UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry hosts Family Day for DDS Class of 2029

By Kyle Rogers April 20, 2026

Three people sit at a lab station working with dental instruments, examining and adjusting a wax dental model while others work in the background.

Members of the UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry DDS Class of 2029 show what life is like at dental school during Family Day on Saturday, April 18. Photo by Dwight Andrews/UTHealth Houston Creative Services.

UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry welcomed families of the Dental Class of 2029 for Family Day on Saturday, April 18, offering a behind-the-scenes look at dental education and the student experience.

The event began at 9 a.m. with registration in the Cooley University Life Center.

Attendees heard welcome remarks at 9:25 a.m. from Robert Spears, PhD, MS, associate dean for student and academic affairs; John A. Valenza, DDS ’81, dean and William N. Finnegan III Distinguished Professor; and Shalizeh “Shelly” Patel, DDS, associate dean for patient care. The program also included a slideshow presentation from Class of 2029 officers Eliot Gottsegen, president; Emily T. Hang, vice president; Tanvi Gupta, secretary; Caroline (Kae) Zhang, treasurer; and Hayden Smith, marketing chair.

By 11 a.m., attendees divided into two groups for interactive and educational sessions, rotating between both stations. One group began with a hands-on waxing activity in the preclinical lab, where students and their families sculpted tooth forms in wax. The exercise reflects a foundational component of dental anatomy training, helping first-year students develop an understanding of occlusion and build manual dexterity through a time-honored technique.

The second group started in the simulation clinic for a clinical presentation led by Michelle Thompson, DDS, director for digital dentistry, and Gargi Mukherji, DDS, director for clinical simulation. The simulation clinic features lifelike manikins equipped with typodonts, or plastic models of the mouth with replaceable teeth, allowing students to practice procedures in a realistic setting. The space is also designed to reinforce proper posture and patient positioning, supporting long-term physical well-being in clinical practice.

Lunch was held at 12:30 p.m. in the Fullerton Classroom, followed by guided tours at 1 p.m., when first-year students led their families through key areas of the school.

Family Day was sponsored by the Office of Student and Academic Affairs and the PACE Center.