Investing in the School of Dentistry

ambitious agenda to expand student education

and patient services while revitalizing the

School’s facility.

Now we turn to you—alumni and friends

who share our passion for optimal oral health.

We must think creatively how to enhance the

rural landscape of West Virginia so everyone has

access to oral healthcare. We must overcome

declining state funding by partnering with every

possible resource.

disparities for West Virginians starting with

excellence in oral health.

We’ve made progress. Faculty members

have secured nearly $5 million in grants to

expand promising population-based research.

Our clinics serve patients from every county in

the state, and our partnerships with community

and rural dentists across the state allow students

to provide dental care to thousands of West

Virginians in need. And we’ve outlined an

As West Virginia’s only dental school,

we embrace the special responsibility

to improve the oral health of the citizens

of our state.

Ahealthy mouth is essential for a healthy

body. This fundamental connection, as

described by the first U.S. Surgeon General Report

on Oral Health in 2000, propelled oral healthcare

to the forefront of primary healthcare.

As West Virginia’s only dental school, we

embrace the special responsibility to improve

the oral health of the citizens of our state

through a dynamic, evidence-based, and inter-

professional approach to wellness. It’s a big task:

West Virginia leads the nation in childhood

cavities, adult tooth loss, and gum disease.

We’re taking steps to address the oral

health problems by focusing on excellence

in education, patient care, research, services,

and cutting edge technology. Our vision

is to transform lives and eliminate health

The School of DenTiSTry: A STATe of MinDS

1

2

T he West Virginia University School of

Dentistry has a national reputation for

producing excellent clinicians, both dentists

and dental hygienists. More than half of all

West Virginia residents admitted to the School

of Dentistry have remained in state after

graduation. Approximately 81 percent of the

state’s practicing dentists are WVU alumni.

Through our rural partnerships, dental and

dental hygiene students have seen more than

17,000 patients and performed more than 32,000

procedures over the past decade. For this service,

the School received the first-ever OrnaShanley

Prize for Enhancing Access to Care by the

American Dental Education and the International

Federation of Dental Education Associations.

Engineering and dentistry researchers are

collaborating to develop an ultrasound tool to

improve early detection of periodontal disease, a

common cause of tooth loss in older adults. The

National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a

$1.2 million grant to build on studies linking gum

disease and mild-to-moderate memory loss, as

well as a $2.8 million grant to study oral health

disparities in northern Appalachia.

These amazing advances hold promise for

improving the health of the people of West

Virginia and beyond. But, more work is needed.

The TrAjecTory of SucceSS

Since 1957Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees .........2,157

Bachelor of Science degrees in Dental Hygiene ....................................906

Master of Science degrees in Dental Hygiene ......................................30

Post-doctoral programs completed in various dental specialties ....................447

“The Baker scholarship symbolizes to me that I am not alone, that there

are generous souls out there, and though I may have never met them,

they want to support my dreams because they truly believe in me.”

—Trisstar Oliver, Class of 2013 and recipient of the four-year Norman H. & Nathan P.

Baker Dental Scholarship

Dental Hygiene students or growth in graduate

specialty programs. Additional office space is

necessary to attract more research-oriented

faculty members. And to remain competitive,

we must modernize the School’s appearance.

Technology in dentistry has exploded.

Digital imaging and implant placement,

3-D impressions, use of lasers, CAD-CAM

fabrication of restorations, and paperless

electronic health records are just some of the

advances making dental care more comfortable,

less invasive, and more evidence-based. We

need to expose our students to appropriate,

cutting-edge technologies so they will be

prepared for practice when they graduate.

Naming opportunities are available for alumni

and friends with donations to support construction

of a new facility and technology enhancements.

Investment Total: $10 Million

4

T hrough A State of Minds: The Campaign

for West Virginia’s University, we ask

you to invest in the School of Dentistry: in

our students, our faculty, and our programs.

Our vision is to transform lives and eliminate

health disparities for West Virginians starting

with excellence in oral health.

New Facility Construction and

Technology Enhancements

The practice of dentistry has transformed

dramatically over the years. Our facilities

need to keep pace. To focus on excellence in

education, patient care, research, services and

cutting edge technology we must invest in a

state-of-the-art facility. Our current facility is

more than 60 years old and does not allow for

any additional growth. The labs and clinics

cannot accommodate a larger class of DDS or

PrioriTieS for ToMorrow

Endowed Faculty Positions

There are hundreds of openings for full-time dental

faculty across the United States. These positions

are not easily filled, as the salary gap between an

academic dentist and one in private practice is

approximately $150,000 annually. To help make

academic positions more attractive, we seek funds

to create endowed professorships in endodontics,

orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics

(restorative dentistry), and periodontics. These

endowed chairs will help narrow the salary gap,

allowing us to recruit talented top-tiered clinician-

scientists who will advance oral health knowledge,

research, and practice.

Donors select a name for their permanent

endowed fund that a faculty member will carry

with them while appointed to the position at the

School of Dentistry.

Investment Total: $5 Million

Student Scholarships

Dental education is expensive. The average

graduate leaves school with nearly $160,000

of debt and faces an additional $250,000 in

expenses to establish a new practice. Rural areas

urgently need more dentists, but those practice

locations don’t typically pay well. We need to

do more to attract a diverse array of students

and provide them with adequate scholarship

support to reduce the debt load. Our goal is

to make sure the best and brightest students

aren’t limited in attending dental school or in

choosing a post-graduate practice location by

their ability to pay back student debt.

Donors select a name for their permanent

endowed scholarship fund that is awarded

annually to a dental or dental hygiene student.

Investment Total: $4 Million

6

The School of Dentistry has only three

endowed professorships for 48 full-time

faculty members and 27 partial scholarships

for more than 300 students.

“Our fortunate way of life today comes out of those four

years in dental school. We owe that back. If you consider all

the income we’ll generate over our lifetimes, this is such a

small amount.”

—Dr. Loring “Martini” Ross, ’75, ’78, ’80 on his $100,000 donation to help

fund a new Dental School

8

T he School of Dentistry is poised for growth

and a national presence. I came to WVU

as dean in 2011 for the opportunity to foster

this growth—through research, scholarship, and

technological advances.

I was drawn by the School’s reputation, excellent

students, and talented and dedicated clinical faculty.

I was also encouraged by the many committed staff

members and highly engaged alumni. Overall, I see

tremendous potential for the School in programs and

facilities, in attracting outstanding faculty, and in

providing more support for students.

I continue to meet with groups and share our

vision and the enthusiasm we have for the future. The

School of Dentistry has a firm foundation in place; we

now must build on that foundation. Planning is under

way for a new facility, but an investment in private

dollars is necessary to make it a reality. In addition, we

need to provide our students with the highest level of

clinical training and diagnostic skills on the newest

equipment. And we must attract clinician-scientists

who will push the boundaries of knowledge to address

this state’s oral health disparities.

I believe we can accomplish our goals and, in doing

so, make the School of Dentistry better than good and

better than great. I believe it can truly be extraordinary.

The priorities outlined here comprise a solid roadmap

to success. In following this roadmap, we will stake our

position in the forefront of oral healthcare.

Will you join me in supporting A State of Minds:

The Campaign for West Virginia’s University? Your

gift to the School of Dentistry is an investment in

improving the oral healthcare for the people of West

Virginia. The lessons we learn here hold great promise

to help citizens across the globe achieve better oral

health—and ultimately, higher quality, healthier lives.

David A. Felton, D.D.S., M.S.Dean

A STATe of MinDS: creATing heAlThcAreleADerS for ToMorrow

W V U H E a lT H S C I E N C E S C E N T E r

The WVU Health Sciences Center is West Virginia’s healthcare, education, and

research linchpin. Dedicated to serving our state and our world by transforming lives

and eliminating health disparities, we are poised to enhance the well-being and quality

of life in West Virginia and beyond.

As an integral part of A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University,

your support for the WVU Health Sciences Center is about investing in the values,

intellect, and commitment that define one of the most exciting academic medical

centers in the country. The WVU Health Sciences Center will drive national and global

dialogue on healing, teaching, and discovery for decades to come.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution.

One Waterfront Place, 7th Floor | P.O. Box 1650 | Morgantown, WV 26507-1650 | 304-284-4000 or 800-847-3856 | www.astateofminds.com

School of DentistryP.O. Box 9008 | Morgantown, WV 26506-9008 | 304-293-3980 | www.dentistry.hsc.wvu.edu