Mark Wolff DDS, PhD

Dr. Mark S. Wolff is the Morton Amsterdam Dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and a Professor in the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dentistry. He became the 12th Dean of the School in 2018 and is recognized as a celebrated teacher, globally engaged scholar, and experienced clinician. Before joining Penn Dental Medicine, Dr. Wolff served as a professor and chair of cariology and comprehensive care at the College of Dentistry at New York University (NYU), where he was also the senior associate dean for development and alumni relations. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), PhD in Oral Biology and Pathology, and completed a General Practice Residency at Stony Brook University. Dr. Wolff has led numerous international research initiatives and oral health assessment programs.

He designed, developed, and implemented a comprehensive curriculum on caries risk assessment and created dental information systems to help dental schools monitor patient risk across entire patient populations. He has served as the principal or co-investigator on various research projects funded by industry and the National Institutes of Health, focusing on topics such as dental caries, novel remineralizing agents, dental erosion, periodontal disease, dental materials, dentinal hypersensitivity, and dental anxiety. Throughout his career, he has co-authored over 100 scientific papers, textbook chapters, and edited multiple textbooks. Dr. Wolff lectures worldwide and is a frequent consultant to industry. He began his dental career as a private practitioner, establishing a family practice that served patients with complex medical needs and individuals with disabilities of all ages. He is a lifelong advocate for people with physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities and is also a respected dental educator.