15 May 2026

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CU Dental's Top Stories of 2024

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From patient care to academic excellence, 2024 was an inspiring year for the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine (CU SDM).

Research highlights

Thirty-six percent of Americans fear the dentist. But with the right provider, time and encouragement, it can get better. CU Dental patient Olivia M. said, "I was absolutely terrified at first, but I am so happy I got matched with [dental student Deepika Gopalan] over a year ago. She single-handedly eradicated my fear of the dentist."

Jerry Olson, DVM, MS, Becomes First Patient at CU Dental to Receive Care Using a Wheelchair Lift

By utilizing a wheelchair lift, dental patients can stay comfortably in their chairs and providers can practice with improved ergonomics. We are proud to have installed one of the first wheelchair lifts in the state.

Why it matters

Legendary Photographer Ready to Rock Again Thanks to CU Dental Senior & Special Care Clinic

Dan Fong has spent his life photographing rock legends like the Grateful Dead, The Who and Led Zeppelin. Now he's eager to emerge from the behind the camera with a brand new smile, thanks to the CU Dental team. He's grateful to the faculty, students and staff who helped him through a rough patch in his extraordinary life.

CU Dental Senior Associate Dean for Research and Professor Jeffrey Stansbury, PhD, along with a multidisciplinary team of experts on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, was selected as an Anschutz Acceleration Initiative (AAI) grant recipient. The team’s mission is to help bridge the gap between adults in poverty and economically advantaged adults who use or may need dentures.

The SDM Excellence Awards honor our faculty, staff, students, residents and alumni who have contributed in many ways to the success of our school, our community and the dental profession.

Academic context

In an inspiring commencement speech to the DDS Class of 2024, American Dental Association President Brett Kessler, DDS, shared his journey from battling substance abuse to becoming a leader in the dental profession. We were proud to present Kessler with the CU SDM Honorary Alumni Award.

The University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine has been recognized by Apple as a distinguished school for inspiring, imagining, and impacting teaching and learning through continuous innovation.

More than two-thirds of Colorado’s counties are considered rural or frontier, and most are experiencing a shortage of dental health care workers. CU Dental’s new Rural Oral Health Track aims to train more dentists for professional practice in these communities and increase access to quality care.

Geriatric Dental Medicine Fellowship Prepares Healthcare Providers for Older Adult Population Surge

The number of Colorado residents over the age of 65 is projected to double to 1.7 million people by 2050, making the state’s aging population the second-fastest growing in the country. The CU School of Dental Medicine's new Geriatric Dental Medicine Fellowship will prepare dentists to effectively manage and treat older adults living with a broad range of disabilities and medical complexity that supports their oral health and promotes well-being.

New global health initiatives took six dental students to Brazil and Honduras for invaluable service-learning opportunities. DDS candidate Ryan Utsey said, "This experience confirmed that dentistry is the right calling for me. I know that I'm able to make a difference in people's lives with the skills I'm learning here at CU."

In collaboration with the CU Anschutz Medical Campus team, our dental faculty were featured in a series of stories focused on patient education:

As we look back on an incredible year of meaningful moments, we are excited to build on this momentum, embrace new opportunities and continue making a lasting impact in 2025.

Topics: Research , Innovation , Patient Care , Education , Community , Faculty , Alumni , Students , Dental Medicine

Source: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/dental/cu-dentals-top-stories-of-2024