduate specialty programs with a university teaching clinic. Direct peer in mission, structure, and federal research funding competition.
• University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry: Canada's largest and oldest dental school, offering DMD, dental hygiene, and graduate specialty programs with a comparable academic-clinic integrated model. Most directly comparable Canadian peer, competing for faculty talent, research funding, and student applicants.
• University of Alberta School of Dentistry: Western Canadian dental school offering DMD, dental hygiene, and specialty programs with an integrated teaching clinic. Comparable academic-clinical model and the most direct geographic peer for UBC in the Prairies/Western Canada region.
• McGill University Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences: Another of Canada's ten dental schools, providing DMD, dental hygiene, and graduate programs with a teaching-clinic structure parallel to UBC's. Directly comparable in scope, mission, and competitive positioning for in-province applicants and federal research funding.
• Université Laval Faculté de médecine dentaire: Quebec dental school with DMD, dental hygiene, and specialty programs. Direct peer in the small club of Canadian dental schools, sharing the same funding environment and competing for the same federal research pool.

Broad incumbents

• University of Michigan School of Dentistry: One of the largest US dental schools with extensive specialty programs and major research output. Broader and more established than UBC, but a comparable academic-clinical integrated model and a benchmark for specialty expansion and research intensity.
• University of Southern California Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry: Large, established US dental school with extensive specialty programs, digital dentistry curriculum, and a major teaching clinic. Comparable academic-clinical integrated model; functions as a broad incumbent peer rather than a direct geographic competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/ubcdentistry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 UBC Faculty of Dentistry