{"id":128848,"date":"2026-02-04T09:21:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T15:21:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=128848"},"modified":"2026-02-04T09:21:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T15:21:26","slug":"sen-quick-tours-college-discusses-states-dental-needs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/02\/04\/sen-quick-tours-college-discusses-states-dental-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"Sen. Quick tours college, discusses state’s dental needs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Nebraska State Sen. Dan Quick, a member of the Nebraska Health and Human Services Committee, toured the UNMC College of Dentistry in December, meeting with Dean Gerard Kugel, DMD, PhD, and Executive Associate Dean Gregory Bennett, DMD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joined by several members of the college\u2019s leadership and staff, the group toured the facility and discussed the growing, statewide demand for dental care – including the large number of patients treated through the college\u2019s clinics and outreach efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the visit, Drs. Kugel and Bennett discussed with Sen. Quick the challenges facing rural Nebraskans seeking regular dental care, the college\u2019s role as a safety-net provider for many Medicaid patients who have no other dental home, and the college\u2019s veterans-focused programs\u2014where demand continues to outpace available resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Kugel said he was grateful for the opportunity to host Sen. Quick and show him firsthand what the college is facing\u2014and what it delivers for Nebraskans every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSen. Quick didn\u2019t just stop by for a handshake\u2014we walked the school together with our team, toured the clinics, and talked honestly about what\u2019s happening on the ground,\u201d Dr. Kugel said. \u201cThe need for dental care in Nebraska is not theoretical. It\u2019s urgent, it\u2019s growing, and we see it in the faces of patients who come through our doors every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cWe treat an extraordinary number of patients, including many Medicaid patients who don\u2019t have another dental home. And our veterans’ program is overwhelmed, because too many veterans are going without dental care and real support from the federal system. When people can\u2019t get care anywhere else, they come to us. That\u2019s why the UNMC College of Dentistry exists: to serve Nebraska, especially when the safety net is stretched to the breaking point.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nebraska State Sen. 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