On Sept. 1, Lily T. García became dean of the School of Dental Medicine.  She previously served as associate dean for education at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, where she focused on assessing and improving educational programs. She also coordinated teaching and learning programs and was a key contact for curriculum management and tracking educational trends.

García’s advocacy and leadership have been recognized by the Hispanic Dental Association, and she has earned a Presidential Citation from the American Dental Education Association.

As dean of the UNLV School of Dental Medicine, García plans to work with the university’s health-related schools and help students prepare for practicing dentistry as a vital part of a person’s overall well-being. Within the School of Dental Medicine, García said her priorities will be to strengthen faculty through filling a number of openings, and to expand the school’s ties to community partners and friends within dentistry as well as among state and local leaders.

“I want students not only to feel UNLV is a great learning environment, but that Nevada is a great place to grow professionally and to thrive in their practices while providing good oral health care for our community,” she said, adding that UNLV’s vision for an Academic Health Center is forward thinking for students, community well-being and economic development.

“We are moving toward person-centered health care,” García said. “Oral health is part of overall health. Everybody needs to have healthy teeth, the ability to eat and smile in order to be confident and productive.”

García specializes in prosthodontics, the extensive, complex restoration of a person’s teeth to restore a person to optimal oral health in function and appearance. Her research focuses have been on effective replacement of teeth including dental implants as anchors for intraoral prosthodontic rehabilitation.

García is a sought-after lecturer and has published numerous articles and abstracts. She has co-authored and edited numerous textbooks, including Removable Partial Dentures: A Clinician’s Guide, Physical Evaluation in Dental Practice. She co-edited the 2019 Dental Clinics of North America – Prosthodontics. She has served on editorial boards of dental journals including the Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. She is a reviewer for the Journal of the American Dental Association and the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry.

Learn more about the UNLV School of Dental Medicine.

Photo: Courtesy of UNLV School of Dental Medicine; Lily T. García, dean of the School of Dental Medicine