Vision Statement
Our efforts are focused on providing compassionate, child-centered, patient-focused, coordinated, interdisciplinary, high-quality oral health care. This occurs with awareness of the family structure, is culturally competent, and considers the importance of our community setting. We seek to develop an awareness among patients, parents, dental professionals, and other healthcare providers that a healthy oral cavity is a prerequisite for a healthy child and that emphasis on oral health and prevention of oral disease must be an integral component of any comprehensive healthcare system. Our program seeks to significantly improve the health and general well-being of infants, children and adolescents.

Mission Statement
We are committed to comprehensively preparing competent individuals for the practice of pediatric dentistry in the private, hospital-based and/or academic setting. We are dedicated to providing high quality oral health care to the children of the Washington Heights-Inwood area of New York City, especially at risk and special needs populations. We will play an active role in advancing the oral health knowledge of the Columbia Presbyterian Network and the Washington Heights-Inwood Community by engaging in and/or collaborating in community activities, scholarly activity, research, and outreach programs

Our Goals
o Provide the students/residents with an appropriate and comprehensive education so that they become knowledgeable in the specialty of pediatric dentistry.
o Provide adequate clinical training to prepare the residents for a career in pediatric dentistry.
o Provide oral health care and education to the pediatric and special needs population of Washington Heights-Inwood area of New York City in the form of outreach programs.
o Participate in and collaborate in scholarly activity and research.

Director, Division of Pediatric Dentistry
Steven Chussid, DDS