1949-1968 | 1969-1971 | 1976-1990 | 1991-2004 | 2005-Present
1949-1968
Laying the Groundwork
From 1949 to 1968, years of planning, advocacy and investment laid the foundation for the University of Florida College of Dentistry. State studies and professional organizations repeatedly identified Florida’s need for a dental school, leading to legislative approval, faculty recruitment, curriculum development and plans for a dedicated facility within the Health Center.
Under the leadership of founding dean Edmund Ackell and associate dean José E. Medina, the college established its first academic programs, recruited nationally recognized faculty, launched continuing education initiatives and secured critical federal funding. This momentum set the stage for the construction of Florida’s first dental school.
1969-1971
The College of Dentistry Gets a Home
Between 1969 and 1971, our newly established college secured the funding, leadership and public support needed to turn an ambitious vision into a physical reality. After Florida voters approved bond funding that unlocked a landmark federal construction grant, university leaders finalized plans for the state’s first dental school, recruited nationally recognized faculty and developed an innovative curriculum.
These efforts culminated in the May 1971 groundbreaking for the college’s permanent 11-story facility at the J. Hillis Miller Health Center, marking a major milestone in establishing Florida’s first college of dentistry and expanding the state’s capacity to educate future dental professionals.
1976-1990 » Expanding in Gainesville and Beyond
The college graduates its first class in 1976. The next year, it establishes advanced education programs in orthodontics, oral pathology, general practice and periodontics. Continuing education programs begin in 1981, and educational offerings soon expand to include pediatric dentistry and oral biology. Several clinical research centers begin treating patients, and the college founds an outreach clinic in Mayo, Fla. In 1986, the first College of Dentistry satellite clinic opens in Jacksonville.
1991-2004 » Leading in Research, Education & Patient Care
The college opens satellite clinics in St. Petersburg, Hialeah and on the east side of Gainesville to serve more Floridians, and receives recognition for its dental service. Several research centers are established, using federal and state grants as well as gifts from alumni and friends. Clinical education programs begin to incorporate rotations at community-based dental clinics. The “Sim Lab” opens, allowing first- and second-year dental students to realistically simulate dental care before entering the clinic.
2005-Present » Envisioning the Future
New clinics open in Naples and St. Petersburg (Seminole), greatly increasing the number of patients that can be treated. The college continues to keep abreast of technological advances, implementing digital radiography, adopting a new clinic management system, and acquiring a cone beam CT scanner. Administrative changes streamline both patient care and education, and the college begins the process of updating its three-decade-old home.