After years of preparation, the first dental school in Arkansas, Lyon College School of Dentistry, officially opened in Little Rock recently, welcoming the first batch of 80 students, marking a new chapter in dental education in the state. At the same time, the school has also started the admission interviews for the second batch of students and plans to admit more students in August.
Dr. Burke Sophie, the founding dean of the college, said that this moment means a lot to him and he has been moved many times. “We specially selected students who have leadership, service awareness, good character, and are committed to dentistry and rural medical services,” he said. “These students are not only excellent, but also have the potential to change the status quo.”
Arkansas has long faced a shortage of dentists. According to data from the American Dental Association in 2023, the number of dentists in the state ranks last in the country, with only about 41 dentists per 100,000 people.
Before this, Arkansas was one of the 14 states in the United States without a dental school. Students usually had to go to other states to study and often stayed in other states for employment, which further exacerbated the shortage of local dentists.
43% of the freshmen are from Arkansas, and 33% are from border states. Alex Crowley from Jonesboro is one of them.
She chose Lyon in part because it is close to her hometown. “I have always wanted to live with my family, so it was a natural decision to go to school in Arkansas and build connections.”
Currently, students are temporarily taking classes in a converted office building in the Riverdale community of Little Rock while the campus is still under construction. The building was originally an office building for Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Company, and Lyon has rented several floors.
When the project is completed, the school will have a student center, classrooms, simulation clinics and patient care clinics, and provide general dentistry, pediatric dentistry and special needs care services.
In addition, the school has a mentor system called “Scots Dental Engagement Network” (Scots DEN), which aims to strengthen teacher-student interaction and create a community atmosphere in the dental profession.
Cade Judd, a student from Texas, shared his story of choosing dentistry under the inspiration of his mentor – a surgery that made a patient smile, and also made him determined to become a dentist.
“That was the moment I told my dentist, ‘This is what I want to do.’ From that day on, I was determined to do this,” he said.
Sophie noted that mentorship can inspire students to want to work in rural areas while helping them balance career development with financial independence. “We want students to believe that they can build a meaningful life in a rural community, make a good living, and repay their loans.”
However, high tuition is still a challenge for students. Lyon Dental School charges $102,000 per year. A recently passed federal budget bill eliminated Grad PLUS loans, leaving students with only a lower amount of unsubsidized federal loans, with a lifetime limit of only $200,000 for professional degrees.
In response, Sophie said the school is actively seeking to establish institutional scholarships, but it still takes time and money. “The cost of dental school is indeed high, but we hope to enable more aspiring people to stay in Arkansas to receive higher education and serve the local area.”
Crowley also faces loan pressure, but she sees it as an investment in the future. “We have received a lot of support and information about financial planning.”
She also emphasized that the school encourages students to support each other and create a united and cooperative learning atmosphere. She said that the course schedule is tight, and students usually have classes from 8 am to 5 pm every day, take a break at noon, and need to study for several hours after class.
“Although everything is not easy, we will gradually adapt and grow with mutual support,” she said, “This is a challenge, but we are confident to meet it.”
This Friday from 9 am to noon, the School of Dental Medicine will also hold the “Give Children a Smile Day” event, providing free oral health examinations and education services for children and adults, bringing practical help to the community.