The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry in Jackson is approximately 90 miles northwest of Hattiesburg. Established in 1973 and admitting its first students in 1975, the School of Dentistry is the only dental school in Mississippi. The school's mandate is to educate and provide continuing education for Mississippi's general dental health professionals, to conduct dental research and to provide dental services for residents of the state.
The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry offers a professional degree program leading to a Doctor of Dental Medicine. The four-year program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, which is recognized by the United Stated Department of Education as the national accreditation body for dental education programs. The school also offers post-doctoral training programs in general dentistry and pediatric dentistry.
Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry in New Orleans was founded in 1966 and is approximately 110 miles southwest of Hattiesburg. According to LSU, three out of four dentists and dental hygienists practicing in Louisiana are graduates of the school. The university is home to the only dental school in the United States with a degree program in dental laboratory technology. It also offers direct care and clinics throughout the state.
The LSU Medical Sciences Center School of Dentistry offers an accredited Doctor of Dental Surgery degree program. The school also confers Bachelor of Science degrees in dental hygiene and Associate of Science degrees in dental laboratory technology. Specialty training and residency programs are also offered in endodontics, general practice, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and prosthodontics. The university offers continuing education courses throughout the state.