
Roseann Mulligan, DDS, MS

Associate Dean for Community Health Programs and Hospital Affairs
Dr. Mulligan received her DDS degree from the UCLA School of Dentistry and her MS degree from the USC Davis School of Gerontology and completing a general practice residency at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital. Dr. Mulligan is an expert in dental care for special needs patients, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
Dr. Mulligan overseas of the Herman Ostrow’s Community Health programs. She is past President, Academy of Dentistry for Persons with Disability, the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry, the Special Care Dentistry Association and the Geriatric Oral Research Group of the American Association of Dental Research.
Dr. Mulligan has served as the Editor of the Journal of Special Care Dentistry and has written over 100 research articles, review papers, chapters or editorials. The Special Care Dentistry Association recognized and honored Dr. Mulligan as the 2014 Saul Kamen Award winner for her exemplary leadership and contributions to the advancement of oral healthcare for persons with special needs.
Current & Upcoming Courses
GDEN 730 | .5 Units | Case Portfolio Preparation for GDEN Students Weekly sessions of geriatric clinical case presentations and discussions moderated by faculty. |
OFPM 725 | 2 units | Epidemiology, Nutrition and Aging for Dental Residents Lecture and seminars on the epidemiology of oral disease and nutritional topics as related to the aging patient. |
GDEN 722 | 2 units | Internal Medicine and Systemic Disease for Dental Residents Lectures and seminars on systemic diseases and their effects on the oral health of the patient and oral adverse events of medications and diverse therapeutic approaches. |
OFPM 722 | 2 units | Internal Medicine and Systemic Disease for Dental Residents Lectures and seminars on common systemic diseases with potential oral manifestation and dental management |
OFPM 725 | 2 units | Epidemiology, Nutrition and Aging for Dental Residents Lectures on the epidemiology of oral diseases and nutritional topics as related to the aging patient. |
GDEN 732 | 0.5 units | Case Portfolio Defense for GDEN students Preparation and presentation of 18 case portfolios of orofacial pain and oral medicine conditions and oral defense in front of the faculty panel. |
GDEN 731 (a,b,c) | 0.5 units | Case Portfolio Preparation for GDEN Students Weekly sessions of geriatric clinical case presentations and discussions moderated by faculty |
GDEN 730 (a,b,c) | 0.5 units | OFPM Case Portfolio Preparation for Dental Residents Multiple elements course including e-portfolio preparartion and weekly sessions of orofacial pain and oral medicine clinical case presentations and discussions moderated by faculty |
GDEN 725 | 2 units | Epidemiology, Nutrition and Aging for Dental Residents Lectures on the epidemiology of oral diseases and nutritional topics as related to the aging patient. |
GDEN 712 (a,b,c,d) | 0.5 units | Capstone Research Project for GDEN Students This is a four trimester course where residents conduct and write up a report on their selected topic (usually a systematic review) and defend it in front of the faculty review committee. |
GDEN 710 | 1 unit | Knowledge Assessment for GDEN Students In-person 5 days of practical training and 3 days of competency testing of the geriatric dentistry students |
Current Articles


The Geriatric Dentistry Revolution: Why Formal University Education Surpasses Continuing Education for Specialized Dental Practice
June 6, 2025
Embracing Technology in Geriatric Dental Education: Preparing for the Future of Oral Healthcare
July 26, 2024
Busted! 5 Myths About Aging
April 17, 2024
COVID-19’s Impact on Nursing Home Residents
October 7, 2020
How to Perform a Salivary Gland and Salivary Flow Exam
June 15, 2020
Management of Dry Mouth in Older Patients
November 20, 2019
Other Conditions Affecting Salivary Glands
November 13, 2019
How to Treat Dry Mouth in Older Patients
October 30, 2019
Dry Mouth: Medications and their Effect on Saliva
October 9, 2019
Diagnosing Xerostomia and Salivary Gland Hypofunction (SGH)
October 1, 2019
Dental Care for Geriatric Patients: Xerostomia in Elderly Populations
September 24, 2019
Geriatric Dental Care: Older Adults and Oral Conditions
September 13, 2019