Kansas City University (KCU) unveiled the nation's newest and most innovative College of Dental Medicine (CDM) in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Harry M. Cornell Center for Dental Education on its McIntire-Farber Campus in Joplin, Missouri on Monday, June 26, 2023.
The Harry M. Cornell Dental Education Center is a $65 million state-of-the-art facility designed to address the growing shortage of dentists, especially in the four-state region that includes southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas, northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma.
"We know poor oral health leads to poor overall health," said Marc B. Hahn, DO, president and CEO of KCU. "In fact, poor oral health has been found to promote a host of other illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even Alzheimer's. KCU is proud to lead an effort to erase disparities in oral health care and improve health outcomes for people in rural areas."
The inaugural class of 80 students will be seated on July 31, 2023. Students will learn the science of dental medicine using the latest technology with simulated patients, virtual reality, 3-D printing, intra- oral camera and digital scanning of teeth.
The novel curriculum will place special emphasis on integrating basic sciences with clinical knowledge so dental students are prepared sooner to provide dental care to patients. Integrating dental medicine coursework with KCU's College of Osteopathic Medicine will lead future dentists to recognize how oral health problems can impact a patient's overall health, as well as promote interprofessional education in both colleges.
"The KCU College of Dental Medicine will integrate dental and medical education so that our students will be treating the whole patient," Linda Niessen, DMD, MPH, MPP founding dean of the College of Dental Medicine. "We envision that the KCU College of Dental Medicine will become a center of excellence in the region improving oral health and increasing access to needed oral health care."
In addition to state-of-the-art educational labs, the CDM will house an Oral Health Center where students will experience hands-on learning by providing dental services to patients under the supervision of dental faculty. CDM faculty will soon begin offering care to patients who lack access to oral health care. "Students will be treating patients in their second year of study," said Niessen. "Faculty members share a strong desire to serve our community right away and will soon see individuals who have had difficulty obtaining needed dental care through referrals with local nonprofit agencies. "
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