- Florida Atlantic University is set to establish a College of Dentistry by 2025
- The college will be the second public dentistry school in Florida, the first being the University of Florida
- In its inaugural year, FAU will admit 45 students to the program before implementing a staggered increase to 90 students being annually admitted
- The College of Dentistry will operate under the FAU Health Network, facilitating research in the dentistry field and the development of new clinical practices
Florida Atlantic Univerisity (FAU) announced plans to construct and establish a College of Dentistry, according to the University Press. The department will serve as just the second public dental school in the state.
FAU Board of Trustees documents show that The FAU College of Dentistry will confer the degree of Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) to its graduates through an accredited program under the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
The university aims to create the new College of Dentistry and offer the DMD program starting in 2025. It will admit 45 students in its inaugural year before implementing a staggered increase to 90 students annually over four years, amounting to a total enrollment of 350 students.
Further, FAU’s dental students will be educated and supported by 110 full-time educators, researchers, and administrators, consisting of 30 core faculty, 10 administrators, and 70 support personnel.
The department will be supported by a proposed $30 million philanthropic donation and be housed in a new state-of-the-art dental education facility on the FAU Boca Raton campus.
“FAU’s proposed College of Dentistry and Doctor of Dental Medicine degree supports the SUS Strategic Plan 2025 Goals for the state universities by increasing the number of graduate degrees awarded in an area of strategic emphasis, the number of graduate degrees awarded in STEM and Health, strengthening the quality, and recognition of commitment to community and business engagement,” the FAU Board of Trustees stated in its proposal to initiate the College of Dentistry’s construction and planning.
The College of Dentistry will operate under the FAU Health Network, facilitating research in the dentistry field and the development of new clinical practices.
Through the network umbrella, FAU plans to work collaboratively with a series of dental hygiene programs to provide additional clinical rotation opportunities in an attempt to prevent a proliferation of the ongoing shortage of qualified dental professionals.
According to the Academy of General Dentistry, approximately 1,470 dentists provide care to about 1.5 million Americans in dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs), or parts of the nation where dental care is hard to access.
Topping the list of states with “Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas,” more than 5 million Floridians live in areas that have limited or no access to a dentist, with 63 of 67 counties statewide facing a dental shortage.
Financially, the university Board of Trustees states that establishing a new dentistry college totals $123.3 million, made up of $37.9 million in recurring operational funds and $85.5 million in nonrecurring startup costs.