On Sept. 17, members of the Nebraska Legislature spent an afternoon at the UNMC College of Dentistry for a visit organized and hosted by ASDA Legislative Liaison Kerry Zhu and fellow students from the college’s American Student Dental Association (ASDA) chapter.
Sens. George Dungan (District 26, Lincoln), Rick Holdcroft (District 36, Bellevue), and Victor Rountree (District 3, Bellevue), as well as Tyler Mahood on behalf of Sen. Teresa Ibach (District 44, Sumner) toured the simulation lab and the patient clinics. Some sat down at the college’s virtual reality dental simulators to complete an occlusal preparation and a guided implant placement, two of the exercises students work through before they treat patients.
Dental students also spoke with senators directly about why they chose dentistry and what their training has been like. The students discussed Nebraska’s dental workforce pipeline with the legislators, pointing out that about two-thirds of dentists practicing in Nebraska trained at the college, and roughly 81% of dentists in rural Nebraska are graduates. The visit also gave legislators a behind the scenes look at what the journey to becoming a dentist looks like.
The legislators learned about the college’s new urgent dental care clinic, which opened in July with evening walk-in hours. It treats dental emergencies that would otherwise reach hospital emergency departments, where an average visit for a dental problem in Nebraska cost nearly $3,200 in 2023.
As part of the visit, the group met with UNMC College of Dentistry Dean Gerard Kugel, DMD, PhD, Executive Associate Dean Greg Bennett, DMD, and faculty member Scott Morrison, DDS, who also is a member of the Nebraska Dental Association, as well as UNMC Director of Government Relations Jeff Kratz.
The group discussed the college’s role in Nebraska’s dental safety net as well. The college provided 88,200 patient visits in 2024-25, including 38,000 through charitable outreach, and delivers more than $6.1 million in free and reduced-fee care each year to rural, Medicaid and uninsured patients.
This visit does not represent an endorsement of any candidate or political party by UNMC, the University of Nebraska System, or the NU Board of Regents.