The UP College of Dentistry was established as a Department of the UP College of Medicine Surgery in Manila, on February 8, 1915 when the Philippines was still a colony of the United States of America.

 There are 3 departments in the College: Basic Health Sciences, which takes charge of all fundamental courses; Clinical Dental Health Sciences, which is the hands-on patients phase; and Community Dentistry which handles all social and community dentistry courses. These departments make certain that the three-fold institutional objectives are accomplished: students must become scientifically knowledgeable, technically capable and socially sensitive.

 In addition to the undergraduate course, the College of Dentistry also offers graduate course in Orthodontics, the first Masters of Science in Dentistry degree in the Philippines.

  The UP College of Dentistry now offers Review Classes for the Philippine National Dentist Licensure Examinations.  For Inquiries, you may call 302-6360.

Location:

The UP College of Dentistry is situated at the corner of Taft Avenue and Pedro Gil Street, within the UP Manila Campus.

Mailing Address:

UP College of Dentistry

Pedro Gil cor Taft Avenue

Manila, Philippines 1000

The College of Dentistry was first established as a Dept. Of Dentistry of the College of Medicine and Surgery on February 8, 1915 with Dr. Louie Ottofy as the head of the Department. During the school year 1917-1918, the Department of Dentistry was organized into a School of Dentistry, under the wings of the College of Medicine with Dr. Louie Ottofy as the Director.
Due to the extensive damage caused by the war, the School of Dentistry was closed on February 3, 1945. The director of the school then was Dr. Domiciano Sandoval. Shortly, it resumed its operations on August 6,1945 to give completion courses to students whose studies were interrupted by the war. Dr. Victorino G. Villa who was then the Secretary of the School became the officer -in-charge upon the retirement of Dr. Sandoval in 1946 and later appointed Director. It was in October 1946 that the school offered the regular four-year course in Dentistry.

Upon the recommendation of the late Dean Antonio G. Sison of the College of Medicine, the Board of Regents of the University passed a resolution changing the status of the School of Dentistry to an independent unit as the College of Dentistry on October 21, 1948. The College was one of the Pioneer units, which moved to Diliman campus, Quezon City. In Diliman, it occupied a Quonset barracks vacated by the U.S Armed Forces on top of the hill where the student union building; Vinzon's Hall now stands. Due to lack of patients, the Dental Clinic was transferred back to Manila during the School Year 1949-1950.
The year 1952 saw the College moving again, but this time the whole College moved to Manila to occupy the wings of the Rizal Hall in Padre Faura St. This was to be the home of the college unit the First Semester of 1959-1960 when it transferred to its present location, the former UP Infirmary.
On June 1, 1960, Dr. Jose Rodriguez, on the recommendation of the then President Vicente G. Sinco and upon the approval of the Board of Regents assumed the post of the Dean. During his term, an annex to the old building was built new acquisitions for the library and its facilities were improved. At the same time a number of faculty enjoyed scholarship grant in line with the faculty development program.
On December 8, 1967, Dr. Celso A. Bunag became the Dean and undertook several innovations including the air-conditioning of the Oral Surgery and Operative Dentistry areas of the college. During the term of Dr. Avelino A. Macasaet, a two-storey building was built just beside the Dept. of Justice at the Old NEDA Compound, Padre Faura which was designed to house the the proposed graduate program of the College. The Master of Science in Dentistry (Orthodontics) which was proposed even as early as the 1970's came into reality during the 1016th meeting of the Board of Regents held on Sept.22, 1988, when it was approved. It marked a milestone in the history of the College and the program was finally implemented in the Summer 1989 under the term of Dean Aurelio Ramos, Jr. The UP College of Dentistry took the lead to offer the first graduate course in Dentistry in the Philippines.
From 1960 to the present, eight other Deans were appointed namely Dr. Bunag, Dr. Perez, Dr. Macasaet, Dr. Ramos, Dr. Gervasio, Dr. Leonor Lago, Dr. Edna M Jimena, and the current Dean, Dr. Elizabeth De Castro. All of them have in their agenda, the goal to have a new building with adequate facilities.
With renewed spirit of coordination between the alumni, constituents of the College and the support from leaders of the University, that goal has now become a reality.