The new school is scheduled to open on Jan. 1, 2027. It will be the University of Rochester's first new school in more than 50 years, according to local reporting on the launch.
The plan puts dental education and research inside an academic medical setting. Communities already face barriers to care and a shortage of dentists.
That is the pressure behind it.
When it opens on Jan. 1, 2027, the Eastman School of Dentistry will be New York State's seventh dental school.
The need is changing, too. Patients are living longer with their natural teeth. More people also need care shaped by chronic disease, cancer and other complex medical conditions.
A dental school linked to medical care
The Eastman School of Dentistry will be part of University of Rochester Medicine. Its students and researchers will work alongside colleagues in medicine, nursing and the health sciences.
The university says this structure will support integrated education, research and patient care. Oral health is becoming more closely tied to a person's overall health.
The university expects the new school to educate approximately 20 dentists each year, while the Eastman Institute for Oral Health already trains dentists through 10 specialized programs.
The access problem is not abstract. A recent training investment in Norfolk also tied dental education to the need for more care. The issue is now about policy and the dental workforce, as well as academics.
The workforce gap is real.
Eastman leadership will guide the launch
Eli Eliav, DMD, PhD, MBA, will become the school's inaugural dean. He has led the Eastman Institute for Oral Health since 2013.
His background includes clinical work, research, teaching and academic leadership. He also knows Eastman's history and mission in detail. WXXI News reported that Eliav said the new school would let the university develop predoctoral programs, strengthen research and prepare more workers for the field.
Sarah C. Mangelsdorf, president of URochester, said the school would build on the university's existing strengths. She said it would also create opportunities to educate future dentists, advance discovery and improve patient care.
The university's School of Medicine & Dentistry will take a new name as well. It will become the School of Medicine. Both changes take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
At that point, dentistry will have a separate academic structure within University of Rochester Medicine.
Doctor of Dental Medicine programme still requires approval
The Eastman School of Dentistry will offer a Doctor of Dental Medicine programme if it receives approval from the Commission on Dental Accreditation and New York State. The programme will sit alongside the Eastman Institute for Oral Health's 10 postgraduate education programmes in dental specialties.
Eliav said the school must train dentists who understand the link between oral health and overall wellbeing. It must also develop researchers, educators and academic leaders.
That is the brief.
The University of Rochester's plan goes beyond a name change. It responds to workforce shortages, limited access to care and more complex clinical needs. The proposed DMD programme now faces its biggest test: accreditation and state approval.
