CDM - Leadership

Dr. Denise Terese-Koch, B.S., DDS, FAGD, MBA, EdD, FAGD, FPFA became the Dean of the Lincoln Memorial University – College of Dental Medicine (LMU-CDM) in August 2020. Prior to her position as Dean at the LMU-CDM, she was the Chair of Dental Education at South College in Nashville, Tennessee, where she developed and implemented three dental programs. As a comprehensive general dentist since 1992, she has a vast knowledge of general dentistry, dental education, program development, and implementation. She believes the oral cavity is the intersection between medicine and dentistry and is a window into the patient’s general health.

After being accepted into a 2+4 program at Loyola University School of Dentistry, Dr. Terese-Koch received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Saint Xavier University in Chicago; Dr. Terese-Koch earned her DDS in 1992 from Loyola University of Chicago School of Dentistry. She completed a General Practice Residency program at Loyola Medical Center and earned a Certificate in Hospital Dentistry in 1993. Dr. Terese-Koch spent the next 21 years practicing Comprehensive General Dentistry in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. In 2014, she entered academia as an Assistant Professor in the Department of General Dentistry at the University of Tennessee and was the Director of the Faculty Practice. In 2017, she joined the Tomah VA Medical Center to develop and direct the Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program (AEGD). In 2017, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and developed a Dental Assisting program, Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene program, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene program, and directed the AEGD program for South College, where she was a Professor and Chair of the Department of Dental Education. Dr. Terese-Koch holds a license to practice dentistry in Tennessee. Dr. Terese-Koch received her MBA from Belhaven University in 2018. In 2021, Dr. Terese-Koch earned her EdD from Liberty University. She serves as a Site Visitor for the Commission on Dental Accreditation and is a licensure examiner for the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments. In 2023, Dr. Terese-Koch was awarded the Pierre Fauchard Academy Fellowship.

As the dean, Dr. Terese-Koch is responsible for developing and implementing the Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry program for LMU, developing graduate dental education, research, and community outreach. Dr. Terese-Koch is married to her wonderful husband, Loren, a retired businessman from Chicago, and they share three beautiful children, Dennis, Lori, and Jeni.

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