The Kansas City University College of Dental Medicine will welcome its first class of 80 students in 2023 –
educating future dentists to serve communities-in need through a team-based, comprehensive care general practice model. Student dentists in the Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) program will address the oral health needs of the Joplin regional community directly by providing clinical dental care in the College’s planned Oral Health Center. Student dentists will benefit from interprofessional education and practice experiences with students in KCU’s osteopathic and clinical psychology programs. During their fourth year, student dentists will work under the supervision of faculty preceptors to provide comprehensive oral health care in clinical partner sites to patients throughout the four corner region. The College of Dental Medicine expects to provide an additional 40,000 to 50,000 patient visits for the region annually once all four classes are enrolled.

Kansas City University, founded in 1916, is a private,not-for-profit health sciences university with a College of Osteopathic Medicine and a College of Biosciences. The College of Osteopathic Medicine is the seventh largest medical school and the sixth most affordable osteopathic medical colleges in the nation, and the leading producer of physicians for the state of Missouri. KCU has two campus locations strategically located in Kansas City and Joplin, Missouri to address the growing needs of rural and urban populations. The University offers multiple graduate degrees including a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD), Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MS) and multiple dual-degree opportunities. KCU will soon offer a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) from the new College of Dental Medicine, scheduled to enroll its first class in August of 2023 on the Joplin campus.