KCU News

Sharon Gordon, DDS, associate dean for academic affairs and research at KCU College of Dental Medicine, serves as councilor for the Missouri Section of the American Association of Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research. The new section, formed in 2022, strives to stimulate research collaborations across institutions as well as to provide opportunities for students and trainees to engage in research.

In April, medical students at Kansas City University introduced a resolution to the Missouri State Medical Association to stop this practice. 

The mouth is a gateway to the body. Poor oral health can lead to a number of health problems throughout the body, including many chronic health issues. KCU's Dr. Dennis Abbott, Director Predoctoral Curriculum and Integrated Learning for the College of Dental Medicine, explains.

Kansas City University (KCU) unveiled the nation’s newest and most innovative College of Dental Medicine (CDM) in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Harry M. Cornell Center for Dental Education on its McIntire-Farber Campus in Joplin, Missouri on Monday, June 26, 2023.

Officials held a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony to celebrate the new KCU College of Dental Medicine in Joplin on June 26, 2023. It featured a special guest from the state capitol – Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe.

Dr. Linda Niessen, dean of the College of Dental Medicine, said she and her staff know full well the real celebration will come when the students are in class. "We have this beautiful building and this amazing technology, but you don't have anything if you don't have students," she said. "This is what we've been building for. It's all about the students." 

Kansas City University College of Dental Medicine is revolutionizing the dental education experience by providing its students with cutting-edge equipment and hands-on training.

She wants to foster an environment where faculty, staff and students can mentor and learn from each other, highlighting that mentorship can happen between any two people and sometimes in unexpected ways. “When people trust each other, they have the ability to be vulnerable without being afraid, and that translates into growth and self-confidence,” said Sharon Gustowski, DO. “Every person is important, and we all have something to learn from each other.”

We are moving into the heat of the summer when extreme temperatures can be dangerous, even deadly. Dr. Gautam Desai, Professor and Chair of Primary Care at Kansas City University spoke on WDAF TV about staying safe in the heat.

Can technology play a role in solving the nation’s mental health crisis? Dr. Sarah Getch, program director of KCU’s PsyD program discusses the tech trend and the new software coming to some smart phones.

“Many marginalized and disenfranchised groups are overlooked within medicine, hence the importance of a scholarship recognizing and embracing the sexual and gender diversity within our student body. Acknowledging a deserving student for their LGBTQ+ advocacy nourishes my soul,” Ron Holt II, DO (COM ’93) explained.

Lots of people battle with anxiety when faced with sitting in the dental chair. KCU's College of Dental Medicine Founding Dean Linda Niessen, DMD, speaks with Local News Today on techniques to use to cope with dental anxiety.