The overall mission of The East Carolina University School of Dentistry (ECUSOD) is to improve the quality of oral health among the citizens of North Carolina by implementing community-oriented educational, research and service programs that focus on prevention of dental disease. The ECUSOD will compliment and augment the existing biomedical education, research and health service programs of East Carolina University but with focus on preparing dental practitioners who have the capacity to address the substantial oral health care needs in eastern North Carolina and other underserved regions of the state. The specific educational mission of ECUSOD is to prepare our graduates to function as competent and contemporary general dentists but also as community leaders who contribute to the shaping of health care policy and services in their practice region and function as a source of continuing professional development for their colleagues in dentistry and other health care disciplines.

The combined education, research and service missions of the School of Dentistry at East Carolina will:

• Educate and graduate oral health clinician/scientists who will:
  • Expand health care opportunities for the people of North Carolina primarily in the rural and underserved areas of the state.
  • Provide leadership that will extend and enhance health care services in their practice communities.
  • Provide training for other dental practitioners that will facilitate the translation of oral health research into patient care strategies.
  • Incorporate biomedical advances into dental practice and as a lifelong self-directed learner will pursue professional enrichment and scope of practice enhancements through continuing education and advanced training
  • Implement patient care strategies that are based on wellness and prevention and serve as a health education resource for the community.
  • Enrich the potential for multi-disciplinary health services research among the various health care disciplines at East Carolina University and among various types of health care providers in the community.
• Increase awareness of oral health issues and problems among other health care providers with particular focus on dental diseases among children
• Provide avenues for educational interchange and career-enriching professional development among physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and allied health providers which will enhance the overall quality of health care services for the public
• Provide a network of ECUSOD graduates in the community who understand health services and public health research and are willing to participate in studies designed to assess and improve the health care delivery in North Carolina.