Research ProgramsResearch plays a prominent role in the School of Dentistry. The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, and the advanced dental and dental hygiene educational programs all have strong research components. The intent of these advanced programs is to expose the student to basic and translational research, and clinical application. Research and the scientific method are formal parts of the educational program of all dental school students, contributing to their education, as well as serving to advance science and dentistry. Grants from external funding currently amount to more than $8 million per year. Many of the researchers who have obtained these grants serve as mentors for dental students participating in the Dental Summer Scholars Program. In this selective program, a limited number of students gain an eight-week research experience in the mentor's area of research interest.
Outreach ProgramsIn keeping with its goal of developing in its students a sense of professional and societal responsibilities, and an awareness of community needs and problems, the school offers numerous outreach opportunities to students in all of its programs. Individuals associated with more than 30 community-based organizations, agencies or projects are provided oral health care by UMKC students and faculty. Representative of these are the Kansas City Free Health Clinic, Dental Care With A Heart program (dental care for homeless and/or economically needy persons), Northeast Missouri Area Health Education Center Dental Clinic, Theodosia, Mo., project (serving the underserved in rural settings), Special Olympics Oral Health Screening project (providing oral health assessments to mentally or developmentally disabled persons), and treatment of orphaned children each year in Arecibo, Venezuela.
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