UF faculty received $7 million in government funding that will bring healthy smiles to many faces – literally.
Four faculty members in the UF College of Dentistry received grants to enhance dentistry training and improve dental care access for people in need.
The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded UF five of the six grants applied for, ranging from $300,000 to $3.7 million.
One of the award recipients is Dr. Frank Catalanotto, chairman of community dentistry and behavioral sciences.
Catalanotto received two of the five grants, which will be used to enhance the dental program’s curriculum and provide new equipment and technology, such as lasers and dental chairs.
“The purpose is to help enhance students’ education and get patients some of the newest and best care,” he said.
The recipients of the other three grants are Dr. Teresa Dolan, dean of the College of Dentistry; Dr. Scott Tomar, professor of community dentistry and behavioral sciences; and Dr. Micaela Gibbs, assistant professor of community dentistry and behavioral sciences.
Plans for the funds include a teaching grant that will employ two new faculty members to educate students on ways to communicate with patients, especially minorities and those with diverse backgrounds, Catalanotto said.
The money will also help expand educational efforts on the risks of chewing tobacco and other tobacco products, he said.
In addition to new curricula, the grants will help fund the Summer of Learning program hosted by the college. Minority students from various colleges around Florida are chosen to participate in a four- to five-week program encouraging a future in the dental profession. The grants, as well as the College of Dentistry, will cover the expenses of the program.
“We have a very important goal – to increase the number of minority dentists,” Catalanotto said.
