Investing in the School of Dentistry

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1 Investing in the School of Dentistry

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3 The School of Dentistry: A State of Minds Ahealthy mouth is essential for a healthy body. This fundamental connection, as described by the first U.S. Surgeon General Report disparities for West Virginians starting with excellence in oral health. We ve made progress. Faculty members ambitious agenda to expand student education and patient services while revitalizing the School s facility. on Oral Health in 2000, propelled oral healthcare have secured nearly $5 million in grants to Now we turn to you alumni and friends to the forefront of primary healthcare. expand promising population-based research. who share our passion for optimal oral health. 1 As West Virginia s only dental school, we Our clinics serve patients from every county in We must think creatively how to enhance the embrace the special responsibility to improve the state, and our partnerships with community rural landscape of West Virginia so everyone has the oral health of the citizens of our state and rural dentists across the state allow students access to oral healthcare. We must overcome through a dynamic, evidence-based, and inter- to provide dental care to thousands of West declining state funding by partnering with every professional approach to wellness. It s a big task: Virginians in need. And we ve outlined an possible resource. 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, As West Virginia s only dental school, we embrace the special responsibility to improve the oral health of the citizens of our state. and cutting edge technology. Our vision is to transform lives and eliminate health

4 The Trajectory of Success 2 The 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. Since 1957 Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees... 2,157 Bachelor of Science degrees in Dental Hygiene Master of Science degrees in Dental Hygiene Post-doctoral programs completed in various dental specialties

5 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

6 Priorities for Tomorrow 4 Through 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 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

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8 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. 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 clinicianscientists 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

9 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

10 A State of Minds: Creating HEALTHCARE Leaders for Tomorrow 8 The 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

11 WVU Health Sciences Center 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.

12 School of Dentistry P.O. Box 9008 Morgantown, WV One Waterfront Place, 7th Floor P.O. Box 1650 Morgantown, WV or