Louisville dental school ranked second in U.S. by website that surveys students and recent graduates

The University of Louisville School of Dentistry is ranked second among dental schools in the U.S. by GraduatePrograms.com, a peer-written rating and review site for graduate schools. Last year the school ranked fourth. The No. 1-ranked program on the site was Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif.

Students and recent graduates, contacted via scholarship entries and social media, rate schools on 15 areas, including academic competitiveness, workload and faculty accessibility, a university news release said.

 “It is gratifying to know that students at the UofL School of Dentistry value their experience in the program, even if it is from a limited sampling,” Dean John Sauk said in the release. “In any case, we will persevere to continually seek to improve the quality of our educational programs and develop the empathy and skills of the professionals we educate.”

New partnership will provide children in Kentucky with a home for medical and dental care

Community Dental of Kentcky and the University of Louisville Pediatrics are partnering to provide Kentucky children in the Medicaid program with a medical, dental health care home through co-located facilities, says a press release from Gov. Steve Beshear's office.

“One of the most effective ways to combat chronic health conditions is to identify potential problems early and address them," Beshear said in the release. "This means ensuring that our children have easy access to the health care they need and deserve. This partnership seeks to meet that need, not just medical care, but also dental care. Through the creation of a health home for children, we believe we will be able to reverse some of the major health problems facing Kentucky.”

 Community Dental, an Alabama-based non-profit with a clinic in Louisville, is a full-service dental organization that provides health care in underserved communities with the goal of improving the overall health of the population, says the release. 

 “We are honored to partner with the Commonwealth and the University of Louisville,” Jeffrey Parker, chairman of Community Dental of Kentucky, said in the release. “Gov. Beshear has created the environment for preventive care as a major tool for combating the health care problems faced by the people in the state.”