College of Dentistry | University of Florida

History

Highlights

  • 1949

    • A study headed by Dr. Vernon Lippard recommends establishment of a dental college in Florida. Colleges of medicine and nursing and the university hospital were well established.

  • 1953

    • Russell S. Poor, Ph.D.A Medical Center Study directed by Dr. Russell S. Poor recommends establishment of a college of dentistry as part of the Health Center complex.

  • 1957

    • Sept 21

      The Florida Legislature passes a bill the designates the University of Florida at Gainesville as the site for a proposed college of dentistry.

  • 1963

    • State Legislature appropriates preliminary funding to start the planning process, and UF President J. Wayne Reitz appoints a Visiting Committee of members of the Florida Dental Society to assist the university with planning and search for a dean.

    • Feb 21–23

      The Florida Dental Society holds a workshop on the dental manpower requirements in Florida. Under the leadership of the group's president, Dr. Reuben Groom, who had been a prime mover in the project to determine if a dental school in the state was necessary and desirable, the group concludes that "an absolutely first quality school of dentistry should be established at the University of Florida promptly."

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  • 1965

    • During the spring the Florida Legislature appropriates planning monies for the initial dental faculty and for developing a curriculum and physical resources for the college.

  • 1966

    • Dr. Edmund F. AckellDr. Edmund F. Ackell of Case Western Reserve School of Dentistry is appointed first dean. The dean's office is established in the Medical Science Building and faculty offices in a "Flavet (World War II temporary structure)."

  • 1967

    • Dr. José E. Medina from the University of Maryland is named associate dean.
    • Original rendering of the Health Center north expansionProvost Samuel Martin announces plans for Project I, an expansion of the Health Center to include the new College of Dentistry, along with a library, learning resources center and lecture hall complex and expansion of the College of Medicine.
    • Academy One Hundred formally incorporates as a support group for the new dental school and holds the first organizational meeting.
    • The Council on Dental Education of the American Dental Association grants the college "accreditation eligible" status.

  • 1968

    • The Board of Regents approves building expansion for Health Center. The legislature appropriates $11 million of the estimated $30 million needed for the project (with the remainder to come from construction grants from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]).

      1968 plans for HSC expansion

    • Tentative departmental structure for the college is approved and recruitment of chairmen and directors begins.
    • Original UFCD faculty membersFaculty are appointed: Dr. Bruce Bell, chair, Department of Restorative Dentistry; Dr. William Collett, chair, Division of Radiology; and Dr. Harold Stanley, director, Division of Pathology.
    • A rotating internship is established between the dental school and the Gainesville VA hospital, the first step in a planned close working relationship.

    • Jan

      The College of Dentistry sponsors its first continuing education course (in cooperation with the Florida State Dental Society).

    • Dec

      HEW approves $19.7 million for capital outlay (Project I), to be matched by $13.3 million in state funds. (Of this amount, $12 million is designated for the College of Dentistry.)

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  • 1969

    • Dental Advisory Committee members are appointed, under chairmanship of Dr. Robert L. Kaplan (Other members: Drs. Joc A. Sain, Jack K. Whiteman, Charles W. Fain, Paul C. Hawkins, Leslie B. Bell, Benford Samuels, John A. Stewart, J. Leon Schwartz, Louis J. Atkins, Peter E. Dawson, Curtis A. Haggard, Robert B. Hughlett and Wallace C. Mayo).
    • Florida Legislature fails to pass capital outlay funds and has to ask the voters to approve an amendment to the state constitution to allow the state to sell bonds to finance construction of higher education facilities. In November the voters pass a $35 million referendum.

    • Mar

      The first Alachua County Dental Professional Day is held, with the college's faculty making presentations to local dentists.

    • June

      Dean Medina

      The college sets up faculty offices, a four-operatory clinic and laboratories in the Surge Area just west of the Health Center.

      Dr. Edmund Ackell is named provost of the Health Science Center and Dr. José Medina is appointed dean.

  • 1969–1973

    • Departmental structure is expanded and additional faculty are appointed.

    • 1969

      • Dr. Robert Going, chair, Division of Biomaterials
      • Dr. John Bowman, chair, Division of Complete Prosthodontics
      • Dr. David Grainger, chair, Division of Operative Dentistry; Dr, John Bucher, chair, Division of Endodontics
      • Dr. Quentin Smith, chair, Department of Community Dentistry
      • Dr. Walter Donnenfield, chair, Division of Periodontology; Dr. Richard Mackenzie, director, Office of Dental Education
      • Dr. Werner Fischlschweiger, associate professor of oral pathology
      • Dr. Arthur King, assistant professor of dental education.

    • 1970

      • Dr. Harold Stanley, chair, Department of Oral Medicine
      • Dr. Parker Mahan, chair, Department of Basic Dental Sciences
      • Dr. Floyd Peyton, professor of biomaterials.

    • 1971

      • Dr. Davis Henderson, chair, Division of Removable Parrial Prosthodontics
      • Dr. Harry Lundeen, director of occlusion
      • Dr. Thomas Fast, chair, Division of Oral Diagnosis
      • Dr. Ronald Baughman, assistant professor of oral medicine
      • Dr. Stanley Lotzkar, chair, Division of Special Services.

    • 1972

      • Dr. John Dalton, director, Auxillary Programs and Clinical Services
      • Dr. John Montgomery, chair, Department of Oral Surgery.

    • 1973

      • Dr. William Proffitt, chair, Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

  • 1970

    • Aug

      Dr. Don L. Allen from the University of North Carolina is named associate dean and chairman of the Curriculum Planning Committee.

  • 1971

    • Affiliation with the Miami VA Hospital makes possible the establishment of an endodontic residency.
    • Under the leadership of Betty Medina, the spouses of the dental faculty organize the University of Florida Dental Guild to develop camaraderie and support the college.

    • Jan

      Revised dental tower designWhen bids for Project I come in far above available funds, a redesign of the building is necessary (the windows are taken out) and the Board of Regents approves transfer of $4.7 million from other higher education projects to make up the shortfall.

    • May 22

      Groundbreaking for the Dental Science Building.

      Dental tower groundbreaking ceremony

  • 1972

    • Jan

      The college's first advanced education program, in dental public health, is approved.

    • Sept 11

      The first class of 24 dental students enters the University of Florida.

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  • 1972-1975

    • Dr. Robert Going and dental assistant Dafney Giddeon treat a patient in one of the temporary operatoriesWhile the dental sciences building is being constructed, the college provides dental education utilizing a variety of temporary facilities, including teaching areas set up in the Surge Area clinics and one room in the Health Center. A rudimentary learning resources center and instructional materials center is established in Jennings Hall.
    • Students complete their first-year basic health science curriculum with the medical students.

  • 1973

    • Although the federal government releases the funds for Project I, increased construction costs push the budget over the allocated state funds. A joint resolution by the Florida Legislature to transfer $3 million from equipment to construction funds allows the project to begin. Legislature pledges it will allocate $3 million to cover the equipment costs.
    • A dental clinic of 27 operatories is established in the basement of the Psychology Building.
    • The second class of 24 students enters.
    • Dr. William Collett is named assistant dean for student affairs.
    • Alan Hays, a member of the charter class, wins first place in the national table clinic competition sponsored by ASDA.

    • June

      Dean AllenDr. Medina assumes responsibilities for directing Project I construction and Dr. Don Allen is named interim dean (appointed dean in Sept 1974).

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  • 1974

    • Feb

      The college is recognized as a leader in dental education with its innovative modular curriculum (which is competency-based rather than time-based) and for development of self-instructional learning packages and clearly stated behavioral objectives.

      With funding from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, for two consecutive years the college hosts curriculum forums for representatives from U.S. dental schools, federal agencies and dental organizations.

    • July

      Patient receiving care from a dental student as faculty oversees.For the first time in Florida, patients receive care from dental students.

    • Aug

      The third class of 60 students enters. For the first time, students are at all levels of the curriculum.

  • 1975

    • Psi Omega, Alpha Omega and Delta Sigma Delta dental fraternities charter local charters.
    • Additional administrative appointments are made:
      • Dr. Thomas Fast, assistant dean for clinical affairs
      • Dr. Davis Henderson, assistant dean for admissions
      • Dr. William Collett, associate dean
    • The L.M. Anderson, St. Clinic for continuing education is established with a gift from the L.M. Anderson Company, L.M. "Billy" Anderson, Buster Anderson and Marjorie Anderson Gay.

    • Jan

      Formal organizational structure into 13 departments is approved by the Board of Regents:

      • Basic Dental Sciences
      • Community Dentistry
      • Dental Biomaterials
      • Dental Education
      • Endodontics
      • Occlusion and Fixed Prosthodontics
      • Operative Dentistry
      • Oral Medicine
      • Oral Surgery
      • Orthodontics
      • Pediatric Dentistry
      • Periodontics
      • Removable Prosthodontics

    • Feb

      The college is once again recognized as a leader in dental education.

    • July

      The College of Dentistry finds a permanent home as it moves into the newly completed 12-story Dental Sciences Building. Even though the entire building has not yet been approved, special permission is given to occupy the first floor clinic.

    • Aug

      Drs. Fast and Allen with the first patient in the permanent buildingThe first patient is treated by dental students in the permanent College of Dentistry building.

    • Sept

      Faculty and staff move from 10 different areas around the university and Gainesville into the Dental Sciences Building. For the first time, faculty, staff, students and programs are housed under one roof.

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  • 1976

    • Mar

      Formal dedication of the Dental Science Building.

    • May

      The college is granted full accreditation by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

    • June

      One of the first UFCD graduates being congratulated by Dean AllenThe first class of 18 students graduates from the College of Dentistry. All members of the Charter Class pass the Florida State Board examination.

    • July

      Oral Surgery residency program is granted provisional approval and initiated.
    • Dr. George Garrington is named assistant dean for admissions and student financial aid.

  • 1977

    • Florida Congressman Don Fuqua having his teeth checked and chatting with Dean Allen and clinic director Dr. Ronald Dixon.Mayo Dental Clinic is established in Mayo, Fla. as the college's dental outreach program.
    • Advanced education programs in orthodontics, oral pathology, general practice and periodontics are established.
    • A new administrative position, Assistant Dean for Auxiliary Programs, is created; Dr. Lewis Leo is appointed.

  • 1978

    • The Periodontal Disease Research Center (PDRC) is officially recognized by the Board of Regents as a center.
    • The first American Student Dental Association (ASDA) Student Day is held at the college.
    • Henry Silverman wins second place in the national table clinic competition.
    • Dr. William Shreve is named associate dean; Dr. Hector Bethart, assistant dean for advanced education.

  • 1979

    • Brannon receiving his award plaqueLarry Brannon Wins first place in the national table clinic competition at the college's second annual student clinic day.
    • Academy One Hundred donates initial funds for the Academy One Hundred Teaching Clinic.
    • Dedication of the Faculty Lounge, a facility in the college designed to foster interaction among professionals, which is made possible through generous gifts from Dr. Richard Chace, Dr. Richard Chace, Jr. and the Chace family.

  • 1980

    • Sisterhood agreement signed with the Tokyo Dental College for mutual development of educational and research programs.

      Delegation from Tokyo Dental College

  • 1981

    • Craniofacial Center is established to bring together specialists from the colleges of dentistry, medicine and health related professions to care for patients with deformities of the face and skull.
    • For the first time, the entering class is at the maximum size.
    • Academy One Hundred approves an expanded student loan fund as the group's major project for the next five years.

    • Sept

      Under the leadership of Dr. Frank Collins, the Comprehensive Dentistry program is established by the college's continuing education office. In this professional development program, practicing dentists attend one weekend a month for two years to complete a broad-based curriculum covering 13 major areas of dentistry.

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  • 1982

    • Academy One Hundred presents final payment on the donation which establishes the Academy One Hundred Clinic.
    • An Advanced Education program in Pediatric Dentistry is established.
    • The college celebrates its 10th Anniversary.

    • Oct

      Dean CollettUpon the resignation of Don Allen as dean, Dr. William Collett becomes acting dean.

  • 1983

    • Feb

      Dean LeoDr. A. Lewis Leo assumes the position of acting dean.

    • June

      The first alumni reception is held at the Florida National Dental Congress and plans are announced to form a Dental Alumni Association.

    • Fall

      Board of Regents approves establishment of the Bioglass Research Center run cooperatively by the colleges of dentistry, medicine and engineering.
    • The Charter Board of Directors of the Dental Alumni Association is appointed and the first planning meeting is held.

    • Oct

      Dean LeglerDr. Donald L. Legler is named dean.

  • 1984

    • Photo: Regents approve facial pain centerThe Dental Occlusion and Facial Pain Center is approved by the Board of Regents as the state's first specialized treatment and research center to meet the needs of people suffering from dysfunction of the masticatory system and related pains of the head and neck.

    • Apr

      Gator fans at Dental Fall Weekend. In conjunction with the annual ASDA Student Clinic Day, the Dental Alumni Association holds the first Alumni Weekend for all UFCD graduates and members of the Academy One Hundred.

    • Spring

      The first human trials of dental applications for Bioglass begin.

    • June

      Academy One Hundred commits to raising $600,000 in private gifts to fund an Eminent Scholar Chair in Clinical Dentistry at the college.

  • 1986

    • The PDRC receives a three-year grant for $1.5 million from National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) to expand research into treatment and possible causes of periodontal diseases, the nation's number one cause of tooth loss.
    • The College of Dentistry is one of 21 dental schools in the nation to receive a grant from the Pew Memorial Trust to conduct a two-year study and develop a strategic plan for renewal and change. The $90,000 in private funding allows the college to prepare to meet the challenges of population growth, changes in the makeup of the patient population, rising costs of higher education and health care, changing patterns of dental disease, and rapid technological advances.

    • July

      Jacksonville Dental ClinicThe college's first satellite dental clinic opens in the heart of Jacksonville, located on the campus of University Hospital (now University Medical Center).

  • 1987

    • Development of the Florida Probe, an electronic periodontal probe that measures very subtle loss of supportive tissue around teeth.

      The Florida Probe being used in education programs

    • The Southeast's first doctoral program in oral biology is established at UF through the combined efforts of the colleges of dentistry and medicine.
    • The Oral Oncology Clinic is established as a center for diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer patients. A gift of $150,000 from the American Cancer Society-Florida Division provides initial support.

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  • 1988

    • The college is one of six dental schools in the nation to receive a grant as part of the second phase of the Pew National Dental Education Program. The three-year, $809,000 grant supports implementation of the strategic plan developed during the first phase of the Pew dental program.
    • The nation's first federally-funded research center devoted exclusively to investigating and refining ways to maintain and promote the oral health of the rapidly growing elderly population is established. The new center receives $3.7 million from NIDR for research programs on the epidemiology of oral health problems of aging and patterns of disease and use of dental services. (In 1990, it is formally named the Claude Denson Pepper Center for Research on Oral Health in Aging to honor the memory of the Florida Congressman who was a national advocate for senior citizens.)
    • The PDRC receives a grant of $4 million over five years from NIDR to support three related clinical and microbiological periodontal disease. It is one of five centers funded in the U.S.

    • Fall

      The Academy One Hundred, the college's largest donor group, completes the campaign to raise $600,000 to establish the first Eminent Scholar Chair in Clinical Dentistry. Dr. Parker Mahan is named to the chair.

  • 1990

    • The College of Dentistry moves to the forefront in research programs to develop new dental materials with funding of the Specialized Materials Research Center through a grant of $2.5 million over five years from NIDR.
    • With a grant of $900,000 from NIDR, the Department of Orthodontics launches a longitudinal study of the best time to begin treating class II malocclusion (buck teeth). These are the first federally funded orthodontic patient trials.

  • 1991

    • The college opens a second satellite dental clinic in downtown St. Petersburg, with a special focus on the dental needs of low-income elderly.
    • Dr. Anders Cendan, a member of the college's first graduating class, is honored posthumously with the first Dental Alumni Association Outstanding Alumnus Award for his service to the profession, his community and the college.

  • 1992

    • Academy One Hundred celebrates its Silver Anniversary, completing 25 years of supporting excellence in dental education in Florida.
    • The college's dental service at Tacachale, a state residential community for the developmentally disabled in Gainesville, receives the American Dental Association's Meritorious Award in Community Preventive Dentistry.

  • 1993

    • Dr. Parker MahanIn recognition of his distinguished career devoted to the study and treatment of facial pain, the college's facial pain center is formally named in honor of Dr. Parker Mahan.
    • The Board of Regents approves establishment of the Center for Orphaned Autoimmune Disease (COAD), an interdisciplinary center focusing on Sjogren's syndrome, an uncommon disease that damages moisture-producing glands in the eye and mouth (there is only one other such center in the country).
    • Dr. Ivar MjörDr. Ivar Mjör is appointed as the college's Academy One Hundred Eminent Scholar.

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  • 1994

    • PerioGlas, a bioactive glass developed at UF for restoring eroded bone around teeth, goes on the worldwide market.
    • The college receives its largest private donation, a gift of $1.07 million from the estate of Marshall M. and Jeannette Butts DeWitt. This donation is matched with money from the Florida Major Gifts Trust Fund to create an endowment of $1.95 million for scholarships.
    • Dr. Donald W. Legler retires as dean and Dr. Joseph C. Kehoe is named acting dean.

  • 1995

    • The Center for Development of Alternatives to Dental Amalgam is established through a five-year, $4 million grant from NIDR.
    • A Two-year Supplemental Education Program for Foreign-Trained Dentists is established.
    • A five-year grant of $1.5 million from NIDR to the Claude Denson Pepper Center for Research on Oral Health in Aging supports studies of dental problems of adults and how these influence dental care use.
    • As a component of the UF Health Science Center, the College of Dentistry shares with the other five colleges in the largest-ever private gift for student scholarships. A bequest of $3.3 million from the estate of Charlotte Liberty is matched with state dollars to create an endowment of $6.7 million.

    • Mar

      Dean CatalanottoDr. Frank A. Catalanotto is named dean.

  • 1996

    • Support for the Dental Alumni Fund reaches a record high, while the amount of donations to the Academy One Hundred Fund doubles from the previous year's amount.
    • The Association of Dental Alumni completes fund-raising to create a student lounge on the first floor of the Dental Science Building. This much-anticipated facility provides a place for student organization meetings and a "place of their own" where students can eat, relax or study between classes and patients.
    • The college launches the Continuous Quality Improvement program.
    • TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More), an innovative scheduling patient management system for the undergraduate dental clinics, is launched. The system is designed to provide flexibility for students in managing their patients and increase students' experience in providing comprehensive care. Central to the system are teams of students who meet regularly with a faculty leader to review treatment plans and patient treatment progress.
    • The Center for Dental Biomaterials is established to enhance interdisciplinary research on the biocompatibility of dental restorative materials and the relationships between the microstructures and the properties of experimental and commercially available products. This center has been continuously funded by research grants from the National Institutes of Health. The first, in 1989, established the Specialized Materials Science Research Center; The second, in 1997, created the Center for Alternatives to Dental Amalgam.
    • The college's chapter of the American Student Dental Association is named Ideal ASDA Chapter, the overall national chapter award, recognizing its high membership rate, many activities offered members, political involvement and efficient management. It also wins the ASDA Activities Award for the hands-on clinician programs offered students. Kim Jernigan is honored as National Delegate of the Year for Region V.
    • The college enhances students' clinical education through an expanded program of rotations at community-based dental clinics.

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  • 1997

    • Dr. Thomas P. Floyd, a 1978 D.M.D. graduate, is the first UFCD alumnus to serve as president of the Florida Dental Association.

    • Jan–
      Sept

      The college holds 25th Anniversary events that celebrate the past and chart the future. These include lectures at regional, state and international dental meetings, receptions for alumni and friends at district and state dental meetings, staff appreciation luncheon and Gala 25th Anniversary Weekend in Gainesville.

    • Sept

      Hialeah Dental ClinicThe college expands its presence in South Florida with the formal opening of a satellite clinic in Hialeah.

  • 1998

    • Mar 30

      The UF Community Health Center, known as the Eastside Clinic, opens on Waldo Road in Gainesville. With this clinic, the UFCD Department of Pediatric Dentistry assumes a major role in providing low-cost dental services to Gainesville's Eastside community.

  • 1999

    • The UFCD Alumni Association sponsors the college's first Professional Coating Ceremony, held to honor the transition of rising juniors from preclinical learning to hands-on clinical patient care.
    • The college implements a biopsychosocial, systems-based approach to instruction in the basic and behavioral sciences in years one and two.

    • Feb 26

      The renovated, 5,000 square foot Preclinical Simulation laboratory opens 84 multimedia student workstations. The new, high-tech Sim Lab replaces the outdated "chicken on a stick" lab of earlier years.

      Dental Simulation Lab

  • 2000

    • The nation's first Center for Implant Dentistry, made possible by a $300,000 gift from Strauman AG, opens in the UFCD Oral Surgery Clinic.
    • The UFCD ASDA Chapter is named "Ideal ASDA Chapter" for a second time.

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  • 2002

    • Dean DolanAfter the resignation of Frank Catalanotto as dean, UF Vice President for Health Affairs Douglas Barrett appoints Associate Dean for Education Teresa A. Dolan, D.D.S., M.P.H., interim dean.
    • The Academy One Hundred and the UFCD Alumni Association merge to become the Academy of Alumni & Friends.

  • 2003

    • May

      Teresa A. Dolan is appointed dean.

    • June

      More than 300 computer workstations and General Systems Design's Quick Recovery clinic management system are installed enterprisewide in college clinics. The Quick Recovery system is a step closer to achieving an electronic patient chart system.

  • 2004

    • Dr. Samuel LowAssociate Dean for Faculty Practice and Continuing Education Samuel Low is elected president of the Florida Dental Association; Low is the first academician to serve in that position.
    • The college is the recipient of a $1.5 million U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration grant to expand access to oral health care and education for Florida's residents. The project will faciliate installation of videoconferencing capability and digital radiology in all clinic sites statewide.
    • UFCD oral biologist Richard Lamont, Ph.D., completes mapping of all the proteins—or the proteome—expressed by the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. Understanding P. gingivalis' proteome will enable researchers to better study how the bacteria uses its complement of proteins to infect its human host to cause periodontal disease.
    • The National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) awards the college a $2 million Research Infrastructure award, which receives a state match for a total of $4 million. The Research Infrastructure award is designed to enhance the college's research infrastructure and capacity through faculty development and expansion of translational and clinical research.

  • 2005

    • Replacement therapy, a novel caries-prevention therapy developed by UFCD oral biologist Jeffrey Hillman, Ph.D., receives the green light for human trials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Replacement therapy inoculates the oral cavity with a genetically engineered strain of Streptococcus mutans bacteria which outcompetes the wild-type, caries-causing S. mutans strains.
    • P. gingivalis bacteriaThe laboratory of UFCD microbiologist Ann Progulske-Fox, Ph.D., announces that it has isolated live P. gingivalis bacteria from human atherosclerotic plaque. Though periodontal disease has long been associated with cardiovascular hardening of the arteries, this is the first time P. gingivalis bacteria have been dredged alive from human arterial tissues.
    • Dr. Clark and B.J. Hodge donate $600,000 to establish the Clark and B.J. Hodge Endowed Professorship in Orthodontics.
    • The college graduates its 30th D.M.D. class.
    • As part of the HRSA Teledentistry Grant implementation, digital radiography is installed enterprisewide in all college clinics.

    • Jan

      UFCD Charter Class member Alan Hays takes office as state representative in the Florida Legislature. He is the first UFCD graduate elected to Florida's Legislature.

    • Apr

      The University of Florida and University of Alabama at Birmingham receive $25 million from NIDCR to establish a practice based research network in the southeast U.S. region (named the Dental Practice Based Research Network) to recruit private dentists as "practitioner-investigators" to investigate with scientific rigor the everyday clinical issues dentists face in their own practices.

    • Oct

      St. Petersburg Dental ClinicIn partnership with University Partnership Center of St. Petersburg College, the College of Dentistry opens a new 14,000 square-foot clinical and teaching facility on the campus of SPC in Seminole. The new clinic replaces the downtown St. Petersburg clinic and nearly triples the college's patient visit capacity in Pinellas County, to 20,000 patient visits annually.

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  • 2006

    • The NIDCR awards the college a five-year, $3.5 million grant to continue the research training program in oral biology.
    • Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine ranks UF College of Dentistry the No. 3 producer of Hispanic dentists out of 56 dental institutions in the U.S.

    • Mar

      Through an anonymous donation, an I-CAT cone beam computed tomography machine is installed in the college's main campus radiology suite.

    • May

      The college is one of the first dental institutions to participate through signed agreement with the Biolase University Program, enabling six Waterlase MD units to be installed throughout the college in Faculty Practice and the departments of endodontics, pediatric and operative dentistry.

    • Dec

      The Naples Children and Education Foundation (NCEF) donates $5.5 million to the College of Dentistry to fund the construction and operation of a state-of-the-art pediatric dental facility in Collier County. The $8 million clinic will be built on the campus of Edison College and will will offer specialized treatment for the county's Medicaid-eligible and at-risk children.

  • 2007

    • William P. McArthur, Ph.D.The new position of Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs is created to advise the dean, chairs, center directors and individual faculty and administrators on matters affecting faculty. William P. McArthur, Ph.D., is appointed.
    • Entrepreneur Edward T. Quinn of Longwood, Fla. makes a $2 million gift (eligible for matching funds from the state) to the College of Dentistry to create the M. Franklin Dolwick University Chair, the largest ever established within the college.

  • 2008

    • Linda Bartoshuk, Ph.D., a professor of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, is elected to a three-year term on the Council of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
    • Dr. Samuel Low, D.S.S., M.S., M.Ed., receives the 2008 Florida Dental Association's J. Leon Schwartz Lifetime Achievement Award. Given during the annual Florida National Dental Convention held in June in Orlando, this is the highest achievement award bestowed by the FDA and is presented to someone who has displayed a lifelong commitment to enhancing dentistry.

    • Aug

      TEAM clinical education model logoThe college implements the new TEAM clinical education model, providing increased flexibility in patient scheduling.

    • Dec 3

      The NCEF Pediatric Dental Center, a collaboration between the Naples Children and Education Foundation, UF College of Dentistry, Edison College and Collier Health Services Inc., opens. The building includes a state-of-the-art pediatric dental facility and educational space.The clinic will provide specialized pediatric dental treatment to Collier County's Medicaid-eligible and at-risk children during an estimated 15,000 patient visits each year.

      NCEF Pediatric Dental Center

  • 2009

    • The college's D.M.D. program is granted accreditation status of "approval without reporting requirements" by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). This status indicates that the program achieves or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation. The next site visit for the pre-doctoral program will occur in 2015.

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