A rendering of the Wichita Biomedical Campus. Wichita State’s proposed school of dentistry would likely be located across the street, according to Zach Gearhart, WSU’s chief of staff. (Courtesy of WSU Strategic Communications)

Wichita State is asking the Kansas Legislature to approve a plan it says will help Kansans who lack dental care. 

“Over 70 out of Kansas’ 105 counties are underserved or not served when it comes to oral health,” said Zach Gearhart, chief of staff and executive director of government relations at WSU. “That’s about 600,000 Kansans who are underserved currently.”

The university wants funding to carry out a feasibility study for implementing a dentistry school — $5 million to be exact. 

The study would help determine costs, as well as staffing, class sizes and how the school would fit into the larger Wichita community.

Gearhart said the possibility of a school of dentistry has been discussed by Kansas lawmakers and universities “for some time.” With WSU and the University of Kansas’ collaboration on the Wichita Biomedical Campus, he thinks now might be the right time. 

“What we’d like to do is incorporate this into phase two of the biomedical campus, to include a School of Dentistry at WSU,” Gearhart said. “So we’d likely locate it near phase one (of the Biomedical Campus), across the street from it.”

WSU will hear back from the state next spring when the legislature will review budget recommendations from the governor, Gearhart said. 

“And then, if all goes well, we could be in a position to receive that $5 million for the feasibility study at the beginning of next fiscal year, which would be July 2025,” he said.