In Memoriam
Dr. David Sweet, OC, (centre) celebrating his 25 years of service with members of the Royal Canadian Dental Corps.
Dr. Sweet joined UBC Dentistry in 1991 as a Lecturer and transitioned to a Professor in 2006. From 2011 to 2014 he was Associate Dean, and while he retired in 2020, he maintained a lifelong connection to UBC, not only as Professor Emeritus, but also as a friend.
Throughout his many years of service at UBC Dentistry, Dr. Sweet received numerous teaching awards, a testament to his exceptional teaching abilities. His passion and commitment were also recognized by his classmates and colleagues, who came together to create the Sweet Student Fund to help dental students who have a personal crisis while at school.
Dr. Sweet was Head and Director of UBC’s Bureau of Legal Dentistry (BOLD) lab, a unique centre of research excellence specializing in the application of forensic science methods to dental evidence. There, he worked on hundreds of murder cases and invented a technique for getting DNA out of teeth, making BOLD the top choice for police agencies across Canada to send teeth and bones for forensic analysis.
In 1992, operating out of the UBC Dentistry lab, he founded and sponsored the British Columbia Forensic Odontology Response Team, a 90-member core group of dentists, hygienists and certified dental assistants trained to respond to mass disasters in Canada and internationally. In 1998, Dr. Sweet began providing training for Canadian military forensic dentists at the lab.
In 2008, Dr. Sweet received the highest honour awarded to Canadian citizens when he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. He received this recognition for enhancing Canada’s reputation as a leader in forensic odontology—the science of victim identification using dental charts and analysis of teeth—and for his contributions as a teacher, researcher and consultant. Dr. Sweet’s forensic odontology has been used in historical cases in Canada and across the globe.
He was further recognized in 2014 by the Canadian Ministry of Defence with the Canadian Forces Medallion of Distinguished Service, the highest award the military can confer on civilians. For many years, Dr. Sweet provided Canada’s military forensic dentists with detailed advice, tailored to their specific mission, every time they deployed to the site of a mass disaster or armed conflict. In November 2022, following a 25-year consultancy role with the Royal Canadian Dental Corps, he officially retired. High-ranking officers presented him with meaningful gifts and letters at a mess dinner at CFB Esquimalt, where he was the guest of honour.
Dr. Sweet’s exceptional achievements and his desire to give back are a testament to his character as a beloved leader, colleague and friend at UBC and beyond. The Faculty is proud to have such an outstanding citizen and devoted scientist as part of its academic community.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Organ Donation and Transplant Research Foundation. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Stanley Park Pavilion on October 25 at 1:00 pm.